The tabling of the Canadian budget today looks set to trigger a federal election in the coming weeks, as the leaders of all three opposition parties in the country’s minority government said they would vote against it. The reaction has surprised many observers, who initially thought the budget, released Tuesday, was seemingly designed to have a little something to please everyone. “Too little too late,” said Liberal party leader Michael Ignatieff on national radio.
If an election is called, a discussion of the budget’s details will be premature. Nevertheless, here are a few points of interest to researchers:
– An extra $37 million a year for the three federal research granting councils (source). People are unlikely to be very happy with that, given last year’s disgruntlement with a relatively flat Can$32-million boost (see last year’s budget story).
– A $7 million investment in research directed toward the main science federal granting council, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), specifically for research on climate change and the atmosphere (source). That’s a surprise for a government that has traditionally done little to help the fight against climate change (see our news story at the time of the last federal election).
– A $20 million investment for an arm’s length federal agency, Sustainable Development Technology Canada, to support new clean technology research and demonstration projects. (source)
– An extra $65 million for Genome Canada (source)
– $53.5 million over five years to create 10 new Canada Excellence Research Chairs. (source)
– 30 Industrial Research Chairs at colleges and polytechnics across Canada, plus new support for joint commercialization projects between colleges, universities and companies. (source)
– $10 million over two years to develop “an international education strategy that will reinforce Canada as a country of choice to study and conduct world-class research.” (source)
– Investments in the Perimeter Institute, Brain Canada and the Institut national d’optique. (source)
– $4 million for a Thunder Bay, Ontario, cyclotron (source)
– A one year $400 million renewal of a program offering subsidies to homeowners doing retrofits to reduce energy consumption and utility bills. (source) There had been fears that many environmental programmes would be cut; it seems this one at least was rescued.
– $364 million in spending over the next year for Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, including improving safety at its Chalk River, Ont., Laboratories and ensuring a secure supply of medical isotopes. (source) The medical isotopes issue is a fascinating one – see our news coverage.
– The elimination of some tax incentives that offered oilsands projects a competitive advantage over conventional oil and gas sector operations that would allow the government to recuperate $15 million in lost revenues in the 2011-12 and $30 million for the following year (source).
Photo: Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty