NDP slams government for its timid innovation strategy

OTTAWA – Last Thursday, the Conservative government presented Economic Action Plan 2012 – a budget that they claim will foster growth and narrow the long-standing innovation gap, but the NDP warns not to be convinced that it can deliver.

"This budget is a timid first step to fix our clearly broken innovation performance," says Hélène Leblanc, NDP critic for Science and Technology. "After sitting on their hands for years, we need bold action to grow our innovation strategy - and this is not the right approach."

The changes proposed in Budget 2012 will see nearly $400 million pulled out of support for business research and development each year – at a time when Canada is lagging far behind on innovation.

The budget reinforces how narrow-minded the government is when it comes to innovation, by once again servicing the resource-based economy over the knowledge-based and high-tech economy that will help us move forward in today's global economy.

The Jenkins Expert Review Panel called for a better balancing of R&D support through tax credits and direct grants – but did not suggest pulling funds from anywhere.

"This is not about picking winners and losers; this is about effective management of taxpayer dollars and supporting initiatives that work," says NDP deputy critic for Science and Technology Dan Harris. "The government doesn't show any commitment to green technologies. It doesn't renew the funding for Sustainable Development Technologies Canada (SDTC), which had proven highly successful in high-tech commercialization of clean technologies."

What we've seen in this budget is a lot of hyperbole, with no strong commitment to fund the basic research that engenders the next generation of discoveries and innovations.