Question Period Note: 2021-22 Supplementary Estimates (A)

Why are the portfolio organisations under your responsibility requesting $1.2 billion in funding through Supplementary Estimates A?

• Through the COVID-19 emergency economic response, the Government of Canada announced a series of measures beginning in March 2020 to support Canadians and businesses facing hardship due to the pandemic.

• Budget 2021 is the government’s plan to finish the fight against COVID-19 and ensure a resilient economic recovery that creates jobs and growth for Canadians.

• Most of the amount requested in these Estimates is related to COVID-19 response funding announced in previous budgets, in addition to priority investments announced in Budget 2021.

SUPPLEMENTARY MESSAGES

• Supplementary Estimates A includes funding for three priority Budget 2021 items: the Universal Broadband Fund, Mitacs and the Community Futures Program in Northern Ontario.

• Funding for further investments announced in the 2021 Federal Budget will be requested by future Supplementary Estimates.

Supplementary Estimates A were tabled in Parliament on May 27, 2021. They represent the first opportunity to access funding for the new fiscal year.

The portfolio is requesting $1.2 billion in these Estimates for the following three organisations:

ISED: $1 billion (due to rounding, these figures may not add up exactly to $1 billion)

• $296.6 million for the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) to support the Net Zero Accelerator project to develop clean technologies
• $269.8 million for the Universal Broadband Fund to accelerate the rollout of broadband projects (Budget 2021)
• $107.3 million for SIF to support Canadian intellectual property (Fall Economic Statement 2020)
• $90 million for Mitacs to create work-integrated learning placements (Budget 2021)
• $57 million for SIF to provide a contribution to Sanofi Canada to build a vaccine manufacturing facility (Fall Economic Statement 2020)
• $56.3 million as part of the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy to increase youth work placements in support of the economic recovery strategy (Fall Economic Statement 2020)
• $38 million to reprofile unused funding from 2020-21 for the Shop Local Initiative
• $26.7 million to recapitalize the Sustainable Development Technology Fund and contribute to Canada’s Strengthened Climate Plan
• $20.7 million for the new Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund to provide loans of up to $250,000 to Black business owners and entrepreneurs across the country (Fall Economic Statement 2020)
• $19.8 million for the implementation of the Cyber Security Innovation Network (Budget 2019)
• $17.9 million to reprofile unused funding from 2020-21 for the Community Futures Network in Northern Ontario
• $16.1 million to support small and medium-sized businesses in Northern Ontario
• $12.4 million for the 50-30 Challenge to increase diversity on boards and in senior management of Canadian companies (Fall Economic Statement 2020)
• $6 million for the Community Futures Network in Northern Ontario (Budget 2021)
• $4.8 million to reprofile unused funding from 2020-21 for medical countermeasures as part of the National Medical Research Strategy
• $2.2 million to reprofile unused funding from 2020-21 to create job opportunities for students through the Business Higher Education Roundtable program
• $7.8 million related to the adjustment of contributions to Employee Benefit Plans

National Research Council of Canada: $129.4 million
• $61 million as part of the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy to increase youth work placements in support of the economic recovery strategy (Fall Economic Statement 2020)
• $41 million to reprofile unused funding from 2020-21 for medical countermeasures to align with the funding requirements of firms
• $17 million to reprofile unused funding from 2020-21 for emergency and innovation response measures: the construction of the Clinical Trial Manufacturing Facility next to the NRC Royalmount and for Innovative Solutions Canada program to complete active projects
• $10.2 million to reprofile unused funding from 2020-21 for the National Medical Research Strategy for the construction of the Clinical Trial Manufacturing Facility at the NRC
• Internal reallocation of $9.9 million from operating funds to capital funds to support the construction of the Clinical Trial Material Facility
• $118,800 related to the adjustment of contributions to Employee Benefit Plans

Statistics Canada: $45.1 million
• $39.8 million for the 2021 Census of Population to address the financial pressures caused by the pandemic on cost-recovery activities, and to implement important amendments in the short-form questionnaire following a Cabinet decision
• $5.3 million related to the adjustment of contributions to Employee Benefit Plans

Note: due to rounding, these figures may not add up exactly to $1.2 billion.

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