HANSARD A Report from the Government Relations Office

HANSARD
A Report from the Government Relations Office
APRIL 2007
THE BUDGET ISSUE
Federal Budget 2007:
“A Stronger, Safer, Better
Canada”
IN THIS EDITION…
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Message
The Federal Budget
The
Provincial
Budget
Visits by Dignitaries
Upcoming Events
Heard on the Hill
Breakfast &
Brainstorms
Welcome to this latest
edition of the Government Relations Office
(GRO)’s Hansard newsletter—the first to be
distributed strictly on an
electronic basis.
We made the switch to a
paperless format to
allow for wider, faster
and more cost-effective
distribution.
With this new format, we
hope to publish approximately 6 editions of
Hansard each year to
provide timely updates
on government matters
affecting the university.
I hope that you enjoy
this edition and find it to
be informative.
- John Alho
Associate VicePresident (External)
the provinces, direct spending and tax measures this year.
On March 19, 2007, federal Finance Minister
Jim Flaherty presented his 2nd budget “ASPIRE
to a stronger, safer, better Canada” in the
House of Commons.
Budget 2007 contains a wide range of spending
initiatives and tax measures aimed at appealing
to the middle class. Polling showed Conservative popularity rose to as much as 40% in the
immediate wake of the Budget release.
The following is a summary of Budget measures
of interest to the university community. Overall,
the Government indicates in Budget 2007 that
over $8.4B will be provided in support of postsecondary education (PSE) through transfers to
TRANSFERS TO PROVINCES &
TERRITORIES
Budget 2007 delivers $39B in additional federal
funding to the provinces over a 7 year period to
restore the so-called fiscal balance. Included is
$12.7B for a revamped Equalization program in
2007-08 ($1.5B higher than in 2006-07). In
2006-07, Manitoba received $1.709B in legislated payments. Under the ’new’ program,
Manitoba will likely receive $1.826B in 2007-08
(an increase of $123M).
Opposition Leader Stéphane Dion claims that
the equalization formula “is little more than using
taxpayers own money to buy favour” since the
Government has “already cut nearly $10B in
provincial transfers since taking power by
scrapping agreements on child care, labour
Continued onto page 2...
Manitoba Provincial Budget 2007:
The Building Budget
On April 4, 2007, Manitoba’s Minister of
Finance, Greg Selinger, presented Budget 2007
– The Building Budget in the Legislature, his
eighth straight ‘balanced’ budget.
As noted by the Winnipeg Free Press on Budget
Day, “Selinger has at his disposal almost $100M
in new money from Ottawa, as well as rising
income tax revenues and an economy pegged
to grow faster than the Canadian average in
2007.”
With a provincial election looming, Budget 2007
takes advantage of this new money by including
‘something for everyone’ setting the basis for
the NDP Government’s upcoming campaign
platform.
However, the Budget is also fodder for the other
provincial party leaders. In a posting on his
blog, Dr. Jon Gerrard, the leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party, commented that Budget
2007 suffered from the
fatal flaw that “The
budget continues the
same old NDP sham of
announcing and reannouncing millions in
government spending
while getting little real
results for working Manitobans.” He also noted
that university students are faced with
“voluntarily hiking their tuition fees to fix crumbing university facilities and retain top caliber professors.”
Progressive Conservative Opposition Leader,
Hugh McFadyen, likened the Budgetary tax cuts
to mere "crumbs for Manitoba families."
The following is a summary of many of the
Budget measures of interest to the university
community.
Continued onto page 4...
HANSARD
Page 2
Federal Budget Continued from page 1...
market partnerships and more…” Dion argues the net benefit
of Budget 2007 over the next 5 years would only be $1.1B.
Also included in the additional funding to provinces will be
monies for a “strengthened” Canada Social Transfer (CST)
that will be legislated to 2013-14. Specifically, Budget 2007
includes a CST base increase of $687M in 2007-08, a further
increase of $1.05B in 2008-09, and an automatic 3% increase per year thereafter.
The CST will be made more ‘transparent’ by explicitly identifying the dollar amount within it for each of the 3 priority areas: PSE, support for children, and other social programs.
Budget 2007 proposes to dedicate 25% of the CST for PSE,
meaning: in 2007-08 an additional $176M will be earmarked
for PSE transfers and in 2008-09 an additional $800M will be
transferred to provinces. The Budget also proposes further
increases in the future, reaching a total of $3.8B in additional
funding by 2013-14.
