Finance committee  You began by observing the need for training our young people to deal with that issue. The federal government has a very important role. As several of us mentioned, part of it is in better education and training funding for aboriginal students in this country. In the Prairies, th

Finance committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. There's nothing like having five minutes to concentrate the mind. I begin by observing what I'm sure everyone in this room agrees with, and that is the importance of post-secondary education and training, not only for the future of our economy, but also for

Finance committee  Yes. To be clear, your government did make a commitment of a 3% escalator each year. You've honoured that, and we appreciate that.

Finance committee  Our principal comparator and the place where we lose academics to or gain them from is principally the United States. They've made much more significant investments in research than our country has. Your government did, in 2009, commit $2 billion for a knowledge infrastructure

Finance committee  Well, when you put in millions for physical infrastructure and there's no money for human infrastructure....

Finance committee  What counts is what the money will buy. When I say in constant dollars, it means taking out the effect of inflation. The amount available for researchers to spend on their research has declined in real dollars.

Finance committee  That's correct.

Finance committee  I think all Canadians should have reasonable access to post-secondary education.

Finance committee  That's what I'm answering.

Finance committee  It depends on the programs.

Finance committee  But we also know that since the Massey commission in 1951—

Finance committee  —without the significant contribution of the federal government to post-secondary education, the ability to have reasonably equivalent post-secondary education for all Canadians is impossible.

Finance committee  As well, with regard to post-secondary education, the federal government does have responsibility for funding research—

Finance committee  That's not within the jurisdiction of the federal government to say.

Finance committee  Your decisions about funding have a dramatic impact, both on health care and on education decisions at the provincial level.