HUMA Committee Meeting

The Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities met at 9:07 a.m. this day, in Room 308, West Block, the Chair, Dean Allison, presiding.

Karen Jackson made a statement and, with the other witnesses, answered questions.

By unanimous consent, on motion of Tony Martin, it was agreed, — Given the 2006 Budget spending for the Social Economy Initiative (SEI) and its potential to help establish new community businesses that can be self sufficient, e.g. co-ops, and social enterprises, that the Committee devote one meeting to hear from officials from the government's Social Economy Initiative, including stakeholders currently engaged in the SEI, with a view to determining the immediate and long-term plans for the SEI .

Tony Martin moved, — That the Committee recommend that the government should guarantee to all seniors a stable and secure income by: (a) linking the Canada Pension Plan and the Old Age Security Program to standard of living levels; (b) looking forward ten years to determine the adequacy of income support programs; (c) performing reviews of all income support planning for seniors; (d) that the government do all in its power to ensure that all eligible individuals for Old Age Security, Guaranteed Income Supplement and/or Canada Pension Plan payments receive them, and in particular that the government pay the full amount owed retroactively to seniors once they learn of their eligibility and apply; and e) reporting all the above annually to Parliament and that the Chair of the Committee report this motion to the House .

Lynne Yelich moved, — That the motion be amended by replacing the word “recommend” with the words “study the impact” and the word “motion“ with the word “study“.

By unanimous consent, after debate, the question was put on the amendment of Lynne Yelich and it was agreed to.

By unanimous consent, it was agreed, — That the motion be amended by replacing the words “to standard” with the words “to the changes on the costs” and by replacing the words “should guarantee“ with the words “of guaranteeing“.

The question was put on the motion, as amended, and it was agreed to, by a show of hands: YEAS: 7; NAYS: 0.

The motion, as amended, read as follows:

That the Committee study the impact of the government guaranteeing to all seniors a stable and secure income by: (a) linking the Canada Pension Plan and the Old Age Security Program to changes to the costs of living levels; (b) looking forward ten years to determine the adequacy of income support programs; (c) performing reviews of all income support planning for seniors; (d) that the government do all in its power to ensure that all eligible individuals for Old Age Security, Guaranteed Income Supplement and/or Canada Pension Plan payments receive them, and in particular that the government pay the full amount owed retroactively to seniors once they learn of their eligibility and apply; and e) reporting all the above annually to Parliament and that the Chair of the Committee report this study to the House .

By unanimous consent, on motion of Denis Coderre, it was agreed, — That the News Release on the study of Employability in Canada submitted to the Committee be published.

At 10:51 a.m., the Committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.