Unfortunately, the Government did not create a separate PSE
transfer fund and the commitment to dedicate 25% won’t be
legislated until 2013/14. With monies still flowing through the
CST, there is no guarantee that the provinces and territories
will actually direct funding to universities and other PSE institutions, despite it being ‘earmarked’ for that purpose.
STUDENTS
Budget 2007 points out that Canada has the highest postsecondary attainment rates among OECD countries and is
ranked 2nd, and nearly on par with the United States, in terms
of total post-secondary expenditures as a percentage of
GDP. Nonetheless, the Government acknowledges that the
country’s success must never be taken for granted.
[T]he global, knowledge-based economy and
changing demographics are presenting Canadians with major new challenges. At a time when
the growth of the country’s population is slowing,
Canadians must learn to adapt to changing technologies and meet the new knowledge and skills
requirements of the labour market. Investments in
post-secondary excellence are key to meeting
these challenges and building Canada’s Knowledge Advantage.
Budget 2007 companion document—The Budget Plan 2007
In order for Canada to be well-positioned to succeed in this
new global economy, Budget 2007 includes investments
made “to create the best-educated, most-skilled and most
flexible labour force in the world.”
Budget 2007 includes $15M in 2007-08, $20M in 2008-09
and $27M per year thereafter to support an additional 1,000
students (for a total of 5,000 students) each year through the
Canada Graduate Scholarships Program. These new scholarships will be divided and named as follows: 400 Sir Frederick Banting and Dr. Charles Best scholarships (health-related
studies through CIHR); 400 Alexander Graham Bell scholarships (natural sciences and engineering through NSERC);
and 200 Joseph-Armand Bombardier scholarships (social
sciences and humanities through SSHRC).
Changes will also be made to registered education savings
plans (RESPs) by eliminating the $4,000 limit on annual contributions and increasing the lifetime contribution from
$42,000 to $50,000, and increasing the maximum Canada
Education Savings Grant (CESG) annual amount from $400
to $500. “Each child will continue to be eligible to receive up
to $7,200 in CESGs.” Budget 2007 also improves access to
RESP assistance for part-time students.
As well, Budget 2007 indicates that the Minister of Human
Resources and Social Development will be leading a review
of the Canada Student Loan Program (CSLP), in consultation
with the provinces, territories and stakeholders. Resulting
changes will be announced next year.
The Liberal Party of Canada argues that Budget 2007 fails to
“put a penny into the pockets of Canada’s under-graduate
students.” Should the Liberals be elected to power in the
next election, the party has already committed to investing
$3.1B over 5 years for students’ financial assistance, graduate scholarships, and international study.
RESEARCH INVESTMENTS
Budget 2007 includes $1.3B in new spending on research
and innovation.
The Budget contains $85M per year for the granting councils
($37M for each of NSERC and CIHR and $11M for SSHRC
— an overall increase of 5.3%) “for research targeted on key
priorities: health sciences, energy, the environment, information and communications technologies and management,
business and finance.”
An additional $15M per year is allocated for indirect costs
bringing the annual support in 2007-08 to $315M or 25.4% of
federally sponsored research - falling short of the $200M increase required to raise the reimbursement rate to 40%.
The government also allocates $510M to CFI for another
major competition before 2010 and an additional $100M in
2006-07 year-end monies to Genome Canada “to extend
promising research projects and sustain funding for regional
genome centres and related technology platforms” (falling
short of the $380M over the next 3 years requested by Genome Canada).
Budget 2007 allocates: $120M in 2006-07 to CANARIE Inc.
to maintain CA*net for the next 5 years and to develop the
next generation CA*net5; $10M over the next 2 years to the
Canadian Institute for Advanced Research “to help Canadian
students and researchers participate in and lead groundbreaking research on the international stage”; and $6M in
2008-09 towards the relocation of Natural Resources Canada’s CANMET Materials Technology Laboratory to the
McMaster Innovation Park.
The Government indicates in Budget 2007 that it will “launch
an independent expert panel that will consider options for
transferring federal laboratories to universities or the private
sector” as well as identify up to 5 laboratories that could be
early candidates for the transfer.
