In this episode of On The Line, host Matt Gurney is joined by two guests to discuss what the federal budget tells us about Canada’s plans for national defence, immigration, housing and the economy.
This episode is brought to you by BioCanRx. We’ve been partnering with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx to learn how made-in-Canada immunotherapies offer new ways to beat cancer. This week we asked whether the new federal budget improves the landscape for Canadian drug development. Short answer: it does!
New tax incentives will support Canadian biotech companies carrying out commercialization and regulatory activities in Canada, and federal research funding agencies will modernize to offer additional support for bridging lab to market. The government also pledged to respond to recommendations from last summer’s Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Sector Task Force. Steps like these can address key challenges facing Canada’s life-sciences sector and make Canada more globally competitive.
There is much more work to do to support Canadian health-care systems. BioCanRx will continue to participate in any effort to strengthen Canada’s life-sciences ecosystem and help Canadian discoveries become therapies to treat patients across Canada and the world. Thanks to them for continuing to partner with The Line to share this information. Visit BioCanRx.com to learn more.
First up is Philippe Lagassé, a defence expert at Carleton University, who joins Matt to examine the budget’s national security commitments. How much is Canada actually spending on defence, and how sustainable is that spending? Lagassé explains why the government’s plans may be more financially realistic than previously thought, provided spending stays within certain limits. But unexpected events have a way of disrupting even the best-laid plans, especially in an increasingly dangerous world.
Matt and Phil also discuss the proposed funding increase for Canadian intelligence agencies. What problems is the government trying to solve, and what capabilities does Canada need to develop? And, finally, a question for the military procurement enthusiasts: are we actually going to get a Canadian MI6?
The episode is also brought to you by the Forest Products Association of Canada.
For years, the Forest Products Association of Canada has called for action to reduce regulatory duplication and create greater certainty for mills, factories, and investment.
We’re encouraged to see the federal government taking action to make Canada’s regulatory system more coordinated and predictable, removing made-in-Canada barriers that have held the sector back. This is an important step for forestry and for communities across the country that depend on the sector.
Now, we need to move from promises to production. Canadian jobs, stronger supply chains, and new opportunities for communities from coast to coast to coast depend on it.
Canada’s forest sector is ready to do its part. Learn more at FPAC.ca.
Then Matt is joined by economist Mike Moffatt of the Missing Middle Initiative to discuss some surprising immigration numbers buried in the budget. There’s the official immigration target, and then there’s what amounts to a second, much larger shadow target. Why is the government planning for so many more people than the headline numbers suggest?
Moffatt explains that there’s a legitimate policy rationale behind the approach, but also a much more troubling problem: Canada has built structural dependencies into its immigration system that are increasingly difficult to unwind without making those arrangements permanent. Matt and Mike discuss the risks of continuing without a coherent long-term strategy, and why Canada urgently needs to think beyond annual immigration targets and start planning for the country it actually intends to build.
This episode is also brought to you by Cameco. Building Canada’s energy future means creating jobs for Canadian workers. That’s why the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada: it is already operating and ready to deliver the power we need. Choosing the AP1000 means a reactor built by Canadians, creating skilled jobs in construction, fabrication and the trades while keeping more investment and economic benefits here at home. If we are serious about creating Canadian jobs and strengthening our economy, the choice is clear. To learn more, visit ap1000.cameco.com.
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