Mike Lake

[Industry, March 26th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I just answered that question, but let us look at the larger record of this government and the commitments we have made to Canadians. What this government will commit to is continuing the record that has led to over one million net new jobs in this country since July 2009, 85% of those full-time and over 95% of them in the private sector.

The measures that we have taken have led this country to a leadership position in terms of our economy, one where we will have a balanced budget by 2015. I think Canadians would expect the opposition party to support some of these measures.

[Industry, March 26th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, U.S. Steel has had to make some difficult business decisions. The 2011 settlement with U.S. Steel contains commitments that provide economic benefit for Canada, particularly for Hamilton and Nanticoke.

Many of the commitments in the settlement with U.S. Steel run to 2015, well beyond the original three-year term of the employment and production undertakings, which expired in October 2010. These commitments include that U.S. Steel must continue to produce steel in Canada, that U.S. Steel must operate at both Hamilton and Lake Erie until 2015, generating continued economic activity. It must also increase its original capital expenditure commitment by 25%, bringing it to $250 million by December 2015.

[Science and Technology, February 24th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, the government understands the importance of providing support for scientific discovery and has provided more than $11 billion dollars since 2006, in new resources for basic and applied research, talent development, research infrastructure, and innovative activities in the private sector. We have more effectively aligned federal research support with business needs.

Economic action plan 2014 is a continuation of this narrative. It is one of maintaining our economic strength and adding new support for research and innovation. The creation of the Canada first research excellence fund in the budget is evidence of this, with $1.5 billion in funding over the next decade to help Canadian post-secondary institutions excel globally.

We can boast of an enviable record, as Canada remains the G7 leader in research and development expenditures in the higher education sector as a share of the economy. Our government understands the importance of science, research, and innovation and is committed to supporting both basic and applied research.

[Science and Technology, February 24th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to respond to comments made earlier by the hon. member for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles regarding National Research Council scientists and the new mandate of the NRC.

Our government's top priority is jobs, economic growth, and long-term prosperity. That is why we have made record investments in science, technology, and innovation. We understand the importance of providing support for scientific discovery as well as supporting Canadian scientists who work in our research institutions across the country.

Since 2006, our government has provided more than $11 billion in new resources for basic and applied research, talent development, research infrastructure, and innovative activities in the private sector. We have also more effectively aligned federal research support with business needs. That is why Canada is ranked first in the G7 for support for research and development in our colleges, universities, and other research institutes.

Where we see an opportunity to improve is in moving more ideas from the labs to the marketplace. That is also why the government has transformed the NRC to focusing its activities and assets on supporting business innovation, helping to address Canada's challenges in this area. The NRC has set an ambitious goal for itself: to become the most effective research and technology organization in the world. Its revitalization is an important piece of the government's overall strategy in support of innovation. The government will continue to support the NRC and its scientists as they work toward this goal, while at the same time continuing to support basic research. It is clear that we are taking steps to ensure that the National Research Council remains a world-class organization.

We will continue to protect and build on our strength in basic research and bring more ideas from labs and workshops, where science, research, development, and innovation are thriving, to the marketplace.

Furthermore, economic action plan 2014 reinforces Canada's economic strength, with new support for research and innovation totalling more than $1.6 billion over the next five years. Specifically, the plan proposes to create the Canada first research excellence fund, with $1.5 billion in funding over the next decade, to help Canadian post-secondary institutions excel globally in research areas that create long-term economic advantage for Canada.

As the economic action plan reaffirms, our government is committed to supporting science, technology, and innovation to pursue business-led initiatives that meet private sector needs, create jobs, strengthen our knowledge economy, and improve the quality of life for Canadians.

[The Budget, February 14th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this question from the hon. member, because it gives me the opportunity to read a few more quotes from Canadian researchers.

The chair of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities, Amit Chakma, said:

The U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities...congratulates the Government of Canada on its 2014 budget and the significant investment of $1.5 billion...for the new Canada First Research Excellence Fund.

The president and vice-chancellor of UBC, Stephen Toope, said:

I applaud the federal government's decision to spur greater Canadian leadership in global research and innovation....

[Science and Technology, February 14th, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome this question from the hon. member. Obviously the NDP members do not agree with our government's support of science, research, and technology to power Canada's economy, but let me point out some quotes from some people who do.

The chair of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, David Barnard, says:

This is a pivotal moment for research excellence and innovation in Canada.... [Budget 2014] recognizes that a vibrant, innovative and competitive Canadian economy needs a world-class research system.

The president of the AUCC, Paul Davidson says:

Today Canada is signalling to the leading research nations of the world that it intends to compete with the best...

I hope the hon. member will recognize that and vote with us on the budget.

[Science and Technology, January 31st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, this is a puzzling question. Last I checked, this is 2014. The hon. member who just asked the question, I am guessing, is of the generation that uses computers and the Internet from time to time and would understand that it is an age in which we are digitizing information. The information for which we used to go to libraries and search books—libraries the size of this chamber—we can now carry around with us. We can access it from anywhere. This is a good thing and, of course, the government will continue to move in that direction.

[Combating Counterfeit Products Act, January 31st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member. When he was on the committee, I always enjoyed his lively style of intervention.

Both NDP questions today centred on spending more money, as they generally do in this place. It does not matter what we are debating, the NDP's questions are centre on spending more money.

In this government, we are looking at the amount of money that is spent on behalf of taxpayers of this country. We are saying that we can do better with that money. We can get that budget balanced and still take important steps like this to give tools to our border officers.

As we have the debate we are about to have on the budget coming up, I would ask the NDP members to first read the budget before they actually engage in the debate, which is always a good idea, and to second consider actually supporting our measures to get the budget in balance so we can continue to move forward with these important initiatives to the benefit of Canadians.

[Combating Counterfeit Products Act, January 31st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, this is a really important point. Again, we heard this over and over again at committee. It was a real eye-opener for the committee members on all sides to see the example of the circuit breaker, for instance. We do not really think about these things. When we think about counterfeit products, we think more about clothing, accessories, and those things we more typically see.

In a case like the Canada Goose example, we saw a strong example of a product we would think would be harmless in the counterfeit version, but I cannot even get into the wide range of things they found in these jackets that were completely unsanitary.

Look at the possibility of counterfeiting medicines and creating medicines that people are taking because they think they will make them better, but those medicines have not gone through the same standards and safety controls a medicine would go through here. They may not contain anything that will actually help a person.

These are real and serious problems in relation to this issue. People think about counterfeiting oftentimes more from a business standpoint, but in the interest of protecting Canadian consumers, safety, as we heard at the committee, is a major issue.

[Combating Counterfeit Products Act, January 31st, 2014]

Mr. Speaker, of course, there was wide consultation on this issue. Obviously, consumers have a role to play, as do Canadian businesses, importers, exporters, and border services officials. Certainly all were consulted.

With regard to the consumer, it is an interesting question, because obviously, the primary focus of this legislation is to protect Canadian consumers. At the end of the day, though, consumers also have a role to play. As I mentioned in the middle of my speech, we are not targeting an individual who buys a counterfeit purse or something similar in another country and brings it back home. That is still wrong. It is still wrong to support counterfeit products, and there is a danger in doing that. It obviously hurts business.

However, the bigger concern is that with some of these products, not so much purses but some other counterfeit products, there may actually be a personal danger. Of course, we want Canadian consumers to be aware of that, and people need to take responsibility when they consider what it is they are purchasing.