Continued onto page 3...
HANSARD
Page 3
Federal Budget Conclusion from page 2…
$350M is allocated over 2006-07 and the next 2 years to support 9 Centres of Excellence in Commercialization and Research across Canada. A further $165M in 2007-08 and
$30M in 2008-09 is allocated to support competitions under a
new Centres of Excellence in Commercialization and Research program.
Budget 2007 allocates $11M in 2008-09 to accelerate the
creation of new business-led Networks of Centres of Excellence. Up to 5 new networks are expected to be supported by
this funding, beginning in 2008-09.
years to Environment Canada “to develop a targeted science plan and a Canada-Manitoba Agreement to support
the long-term sustainability” of Lake Winnipeg; $39M over 2
years to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans “to increase fisheries science research programs to strengthen
fisheries management and resource conservation”; and
$19M over 2 years for initiatives that will “contribute to
keeping Canada’s coastal waters clean. This funding will
support the sustainable development, management and
protection of ocean resources and water quality.”
The Budget also dedicates $4.5M over 2 years to the Networks of Centres of Excellence program to establish a new
Industrial R&D Internship program. This new program will
partner 1,000 graduate students and post-doctoral candidates
with businesses annually for 1 semester internships “to undertake applied research aimed at meeting the innovation needs
of the host firm.”
• The elimination of the capital gains tax for charitable dona-
As well, $30M will be allocated in 2006-07 to The Rick Hansen Man in Motion Foundation “to translate research into
practical benefits for Canadians living with spinal cord injuries”.
• $13M commitment to create the Foreign Credential Referral
Budget 2007 indicates that the Minister of Industry will “shortly
release a comprehensive and forward-looking science and
technology strategy” that will “outline a multi-year funding
framework for action.” This strategy was originally expected to
be released prior to Budget 2007.
OTHER AREAS OF POTENTIAL INTEREST
• $2M over the next 2 years “to launch a new international
education marketing campaign to attract talented students to
Canada.
• $1.5B for the Canada ecoTrust for Clean Air and Climate
Change - a trust allocated on a per capita basis providing a
minimum of $15M per province and $5M per territory, drawn
down over 3 years, “to support efforts to develop technology,
improve energy efficiency, and undertake other projects that
will result in significant environmental benefits.”
tions of publicly-listed securities to private foundations.
• $4.1B in 2007-08 and $4.4B in 2008-09 for Canada’s total
international assistance and confirms Budget 2006 commitment to double international assistance by 2010-11 from
2001-02 levels.
Office. As part of its mandate, the Office will refer immigrants to the appropriate assessment bodies for foreign
credential recognition. The Office is expected to be fully
operational by late spring 2007.
• $33.6M, over 2 years, to help Canadian-educated foreign
students and skilled foreign workers stay in Canada as permanent residents.
CONCLUSION
Liberal and NDP Members of Parliament were quite vocal in
their opposition and voted against Budget 2007. The Bloc
Quebecois, on the other hand, joined the Conservatives to
pass the Budget by a vote of 176 to 119 on March 27.
In Manitoba, Premier Doer indicated that he was taken aback
by the lack of new money in Budget 2007 for PSE in 2007-08
and that the province had been counting on getting at least
some new money for PSE this fiscal year.
Budget documents and additional information are available
through the Government Relations website.
• A new National Water Strategy, which includes $7M over 2
Visits by Chinese and Czech Republic Dignitaries
The Government Relations Office coordinated two recent visits to the University
of Manitoba (UM) by foreign dignitaries.
On March 21, His Excellency Shumin Lu, Ambassador of the People’s Republic
of China to Canada, accompanied by the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China Mme. Taoying Zhu, and members of the Chinese Embassy Consulate Staff visited the UM. As part of the visit, His Excellency spoke to an I.H. Asper School of Business International Management Class. The delegation also
toured the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals (RCFFN).
On March 27, His Excellency Pavel Vošalik, Ambassador of the Czech Republic
to Canada and the Honourable Jirf Sneberger, Deputy Chairman of the Senate
of Parliament of the Czech Republic, and a delegation visited the UM and toured
HANSARD
Page 4
Provincial Budget Continued from page 1...
