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In the end, I sent this as an e-mail rather than answering the
questions directly on their site. This way we had a chance to say who
we were. I will ask Ian if he would put this on our website.<br>
<br>
Marita<br>
<br>
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<th nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT" valign="BASELINE">Subject: </th>
<td>2016 Pre-Budget Consultations</td>
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<th nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT" valign="BASELINE">Date: </th>
<td>Sun, 24 Jan 2016 16:48:19 -0500</td>
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<th nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT" valign="BASELINE">From: </th>
<td>Marita Moll <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:mmoll@ca.inter.net"><mmoll@ca.inter.net></a></td>
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<th nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT" valign="BASELINE">To: </th>
<td><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:fin.2016pbc-cpb2016.fin@canada.ca">fin.2016pbc-cpb2016.fin@canada.ca</a></td>
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To: The Hon. Bill Morneau<br>
Minister of Finance<br>
<br>
Dear Sir:<br>
<br>
Telecommunities Canada, established in 1993, is a community of practice
about the uses of online networks for community development. Together
with like-minded groups, our goal is to connect theory, policy and
practice in ways that expand and improve the ability of communities to
design their own future. Below please find our responses to your
questions posed on the 2016 budget consultations website:
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">1. In your opinion how can we better
support our middle class?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">A national digital economy strategy is
a vital part of federal policy that has been allowed to languish for
too long. All Canadians will be supported by a commitment to return
to a leadership role in this sector. Growing evidence supports the
connection between household income, jobs, and modern information and
communications infrastructure. As Prime Minister Trudeau said in his
speech to the Davos meetings, Canadians are resourceful. But to
harness that resourcefulness, the government must lead with a digital
strategy that will build capacity for social and economic innovation
at the community level.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We urge the new liberal government to
show leadership in this area by acknowledging the following key
points:</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">i) ICT and digital literacy are today’s
most powerful catalysts for social and economic innovation, and
Canada is falling behind;</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">ii) Ample, accessible and affordable
broadband has become essential to supporting such innovation;</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">iii) A world-class digital strategy has
become essential to maintaining Canada’s social and cultural
relevance and economic competitiveness.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">2. What infrastructure needs can best
help grow the economy, protect our environment and meet your
priorities locally?</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Economic growth in the 21st century
cannot occur without 21st-century tools. A program to support
community-driven access and education initiatives across the country
would help ensure prosperity is both deep and wide throughout the
country. An effective national digital economy strategy will
recognize that local/ municipal / community ownership of broadband
infrastructure as a public utility is the only route to ensuring that
communities are “smart” enough to take charge of their own
digital futures. Over the years, this kind of initiative has
created jobs and brought new businesses to many areas at very little
cost. The government must improve Canada’s communications
infrastructure and facilitate access, use, and skills in this area by
committing to effective broadband from coast to coast to coast that
supports a full range of communications applications. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> 3. How can we create economic growth,
protect the environment and meet local priorities while ensuring that
the most vulnerable don't get left behind.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><font color="#000000"><font
face="Times New Roman, serif"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span
style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;">Social
innovation
is
the principal catalyst for improving economic inclusion
and advancing economic innovation. </span></span></font></font><font
color="#000000"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
most effective role for government is to inspire and support
community-level leadership in social innovation, especially
innovation that leads to greater economic inclusion and participation
on the part of youth. </span></font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; font-weight: normal;"><font
color="#000000">Investment
should focus on leadership and initiatives that foster collaborative
engagement of schools, businesses, local government and the community
at large in meeting the present and future economic needs of the
community.</font></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">National programs that provide access,
education, and support for the effective use of new communications
technologies in communities should be considered essential
investments that generate demand and build human capacity to meet
that demand. Reintroduction and expansion of support for public
access programs will boost local economies by encouraging Canadians to
use
new technologies for community development and by offering
collaborative tools. When Canadian communities suffer because of
major job losses, these programs help provide support in an economic
downturn.</p>
<br>
4. Is the implementation of these new
priorities and initiatives realistic? Will it help us grow our
economy?
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Affordable high-speed internet access
is an indispensable asset for the economic health of communities of
all sizes. It attracts businesses, encourages local entrepreneurship,
and maintains high standards in education and health services, all of
which support local sustainability. Some of the funds earmarked for
infrastructure spending in this budget should be channeled into
designing and implementing a digital strategy and into extending
rural and remote connectivity programs. <br>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Supporting projects that
lead to municipally owned fibre as an open public utility will ensure
that a community can use ICT to bootstrap local development and to
practice digital inclusion techniques so that everyone benefits from
the changes. <br>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The federal government should work with
provincial
authorities to encourage the development of a digitally literate
population, and the Minister of Employment, Workforce and Labour
should review policies and programs to ensure that priority is given
to training in digital skills. </p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Thanks for the opportunity to contribute.<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Marita Moll<br>
for Telecommunities Canada<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="http://www.tc.ca">www.tc.ca</a><br>
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