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Results: 1 - 15 of 91
View Michael McLeod Profile
Lib. (NT)
I'll just put the question out to whoever wants to answer it.
The NWT has a very well-established and well-renowned tourism sector that makes up a significant portion of our economy. We've probably had tighter restrictions in the north to limit travel to and from our territories, from outside of the country but also from other regions of Canada.
With the budget's announcement of $1 billion in support for the tourism and events sector, including $500 million to the regional development agencies for tourism businesses and $100 million more for Destination Canada, do either of you anticipate that this funding will help your membership through the remainder of the pandemic and help prepare for the eventual reopening of our regions to tourists?
View Pam Damoff Profile
Lib. (ON)
Also, on the capacity-building piece, you'll never get to the equity benchmark if the organizations don't have the capacity to apply. I often hear, “We didn't get enough applications.” Then I talk to organizations, and they say, “Have you looked at the application form? We're trying to do good work in the community. We don't have the time or the knowledge to be able to fill that out.”
Thank you for that.
I have about 45 seconds left, so just quickly, for Startup Canada, I know the women entrepreneurship strategy has been very successful in my riding. How important is it within that type of funding for start-ups is it to have, just as I was talking about, these equity benchmarks for women-led businesses, Black-led businesses and indigenous-led businesses?
View Gabriel Ste-Marie Profile
BQ (QC)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Casey, thank you for describing the ecosystem in your field so well.
The field has a lot of small businesses, some of them start-ups. Is there anything the government can do to take them to another level, so that when they make a discovery or have an innovative idea, they don't sell it to a big player?
Would it be worthwhile to allow them to continue to grow and become stronger?
View Ed Fast Profile
CPC (BC)
View Ed Fast Profile
2021-05-21 12:22
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to ask a question of Mr. Casey.
You've come across as a bit of a cheerleader for the government on its innovation policy, but you also mentioned RIM and we just happen to have had Jim Balsillie here yesterday, who had quite a different perspective on the state of how we approach innovation in Canada. He was talking about innovation writ large, and you're focused on biotech.
However, he did mention the dramatic shift that has happened from a tangibles economy to the intangibles economy, which you just touched upon, and I was waiting for you to touch upon that. I'm going to ask you to expand on that a bit and also to comment specifically on the absence of patent box legislation in Canada. By the way, I've also met with AbCellera representatives. They highlighted the fact that they're being encouraged to move out of Canada because we don't foster an environment in Canada that would keep our start-ups in Canada. Our commercialization is appalling.
Therefore, could you comment broadly on how we address the issue of a new economy and how we specifically implement policies that are going to keep our start-ups in Canada?
View Julie Dzerowicz Profile
Lib. (ON)
Thank you so much, and thank you to the three presenters for the excellent presentations.
Ms. MacNaughton, I'm going to use you as an example to anyone in my riding who feels that they can't get anything done at the federal level. I will be using your name shamelessly, and I hope you don't mind.
Most of my questions are going to be addressed to Mr. Casey. I think most of my colleagues don't know, but I actually worked in biotech for a number of years when I came out of MBA school. I worked for a tiny company named GlycoDesign. I helped it go public. It ended up being sold to Inflazyme. Therefore, I'm very familiar with the issues within the industry, first-hand.
You were right in terms of indicating that we have tons of amazing ideas. We have enough money for the start-ups. Many of our ideas are actually sold to larger companies.
One of the key issues that existed then and I still think exists right now is building that capacity to actually help grow a company to the next level. One part is the investment, but the other part, in addition to having the talent—and I do think we do attract our fair share of talent and we could do more—is building that capacity to be able to run that larger organization.
What can we do to help build that capacity?
View Ed Fast Profile
CPC (BC)
View Ed Fast Profile
2021-05-20 16:43
Okay. Thank you for that clarification.
I'm going to go to Mr. Kelly.
Dan, I've never heard so exercised about an issue, namely, with how this government has shamefully treated new businesses. You rarely go out on a limb like that. Therefore, obviously this is something that represents a bit of a betrayal on the part of the government.
Could you just expand a little more on why this is so important to new businesses?