FUNDING FOR PSE INSTITUTIONS
Budget 2007 maintains the tuition freeze at 10% below 1999
levels. In the Budget Speech, Minister Selinger claimed that
the $95M provided by the Province for post-secondary education (PSE) funding since 2000 has fully offset the resulting
lost revenue to universities and colleges, tied directly to enrolment. The Minister also claimed that the 1/3 increase in
Manitoba’s university and college enrolment was “supported”
by the 10% reduction.
• $2,891,300 for Medical Student/Resident Financial Assis-
Minister Selinger referenced last year’s commitment of “$60M
over three years”, including the promise of a 5% funding increase in 2007/08, before noting that Budget 2007 goes further by committing to increasing provincial operating grants to
universities and colleges by an average of 7% this year. In
his Budget Speech, Minister Selinger stated that this 2 percentage point increase “is equivalent to a 4% tuition fee increase” and noted that the government commits to this increase despite the fact that the recent federal budget did not
include any new funding for PSE until next year.
As well, Budget 2007 contains a 60% income tax rebate on
tuition fees paid on or after January 1, 2004 for all postsecondary graduates who graduate on or after January 1,
2007 and who live and work in Manitoba, up to a maximum
lifetime rebate of $25,000. Recognized institutions may be
located anywhere in the world, and include private colleges.
It is estimated to cost the province $2.2M in reduced tax revenues in 2006/07.
Overall, Budget 2007 allocates $448,623,900 in support for
universities and colleges – up from last year’s $414,446,100.
Among other things, this money goes towards:
• $328,241,200 in funds for university operating grants, as
discussed above;
• $5,896,100 for the post-secondary strategic initiatives fund
(a $5.3M increase over last year); and
• $7.61M for ACCESS programs (a $438,000 increase over
last year).
INFRASTRUCTURE
Budget 2007 pledges $25M, previously announced in the fall
2006 Speech From the Throne, for the University of Winnipeg
to support “projects like the new Richardson College for the
Environment.” As well, Budget 2007 allocates funding to improve the University College of the North (UCN)’s electronic
network, linking 14 regional centres, including 9 on reserves.
STUDENT AID AND AWARDS
The Budget allocates $59,248,700 for Manitoba Student Aid,
up 1.7% from $58,276,600 last year. Funding will go towards
administrative costs and the following:
• $5M for the Manitoba Scholarship and Bursary Initiative (no
change over last year);
• $624,500 in new funding for Manitoba Graduate Scholar-
ships (MGS) for a total of $2M for 2007/08, fulfilling the provincial promise made in 2004 when the program was established. MGS will be awarded to more than 100 Masters
and 60 PhD students this year;
• $8.26M for the Manitoba Bursary Fund (up from $8.06M
last year) benefiting 2,500 students;
• $3,336,000 for loans and bursaries (no change over last
•
year);
$13,874,300 for the Tuition Rebate Grants (no change over
last year);
tance (no change over last year);
• $12,785,500 for the Canada Millennium Scholarship Fund,
federal funds flowed through the Province (no change over
last year); and
• $3M for Canada Study Grants, again, federal funds flowed
through the Province (no change over last year).
SCIENCE, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
As recognised in Budget Paper A:
Research and development (R&D) helps form the
ideas and create the expertise that ultimately lead
to innovation. Those in the forefront of innovation
will be best positioned to develop higher valueadded sectors and better-paid, knowledge-based
jobs. In the absence of innovation, economies may
lose competitive position and societies will not
realize the full benefits that innovation can bring:
higher productivity, rising incomes, a cleaner environment and sustainable development, improvements to personal health and wellness, and so
forth.
Budget 2007 allocates: $13.85M for Manitoba Research and
Innovation Fund (a 4.5% or $600,000 increase over last
year); $720,100 for the Manitoba Centres of Excellence Fund
(a 9.8% or $64,300 increase over last year); $1,952,600 for
Manitoba Health Research Council (no change over last
year); and $14.3M in Grant Assistance for Climate Change
and Green Strategy Initiatives (no change over last year).
Budget 2007 also allocates $6,047,700 for Water Stewardship Initiatives (a 20% or $1M increase over last year), providing funding for scientific research, projects, incentives, and
activities that further the protection and stewardship of Manitoba’s water and fishery resources and aquatic ecosystems.
As well, Budget 2007 allocates more than $10M in new funds
for water protection, including for further scientific research
on Lake Winnipeg and beneficial management practices.
