This past week, our Prime Minister gained the spotlight on the world's stage and told it like it is in Canada.
Or, at least, "like it is" if you are the leader of a Conservative government.
Stephen Harper's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland started with the promise that he would use his "time today to highlight Canada's economic strengths and to frame the choices we face as we work to secure long-term prosperity for our citizens in a difficult global environment..."
As you read through the transcripts of his speech, Mr. Harper explains that "Canada has the lowest overall tax rate on new business investment" and "Canada is one of only two G7 countries to have recouped all of the jobs lost during the global recession."
I guess those are economic strengths although I would think of them more as consequences of our economic strength.
Certainly, the strength of our economy presently lies on our ability to export raw materials.
Which is a problem, in my opinion, because it ultimately means that other countries benefit from the value-added jobs realized in turning those raw materials into commercial products and then selling those products back to us.
But Mr. Harper recognizes our need to be exporters of our raw materials. He says: "we will make it a national priority to ensure we have the capacity to export our energy products beyond the United States, and specifically to Asia."
"In this regard, we will soon take action to ensure that major energy and mining projects are not subject to unnecessary regulatory delays..."
So much for the Environmental Review Panel for the Northern Gateway Pipeline!
As I have said before, the pipeline will go through regardless of the environmental consequences. It will become a "national priority".
It is a bit like being told that a highway is being built through your backyard and you have no say about it. Indeed, British Columbia is only going to see a very small fraction of the largess that will fall on Alberta and the federal government through increased taxes as a result of the pipeline.
But, hey, as long as Albertans are able to smugly point out that they don't have to pay sales taxes and have the fastest growing economy in the country, why should we have any say in the matter?
Mr. Harper also pointed out that: "one more cherished accolade, of course, is that for the fourth year in a row, this body, the World Economic Forum, says our banks are the soundest in the world."
That might be true but it is through no thanks to Mr. Harper and his government. The fundamental structure of our banking system pre-dates his time in office.
Indeed, when the present regulations were formulated, Mr. Harper spoke against them in Opposition. He thought that an American-style system was the only way to go. Just think where we would be today if he had had his way.
However, in the whole speech, the one line that really caught my ear was: "we will continue to make the key investments in science and technology necessary to sustain a modern competitive economy."
Excuse me?
I have spent my entire adult life working in the area of science and research. (And not just in academia.)
I have been part of several research programs that have resulted in the realization of industrial projects and processes. Some of these results are presently being used by companies.
And I can say that I have never seen a federal government that is so openly and patently "anti-science" as this one. Or "anti-research".
Take, as an example, the funding of NSERC - the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada. This is the agency that funds research in Universities. And yes, many people think that what happens in Universities is "ivory tower" research that has no bearing on "the real world". They are wrong but that is a whole other column!
Suffice it to say that research in the market place depends on fundamental research and fundamental research is what Universities are all about.
Over the past 3 years, success rates in funding have dropped from 71% to 58% under the auspices of Mr. Harper's government. Funding to NSERC has leveled off despite increasing budgetary pressure - with an increase of only $40 million on a $1.013 billion budget.
The last three years have also seen a decline in the overall spending on research and development in Canada as a percentage of GDP.
It strikes me as unfortunate that Mr. Harper, when given a world stage upon which to speak, chose to highlight just how poorly we are doing in the world with respect to research and innovation.
But maybe he was just telling it "like it is."
