New federal tax credit for graduates?

Finally, on the subject of funding for research, the committee asserted that research “must be commercialized” and reccommended that:

The federal government simply the administration of the Scientific Research and Experimental Development investment tax credit, and expand the range of expenditures eligible for the credit to include, for example the costs of patenting and training employees to work on innovative projects.

Moreover, consistent with the jurisdiction of the provinces and territories, the government should increase its support to research through the federal granting councils and research agencies as well as for the indirect costs of research. As well the government should encourage universities and colleges to partner in complementary ares of research and as well as commercialization of research.

Finally, the government should, recognizing the jurisdiction of the provinces and territories, create a specialized fund for medical research for children’s health.

Whether or not these policies will appear, in one form or another, in the budget, they are consistent with how the Harper government views higher education. That is, each one of these reccommendations would seem to be designed to fit neatly within the federal government’s constitutional responsibility to create a national economic space. As for viewing education as a social service, or a social good beyond economic considerations, that is for the provinces to address. In other words, no shockers here.