Furthermore, the province “will work with the federal government on plans to fully invest the $7M” earmarked in the federal Budget for Lake Winnipeg.
Budget 2007 also maintains the $3.4M allocation for the Sustainable Development Innovations Fund providing funding for
the development, implementation, and promotion of environmental innovation and sustainable development projects delivered by government, industry, and community groups.
Continued onto page 5...
HANSARD
Page 5
Provincial Budget Conclusion from page 4...
ABORIGINAL STUDENTS
Minister Selinger noted that Aboriginal student enrolment in
universities and colleges is up 77% and 59% respectively
since 1999 and that Aboriginal apprenticeship registrations
have tripled during that same time. The government acknowledges that this increase is due in part to ACCESS programs.
The Budget Speech referenced the provincial commitment for
multiyear funding to Career Trek, designed to help students
complete high school and pursue PSE. Budget 2007 also
commits increased resources to Manitoba’s Aboriginal Education Directorate “to support the inclusion of Aboriginal education and training into all aspects of government operations.”
As well, Budget 2007 creates a new young Aboriginal entrepreneur initiative to provide assistance with business development costs.
Furthermore, Budget 2007 provides additional funding to expand educational programming through UCN, including 50
new nursing spaces.
NEW IMMIGRANTS
Manitoba commits to double the Province’s current immigration level over the next 10 years. To help with this goal,
Budget 2007 provides more than $9.5M in new funding “to
enhance settlement services, language training, labour market
integration and ethno-cultural and anti-racism initiatives, supported by federal resources.”
Support will be provided for a wide range of services and programs including by “increasing support for Manitoba’s Qualification Recognition Initiative to better assess and recognize the
valuable qualifications immigrants bring to the province.” No
details are provided as to the amount of funding that will be
put towards this initiative and whether any of the University of
Manitoba (UM) foreign credential recognition programs, especially the IEEQ program, will receive some of these funds.
HEALTHY LIVING
Budget 2007 fulfills the commitment to increase funding for
Sport Manitoba by $1M “supporting high performance athletes and community sports programs across Manitoba.”
AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND RURAL INITIATIVES
Budget 2007 continues the annual $868,300 Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiative grant to the UM’s Faculty of
Agriculture.
Budget 2007 maintains the $1M funding to the Agri-Food Research and Development Initiative, again no change over last
year, providing funding aimed at enhancing diversification
and value-added opportunities in Manitoba’s agri-food sector.
Budget 2007 increases funding for the Food Development
Centre located in Portage la Prairie to $2,233,800 (an increase of $120,000 over last year) to support the development and commercialization of new food products. Minister
Selinger indicated that this “builds on recent provincial investments in the RCFFN.”
The Provincial Government’s vision is for “Manitoba to be a
leader in biodiesel production”, though no monies are allocated for research in this area. Budget 2007 does provide an
unspecified amount of funding “for rural pilot projects to construct and test the feasibility of anaerobic digesters on hog
farms”. The province is also working alongside industry “to
study the feasibility of carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery
in Manitoba.” Finally, there will be continued assistance, in
an unspecified amount, to Brandon University’s Rural Development Institute “to support rural research and development
projects.”
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
• For a 2nd year in a row, the Minister indicates that the government will be investing in “a new state-of-the-art Cardiac
Centre of Excellence at St. Boniface General Hospital.”
As well, new legislation will apparently be introduced “to improve recognition of foreign qualifications.”
• Budget 2007 commits more than $2M in “new resources for
MEDICINE AND NURSING
Budget 2007 provides the ongoing funding to support the additional 100 medical spaces at the UM, the increased 25-space
licensing program for international medical graduates, the
3,000 nurses in training and “more than 50 new technologist
training seats.”
• Budget 2007 increases the payroll exemption threshold for
Budget 2007 also provides $3 million in new funding for
“physician specialist training, including emergency room doctors, oncologists and pediatricians.” The new funds will address the current ER doctor shortage, as well as the previously announced additional 2 medical oncologist residency
spaces and the 2 additional pediatric residency spaces in
Brandon.
key training and skills priorities, including growing apprenticeship training, expanding sector councils, and more flexible funding to meet critical skills shortages.”
the Health and PSE Tax Levy by 25% to $1.25M benefiting
one-third of the employers currently paying this tax.