View Gabriel Ste-Marie Profile
BQ (QC)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good afternoon. Once again, we have a fascinating panel.
My questions are for Ms. Lamonde.
Thank you for your presentation. It was very clear and well put together. You explained that the government had taken meaningful steps to support start-ups, but you were also critical of certain things, and that is what I would like to discuss.
What is the federal budget missing in terms of specific measures to help start-ups in the greater Montreal area?
View Gabriel Ste-Marie Profile
BQ (QC)
Thank you. Those are two very interesting recommendations. First, you want a scale-up platform for start-ups in Quebec or Montreal, and second, you want better access to government contracts. That is duly noted. Let's hope the government incorporates your recommendations into its plan soon.
Obviously, the past 14 months have been extremely tough on just about every business, including start-ups.
How would you say the landscape has changed since the pandemic began? Are things better or worse? Do you know what the mood is on the ground?
View Gabriel Ste-Marie Profile
BQ (QC)
All right.
An owner of a start-up told us it worried him that the NRC's industrial research assistance program, or IRAP, had not been renewed in the budget. He was concerned about what would happen to his company; he had relied on IRAP funding to run and grow his business in the months to come. He said it would be very unfortunate if he had to close his business right before he could carry it over the goal line.
Do you see a lot of start-ups in that boat, or is this an isolated case?
View Peter Julian Profile
NDP (BC)
Thank you.
Ms. Lamonde, I'll ask you the same question. Under Bill C-30, the government will be drastically cutting supports for individuals and businesses, including start-ups, in the next few weeks. How is that going to affect start-up ecosystems in Quebec and other parts of Canada?
View Pat Kelly Profile
CPC (AB)
Thank you, Mr. Easter. I will address my questioning mostly to the other Mr. Kelly with us today.
I'm really glad that you mentioned the lack of response to new businesses so stridently in your opening statement. This is something that all opposition parties have raised repeatedly at committee and in the House of Commons. Back in February, or March, I think it was, the parliamentary secretary for small business claimed in a response to my question, that they were just on the edge of coming up with a response for new businesses, and then nothing happened. Now they're back to just completely ignoring new businesses that have fallen through the cracks of all the aid measures.
We're going to have questions in a moment from Mr. Fraser. He, as the parliamentary secretary, has been part of this ignoring or pretending that there is something out there.
Do you want to comment further about the way new businesses are not being reached?
View Gabriel Ste-Marie Profile
BQ (QC)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My question is for Ms. Lamonde.
Can you provide a few examples of start-ups that have thrived, that are performing well, that have been successful? Can you talk about how the start-up cluster is affecting the economy and describe how the scale-up platform is enabling start-up development?
View Gabriel Ste-Marie Profile
BQ (QC)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Minister, as you know, the greater Montreal area and other parts of Quebec are home to thousands of tech start-ups. At the beginning of the pandemic, they told us that the wage subsidy program was inadequate in terms of coverage. A start-up is, by definition, a business where someone puts up their own money while working towards a technological development, which, once ready, they can sell and reap the benefits of. The government turned to the innovation assistance program, administered by the National Research Council of Canada.
Now, some start-ups are asking why the program was not extended until September 25, like other income support programs. As we know, the innovation assistance program provides more than $250 million in funding, largely to start-ups. Some have even warned that, if the program ends, they could go bankrupt by the end of the pandemic.
Why end the innovation assistance program when we are this close to the goal line?
View Pat Kelly Profile
CPC (AB)
Thank you.
When the minister appeared at committee to discuss the fall economic statement, she admitted there was nothing in the fall economic statement, or the Speech from the Throne, or any of the previous measures to assist small businesses that opened their doors in, say, late 2019 or the early months of 2020 and do not meet the criteria of the existing support measures.
Is there anything in this budget that would address this problem? This was something that has been widely acknowledged now by the government as a shortcoming in the support measures.
View Pat Kelly Profile
CPC (AB)
For the entrepreneur who has spent all of their life savings in 2019 to build a new restaurant with an opening date of March 15, 2020, there's really....
With all due respect, I think many of the programs you've described, or some of them, will decline those businesses, and for the same reasons they don't qualify for all of the existing programs. Is there really anything for a business such as I've described?
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