Perhaps his gov't has been better than the Lieberals, but my point is that it is still dismal. Cutting funding for research just to add to infrastructure is kind of dense. As Ton said, what's the point? There's been some scientists heading south because their research funding was cut and Obama boosted funding. So what if Harpy boosted money for scientific infrastructure? The research moved south. And so what if Harpy invited foreign researchers to work here? He's driven Canadian researchers away.
I cannot argue your point that the funding is not enough.
Indeed I would tend to agree with you on that.
My original point is that Harpo has funded R&D more than any other Federal Government.
That was my only point.
I am tired of going around and around in an ever increasing spiral of rhetoric with Tonnington as it is obvious he simply refuses to accept what I see as self evident fact.
However since you raise the question of the use or purpose of increased infrastructure funding I will give my opinion on what is happening.
Be aware that I don't disagree with either you or Tonnington on probably the majority of issues facing scientific research in Canada.
I simply disputed funding.
Here is what I think is happening and here is why I think Harper is increasing infrastructure improvements to research institutions.
Infrastructure to Universities is a Provincial responsibility and not a Federal one.
Any spending on infrastructure, equipment, labs and so on should be Provincial or private.
So why is Harper intruding in an area which is primarily the jurisdiction of the Provinces and should be no business of his?
Keep in mind almost all of your links and quotes are either from researchers or from the union representing the researchers.
You will very rarely find a quote from the research institution itself.
Also keep in mind that those folks have a vested interest in whats best for them.
The union is purely political and couldn't care less about efficiency and success in research.
All it cares about is job security and increasing benefits to its members.
So job security for researchers and increased pay and benefits certainly are the objective of the researchers themselves and the union supporting them.
But not necessarily the research institution itself or the Governments be it Provincial or Federal.
We know from your and Tonningtons links that block grant funding for some research projects will be cut $113 million.
I could point out that if the funding under Harpers net tenure less the $113 million is still greater than the Liberal funding over the equivalent period than net block grant research funding is still higher under Harper.
But you wanted to know about infrastructure.
We also see from your and Tonningtons links that New research chair funding is increased $160 million.
The Canadian Foundation for Innovation got $488.5 million for research infrastructure improvements.
And that Masters and Doctoral research scholarships were increased by $71.2 million.
So the Harper Government has obviously held long talks with both the Provincial Government's and all the research institutions.
Obviously they are all in agreement or the Federal Government would not be allowed to intrude in ares of Provincial jurisdiction.
$113 million in funding that the Fed's, the Provinces and the research institutions all see as deadwood or non-productive research funding are cut.
The unions and the researchers as a block are all up in arms and fire off umpteen press releases to sympathetic media outlets.
The $160 million in increased funding for research chairs is NOT guaranteed to Canadian researchers.
It is going to be allocated to the best and most qualified researchers money can buy regardless of where in the world they come from.
A good plan I figure and one undoubtedly agreed upon by the Fed's , the Provinces and the research institutions.
Again the union and the Canadian researchers are up in arms.
First $113 million in cuts and now $160 million in funding to the most internationally qualified researchers (read not very many Canadians).
Next up is $488.5 million in research infrastructure improvements.
There is no way the Fed's could fund this way without a total buy in from the Provinces and the research Universities themselves.
After all it's not Federal jurisdiction.
Ultimately my guess is that the research Universities themselves pushed hard for this.
They want the new libraries, the state of the art research labs, the newest and best research software and hardware, in fact they desperately need it.
They don't need warm bodies because they can create researchers on an as needed basis at will.
It's what they do.
Furthermore the $160 million increase in research chairs isn't that helpful unless you can recruit the best and the brightest from around the world.
Paycheque's and staff funding is one thing but the best and the brightest need modern labs and up to date research equipment or they just will not come.
Thus the new funding requirements for equipment and labs becomes more important than research chair funding itself.
Another yet another howl goes up from the union and the the Canadian researchers and the unionist left wing media.
How dare you cut some of our outdated and moribund funding and massively ramp up spending for labs and modern equipment.
And to allow top notch research scientists from around the world compete for Canadian research funding....It's an outrage.
As for the $71 million increase in research scholarships.
Every bit helps.
My guess is that it the cuts needed to be done.
Its also my guess that the Federal Government. the Provincial Governments and the research institutions themselves were pretty much in agreement on the whole deal.
So there is my opinion on what happened AnnaG.
Sorry it was so long winded.
And yes I still consider it a net R&D funding increase .
Trex