• In the Budget Speech, Minister Selinger indicated that this
year, the province “will engage First Nations and communities in the northern Interlake region to explore the feasibility
of expanding local training opportunities”.
Budget documents and additional information are available
through the Government Relations website.
The University of Manitoba, the province’s largest research institution, is a national and global innovation leader. Areas
of excellence include functional foods and nutraceuticals, plant and human genomics, proteomics and systems
biology, cardiovascular and diabetes diseases, HIV/AIDS research, alternative energy and advanced composite
materials.
Budget 2007 companion document – Manitoba’s Action Strategy for Economic Growth
HANSARD
Page 6
Heard on Parliament Hill...
UPCOMING
Federal Parliamentarians have mentioned the University of Manitoba (UM) on numerous occasions
EVENTS…
April 17
Carol Bellringer, Auditor
General of Manitoba,
addresses the Manitoba
Chambers of
Commerce
May 8
Rosann Wowchuk,
Minister of Advanced
Education & Literacy,
addresses the Manitoba
Chambers of
Commerce
May 15
International Day of
Families
May 17
Lloyd Axworthy,
President & Vice
Chancellor of the
University of Winnipeg
addresses the
Winnipeg Chamber of
Commerce
May 21
Victoria Day,
University Closed
May 21 to May 25
House of Commons
Break Week
since the 39th Parliament, 1st session of the House of Commons re-convened on January 29th, 2007,
and the Senate on January 30th, 2007.
On Februay 1, as part of the House of Commons (House) debate surrounding the Liberal Party motion
on climate change, Hon. Raymond Simard (St. Boniface, Lib.) discussed his visit to the icebreaker, the
CCGS Amundsen, a trip organised by the GRO in the fall of 2005, and noted that UM researcher, Dr.
Barber, along with his colleagues from the Université Laval, talked to the group about climate change in
the north.
On February 13, in response to a question in the House about partisan appointments playing a role in
the appointment to the Parole Board of the wife of a long time assistant to the former minister of justice,
Hon. Peter Van Loan (Leader of the Government in the House and Minister for Democratic Reform,
CPC) noted that the individual in question, Patricia Haasbeek, has incredible qualifications to be on the
Parole Board including applied counselling with the University of Manitoba.
On February 21, as part of a motion in the House to have the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities undertake a study of the current level of financial support provided to persons with disabilities through the Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefit, Hon. Karen Redman (Kitchener Centre, Lib.) referenced a UM study that revealed women
with disabilities were far more likely to be victims of domestic violence.
In the House, on February 27, 2007, Hon. Anita Neville (Winnipeg South Centre, Lib.) made a Member’s
Statement congratulating the UM on its 130th anniversary. On February 28, 2007, Mr. Rod Bruinooge
(Winnipeg South, CPC) also made a Member’s Statement in the House congratulating the UM on its
anniversary.
On February 28, Hon. Sharon Carstairs and Hon. Mira Spivak made Senators’ Statements congratulating the UM on its 130th anniversary.
On March 2, in response to a question in the House regarding the launch of the International Polar Year
and Canada’s contribution to it, Mr. Rod Bruinooge referenced the official launch of International Polar
Year, the largest ever international research program focused on the earth's polar regions, with $150M
in federal funding for 44 Canadian research projects, including one at the University of Manitoba.
The full Hansard transcripts are accessible online through the Government Relations website.
Breakfast & Brainstorms
Hansard
is published by the
Government Relations
Office.
If you have any comments or questions
please contact us at:
310 Administration
Bldg.
University of Manitoba
(204) 474-7881
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Government_Relations
@umanitoba.ca
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government_relations
As part of its outreach efforts, the Government
Relations Office organizes Breakfast & Brainstorms,
a legislative speaker series at the Manitoba
Legislature, with the Council on Post-Secondary
Education.
The Series is designed to bring public policy decision
makers and influencers together with University of
Manitoba researchers.
The most recent session, Documenting Social
Change: Processes and Outcomes from 16 Years of
Study of the Family Violence Court, was held on
March 9th, 2007. Dr. Jane Ursel was the presenter.
Previous session topics included Climate Change in
the North and Livestock and the Environment.
Dr. Ursel with Minister Diane McGifford,
Minister of Advanced Education & Literacy