Government Operations committee  What page are you on, sir?

Government Operations committee  What page are you referring to?

Government Operations committee  What page are you looking at?

Government Operations committee  One thing I've realized over the last four and a half or five years in this department is that something always creeps up. Despite having done the best planning we could do, such as some of the current reviews we may undertake under the Investment Canada Act, even just last week there was public debate over usage-based billing.

Government Operations committee  The figures contained in the document to which you are referring are accurate and I agree with you. The big difference pertains to the knowledge infrastructure program. All of the construction initiatives undertaken in partnership with the provinces, in this case with the ministère de l'Éducation and the ministère du Développement économique, de l'innovation et de l'exportation du Québec, in order to renovate CEGEPs and universities, constitute capital for construction development.

Government Operations committee  The money has not been spent elsewhere, it was allocated for a two-year period of time. The government recently extended this time period by six months, and now it is expiring. As part of our estimate process, we had to put this program under a certain heading. Since this program was designed to increase the capacity of post-secondary institutions to achieve their own objectives and fulfil their mandate, we classified it under this heading.

Government Operations committee  I think that you are talking about something else.

Government Operations committee  As you know, our department does have a component that pertains to science, technology and innovation. It was in part because of our contacts with the provinces that the government, in its 2009 budget, requested that the Department of Industry deliver this program. I do agree with you that the vast majority of the infrastructure program was managed by the Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio.

Government Operations committee  The department targets certain sectors with which it works quite closely. The aerospace sector is probably the one that it has focused on the most. I will get back to this matter later, and provide you with more clarification about the numbers. Nevertheless, I know that the support program is continuing and that the appropriations are there.

Government Operations committee  It's for next year. Strategic review is done over a three-year timeframe. Our first year where these reductions would be implemented would be 2011-2012. Secondly, we don't know what the specific number or target is going to be because that will come out in the budget.

Government Operations committee  We were asked to present proposals to cabinet for ministers to consider. We have not been made aware of any decision to date by ministers. Those will come out in the budget, and those will relate to 2011-2012.

Government Operations committee  I was familiar with your concern, having watched Minister Day appear in front of your committee on Tuesday, somewhat as a warm-up to my appearance today.

Government Operations committee  To a very large degree these relate to expenditures that were initiated in the context of the economic action plan. For example, we've had $2 billion in the knowledge infrastructure program, $1 billion for each year. Those are winding down this year as projects get completed; therefore, the expenditure is no longer carried in our books.

Government Operations committee  For personnel, we had some small additions in personnel to manage these programs. Kelly may have the specifics, but they were under...a single-digit percentage of additional staff.

Government Operations committee  We're talking in terms of the knowledge infrastructure program. The modality that we used was to enter into contribution agreements with provincial governments. So for example $985 million was targeted to be delivered through provincial governments. That's an example, if you wish, of a contribution agreement.