CAP Science Policy Update – 2 items
- CAP Advocacy meetings held in December 2023
- Contact your MP before Jan.15/24 – support asks in CAP brief to Finance Committee re 2024 Federal Budget!
CAP Team holds three advocacy-related meetings in December 2023
In early December the CAP sent letters to Prime Minster Trudeau, Deputy Prime Minster Freeland, Minister Champagne, Minister Wilkinson and Minister MacAulay, advocating for the three recommendations in the CAP Brief submitted to the Federal Standing Committee on Finance and requesting meetings to discuss these recommendations:
- Recommendation #1: That the government significantly increase investment in the Tri-Council agencies by increasing funding to the councils’ total base budgets for their core grant programming by at least 10% annually for five years to allow them to increase support for trainees.
- Recommendation #2: That the government increase funding for graduate student scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships to address inflation, cost of living increases, and population growth, and to help keep our HQP in Canada
- Recommendation #3: That the government implement a more strategic approach to management of major research facilities (MRFs), taking a lifecycle approach to funding to improve effectiveness in recognition of their role as national assets that support Canada’s scientific enterprise.
Meetings were held with the following key individuals and groups:
- On December 11, in-person meeting with Robin Craig, Associate Vice-President, NSERC and other members of the NSERC Team
- On December 12, in-person meeting with Nipun Vats, Assistant Deputy Minister, Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) and other members of the ISED Team
- On December 20, virtual meeting with Nicholas Kang, Science Policy Advisor, Office of the Prime Minister (PMO)
The CAP Advocacy Team included:
- Bill Whelan, CAP President (Professor, University of Prince Edward Island)
- Rowan Thomson, Member, CAP EDI Implementation Committee (Professor, Carleton University)
- Meaghen Shiha, Member, CAP Student Advisory Council (PhD Student, Carleton University)
- Kate Fenwick, CAP Member (PhD Student, University of Ottawa)
A more detailed report on the advocacy meetings will be posted to the Science Policy section of the CAP’s website by mid-January 2024. In the meantime, we encourage our members to reach out to their MP as well as a few other key individuals (see next section of announcement) to voice your support for the recommendations put forward by the CAP in our submission in advance of the 2024 Federal Budget.
Click here to view a copy of our full submission.
Copies of previous briefs and science policy news items can be found on the CAP’s science policy webpage.
Two ways to voice your support for the recommendations submitted by the CAP for the 2024 Federal Budget
During the CAP Advocacy Team’s meetings noted above, it became clear that the budget process is now at the Finance level and that Government is very much focused on addressing the quality of life challenges Canadians are facing right now. It is not too late for our members to have an influence of the final decisions with respect to funding priorities.
Act before January 31st to add your voice in support of the CAP recommendations embedded in our brief to the Finance Committee as outlined above.
There are two ways you can submit your opinion:
1. Write to your MP and other influential MPs involved in the decision-making process.
You can find the contact information for your MP by entering your postal code in this online Parliament of Canada members page, clicking on the name of your MP, and then the contact tab. We have been informed that submitting your letter by fax in addition to by e-mail is an effective way of ensuring that your opinion statement is received and counted.
If you have time over the holiday period, you might want to consider reaching out to your MP’s constituency office to see if you can have a meeting while they are back in their riding.
Finally, you may also want to submit your letter to the following MPs in addition to your own MP (I will add in e-mail and fax on each of these)
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
- justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca; Fax: 613-947-0310
- Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Finance
- chrystia.freeland@parl.gc.ca; Fax: 613-996-9607
- Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative Shadow Minister for Finance
- JasrajSingh.Hallan@parl.gc.ca; Fax: 613-947-4569
- Daniel Blaikie, NDP Critic – Finance
- daniel.blaikie@parl.gc.ca; Fax: 613-995-6688
- François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, as well as Assistant Deputy Minister Nipun Vats
- francois-philippe.champagne@parl.gc.ca; Fax: 613-996-6883
- nipun.vats@ised-isde.gc.ca; Fax (science.gc.ca) 343-291-1913
- Rick Perkins, Conservative Shadow Minister for Innovation, Science and Industry
- rick.perkins@parl.gc.ca; Fax: 613-996-0878
- Brian Masse, NDP Critic – Innovation, Science and Industry
- brian.masse@parl.gc.ca; Fax: 613-992-5397
- Anita Anand, President of the Treasury Board
- Anita.Anand@parl.gc.ca; Fax: 613-992-0520
- Stephanie Kusie, Shadow Minister for Treasury Board
- stephanie.kusie@parl.gc.ca; Fax: 613-992-1920
- Blake Desjarlais, NDP Critic – Treasury Board, Diversity and Inclusion, Post-secondary education
- blake.desjarlais@parl.gc.ca; Fax: 613-992-6898
2. Submit your views using the Government of Canada’s pre-budget consultation process for Canadians.
On December 12, 2023, Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland, issued an invitation to all Canadians to submit their views on priorities for the 2024 Federal Budget. The consultation process will be open until February 9, 2024, with submissions being accepted through the Government’s online form, or by e-mail to Budget2024@fin.gc.ca!
The budget consultation website can be found here.
Please add your voice. Act before January 31, 2024 using one of the methods noted above!