An interview with Brian Mulroney.

In a recent interview with the new leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, we asked seven key questions. His answers to these questions will be of interest to every young Canadian.

Question: Mr. Mulroney, both in your leadership campaign and in your speeches since last June, you have stres- sed the need for improved roductivity and a serious research and) development strategy. What precisely does that mean for Canada’s youth?

Brian Mulroney: The answer can be ex— pressed in three words: jobs, investment, and growth. Jobs because employment opportunities for Canada’s 545,000 un— employed youth can only be secured

in sectors with a real future. Investment because research and development, that is expenditure in new products, new ideas, new processes, provides the basis of tomorrow’s winning sectors. Growth because without it, there is no basis for making our way in the world, for tackling the tragedy of 1.6 million unemployed Canadians.

Question: Is there anything specific you would do to get jobs for youth?

Brian Mulroney: We will provide in- creased incentives to employers to hire and train young pe0ple. A Progressive Conservative government will significant- ly expand wage subsidy programs, such as the career access program. We will also substitute a program of refundable

em loyer tax credits, to credit emplo ers a portion of their income, or fe eral payroll taxes, where they agree to hire and train young people for a fixed period. We will greatly improve existing “inforj mation exchanges” through which young

people become aware of job opportuni- ties. Clearly, as job displacement centers, the Canada Employment centers are not performing adequately. And we will insti- tute programs specifically designed to address chronic unemployment which tragically plagues certain regions of Canada. ,

Question: Is our record in R (S D really so bad?

Brian Mulroney:t]ust look at the figures. Under 15 years 0 Liberal rule, we actually reduced our spending on R & D from 7 1.29 to 1.13 of total GNP. All of our indus- trial competitors are spending ahnost

double that, while Japan has a goal of

spending 3%. Put it this way: there is one company in West Germany spending more on research than all of Canada com- bined! The Progressive Conservative Party is committed to increasing our

R & D commitment to 2.5% of GNP. We’ve ot a lot of ground to make up in the tee nology race.

Question: How does R (5} D relate to our unemployment crisis?

Brian Mulroney: Someone once told me that while love makes the world go round, research and development makes it go forward. The National Research Council estimates that for every additional

one per cent of GNP committed to R & D, 800,000 jobs are created. Look around at the sectors which are growing: phanna- ceuticals, com uters, electronics,,bio- technology, te ecommunications. These are all sectors where the R & D com onent of spending is very high. They are a so the sectors creating new ]obs.

Question:-Is R (9 D important only for high tech sectors?

P.C. YOUTH FEDERATION OF CANADA

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Brian Mulroney: On the contra , R & D is important for wry sector, inc uding traditional sectors like forestry, mining and agriculture. Look at how our enor- mous roductivity improvement in agricu ture has been assisted by our re- search efforts in disease Control, pes- ticides, weather prediction and animal husbandry. That’s why I say the real challenge facing Canada is to apply new technology in old as well as new industries.

Qluestion: You are almost calling for s ock treatment to our economy.

Brian Mulroney: When 545,000 young people are out of work, when we have a negative balance of trade in high tech- no ogy goods of more than $7.5 billion,

I recognize a crisis at hand. We must formulate a dramatic, innovative, and , long-term tax system to increase'invest- ment in techno ogy. We must assure that meaningful jobs exist for our youth.

Question: You seem to have a personal interest in this subject.

Brian Mulroney: Anyone interested in the future of this country or the world at large has to take a ersonal interest These new techno 0 'es —silicon chips,

'satellite technology, iotechnolo and

the like —are having a profound e ect on our society. They are both a curse and a blessing. But I think that when we can get our government programs relevant again, we can get real growth and jobs for our people.

For further information about the RC. Party or your PC. Campus Association phone (613) 238-6111 or write: P.C. Youth Information, Suite 200, 161 Laurier Ave. West, Ottawa, Ontario KlP 512