Finance committee  I think a dedicated transfer is a good way to go, with targets. In 1983 the Liberal government at the time announced a research strategy to be biotech information technology and material. We had no biotech industry in the country. They targeted both the physical infrastructure and the development of human expertise.

Finance committee  I think there's balance. The students are paying a tuition rate that's about the same as it was in the 1990s.

Finance committee  You're talking to the wrong people about the right thing—access. The critical periods are zero to 6 and K to 5. It's not K to 12. If you're a follower of Fraser Mustard, and you have children, and you've been on the reserve, pick up on those age groups. We need university input to develop programs for zero to 6 years.

Finance committee  The dedicated transfer payment?

Finance committee  We've been trying to make it work for the last thirty years and it hasn't. I think it's time for the federal government to realize that it has a role to play in post-secondary education, and that is in the area of research and infrastructure. It may be that you're not going to be able to get an agreement, but you're going to have to set a kind of standard--this is what we're going to contribute--and tag it.

Finance committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. It is a pleasure to be here to speak with people who are our representatives. It's always great to see them in the city where the west begins. I believe that. It's great to see people out of Ottawa, actually, coming out to the roots to find out how we work.