Industry committee  Good morning, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. It's our pleasure to be here today with you to speak to Bill C-25. Innovation, Science and Economic Development's core mandate is to help make the Canadian economy and industry more productive and competitive in a global economy, thus improving the economic and social well-being of Canadians.

Industry committee  Mr. Chair, I'd like to have a specific answer, so I think I'd best take that back to the department. Our colleague who is responsible for the auto sector, the industry sector in the department, is not with us today. Given this specific question, I'd like to take it back to the department and provide a written answer, if that would be acceptable to the committee—

Industry committee  —rather than providing a general answer, which doesn't get to the specifics you asked.

Industry committee  If I could add, Mr. Chair, I think it might be helpful to distinguish that the NRC, in addition to providing grants for IRAP, is also a performer of research. That distinguishes it from NSERC, which grants funding to the performers of research. In one case it's a mechanism to flow funds to meritorious projects, as you would with IRAP, in fact, in funding a business.

Industry committee  The answer here is similar to that provided about the other regional agencies. This is a community infrastructure program. This will provide an opportunity to fund more projects in FedNor's area of responsibility. These are the types of projects that my colleague referred to before, such as upgrades to recreational centres, community centres, areas of broad public benefit which can commemorate our anniversary, but also improve that kind of infrastructure in communities.

Industry committee  I will take the second part of the question first, Mr. Chair. In terms of the operation of the Investment Canada Act, I would point out that with all applications made under the Investment Canada Act, the director of investments, who is the deputy minister of our department, provides a recommendation to the minister on the factors under the act.

Industry committee  We take our cues from the mandate letter of the minister. It is quite transparent, as that mandate letter is on our website for all to see. The mandate the minister has is to work on approaches to grow the Canadian economy and to increase exports and jobs for the benefit of all Canadians.

Industry committee  I'd just like to add some precision, which might be helpful to the member's question. In particular, when we were comparing CanNor to ACOA, for example, and with the amount of operating money that was identified in the estimates, this is specific funding that's unique to CanNor for the northern projects management office—an operating activity that looks at major resource projects in the far north of Canada.

Industry committee  If you would allow, Mr. Chair, I think I could add a bit more precision on operating versus non-operating expenditures. For ACOA, their total budget for grants and contributions is $243 million, and they have $64 million for operations, which is 20% of the total, according to the figures I have here.

Industry committee  Again, I would defer to my colleagues at Destination Canada if we are looking for more specific information. My apologies that I am not able to provide that level of detail. I think the other key is to think of them as one part of an overall portfolio of effort right down to the municipal level, the local economic development and provincial level, and so forth.

Industry committee  No, I wouldn't characterize the circumstance now or even in the past as that. I've been in the department for 10 years. The department has been involved in industrial evaluation projects related to procurement in all of the time I've been there. What's changed is the new industrial and technological benefits policy, which shifts the placement of the industrial technology benefit process into the actual decision-making up front as a rated area of criteria, rather than where you're essentially taking the outcome of the procurement process and then you're maximizing 100% value of those procurements in terms of Canadian benefits.

Industry committee  The industrial and technological benefits policy that Canada follows is completely consistent with our trade obligations. Many countries adopt similar types of policies to get offsets related to defence procurement. The alternative, of course, is to buy indigenous capabilities and technologies, or some combination of these.

Industry committee  Most certainly, sir, yes.

Industry committee  My apologies, Mr. Chair, but I can't answer specifically on that one specific service, contract—

Industry committee  So significant service contracts, which are actually a big part of the procurement, are definitely a part of the process and there would be bids and requirements on industrial and technological benefits related to any of those parts of the procurement process.