Evidence of meeting #40 for Science and Research in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was scientific.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Jagsharan Singh Mahal Conservative Edmonton Southeast, AB
That means you have not met with the Prime Minister since the election, correct?
Chief Science Advisor of Canada, Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada
Not yet.
Conservative
Jagsharan Singh Mahal Conservative Edmonton Southeast, AB
Thank you.
Dr. Nemer, this is very concerning to me. At a time when Canada recognizes how science is funded within the government, don't you think it's important that you advise the Prime Minister one-on-one?
Chief Science Advisor of Canada, Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada
I am in very regular contact with Minister Joly, the ISED minister. As you know, there are many important science, industry and innovation files that I have been engaged on with her.
I feel that I am providing the advice that is needed for the government. Even if I haven't been in a one-on-one conversation with the Prime Minister, it hasn't stopped me from doing my job.
Conservative
Jagsharan Singh Mahal Conservative Edmonton Southeast, AB
Indeed, it doesn't, and I appreciate that you have that kind of mentality when it comes to serving Canadians.
Part of your mandate is that you are also an adviser to the Prime Minister. You are meeting with the ministers, which I understand, but again, you have confirmed that you have not met with the Prime Minister yet.
Let's move on to my next question. Were you consulted at all on the sweeping cuts to science and research mandated across most departments within the government since the last budget?
Chief Science Advisor of Canada, Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada
No.
Conservative
Jagsharan Singh Mahal Conservative Edmonton Southeast, AB
How do you feel about those cuts when you were not consulted?
Chief Science Advisor of Canada, Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada
It's hard to feel when you don't know.
Conservative
Jagsharan Singh Mahal Conservative Edmonton Southeast, AB
As a scientist, when you hear that the funding is cut in the budget, do you feel sad, though?
Chief Science Advisor of Canada, Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada
Madam Chair, my mandate is to make recommendations to strengthen science in the country. This is very important, but it doesn't necessarily always mean more money, and it doesn't mean that if a budget was cut that this is affecting science quality. I think that any business—
Conservative
Jagsharan Singh Mahal Conservative Edmonton Southeast, AB
Dr. Nemer, I think you just confirmed in one of the last answers to a question that giving funds, then cutting back and then restarting is not good for the science and the research and the country.
Chief Science Advisor of Canada, Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada
Zigzag funding is not good for science.
Conservative
Jagsharan Singh Mahal Conservative Edmonton Southeast, AB
Don't you think that, on these kinds of things, on the one hand the government says that it is pro-science and that the Conservatives are against science, yet at the same time it is arbitrarily cutting the funding?
Chief Science Advisor of Canada, Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada
Perhaps I'll re-emphasize that science—including the science budgets and the science workforce—is across the country, within government labs, at universities, at colleges and in the private sector. I think the important thing is to have a holistic view of the entire system. At times, things evolve. At times, the best research is being carried out in industry. At times, it's within government. At other times, it's at universities. What's important is to make sure that important science and research are being carried out somewhere in the country and that they're available.
Conservative
Jagsharan Singh Mahal Conservative Edmonton Southeast, AB
I think that you and I both agree that continuous funding for the right cause, to make sure that the right science and research are given back to the country, is important.
Chief Science Advisor of Canada, Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada
I cannot disagree on the importance of stable science budgets.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Salma Zahid
Thank you.
We will now proceed to MP Nathan for five minutes.
Please go ahead. The floor is yours.
Liberal
Juanita Nathan Liberal Pickering—Brooklin, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Dr. Nemer, I would like to ask you some science questions.
I had the opportunity to visit the Toronto Zoo last month, and I was impressed by the zoo's leadership in conservation cryobanking and its potential to contribute to biodiversity, preservation, scientific innovation and economic growth in Canada. Conservation cryobanking has been described as an important tool for preserving the genetic diversity of endangered species and for supporting future conservation restoration efforts.
From a scientific perspective, how important is it for Canada to invest in and expand cryobanking capacity, and what role could the national centres of excellence play in protecting biodiversity and advancing Canadian research and innovation?
Chief Science Advisor of Canada, Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada
This is a very important question because it speaks to science solutions for biodiversity loss and for protecting species at risk, and also to the importance of these unique platforms across the country.
Cryopreservation is extremely important for all of the reasons you have mentioned. It's also important when researchers generate genetically modified organisms that can be used for further research, for pharmacologic testing, etc. We can keep them at low cost and then basically unfreeze them when we need them and reconstitute the species.
I think this is something that the Canada Foundation for Innovation, which funds such platforms, is precisely looking at—to have these enabling platforms across the country—and I think that's a good example of something like that.
Liberal
Juanita Nathan Liberal Pickering—Brooklin, ON
I'll just follow up on that.
Given Canada's leadership opportunities in biotechnology and conservation science, do you believe that investing in cryobanking infrastructure today would help secure an environmental and scientific future? Can you give a couple of examples of that?
Chief Science Advisor of Canada, Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada
As I said, in addition to biodiversity loss, being able to reintroduce species in the right environment.... You can imagine that, when you do cryopreservation, you can preserve pathogens and viruses, and you can use this to develop new antibiotics and new antivirals. You can have animal models where you can do challenge functions, where you can study chronic and acute diseases. There are multiple applications that are for bettering health and also for stimulating the economy in specific life sciences areas.