:
Sure. Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
Merci beaucoup.
It's a real pleasure to appear before this committee once again, this time to present the 2010-11 main estimates and also the report on plans and priorities for Human Resources and Skills Development and for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, which outlines our government's plans for the year ahead.
Let me begin, if I may, by putting these plans in context. Last year, the world experienced the worst economic downturn since the Second World War. Although Canada has fared better than many other countries, Canadian families were significantly affected by the global recession.
That's why our Conservative government took action through our economic action plan. This comprehensive plan provided investments to help those who were hardest hit by creating and maintaining jobs and by helping Canadians prepare for the jobs of tomorrow.
Madam Chair, we can often get bogged down by the numbers, but what Canadians care about most are results. So what impact is our action plan having on them and on their families? Well, I am proud to say that the results so far show that our economic action plan is working.
[Translation]
First, Canadians who have lost their jobs and are having a hard time getting back to work are receiving support through our enhancements to the employment insurance system.
To date, over 580,000 unemployed Canadians have received an extra five weeks of EI benefits.
[English]
In addition, the extra support we've extended to long-tenured workers will help up to 200,000 Canadians who have worked hard, paid premiums for years, and now need some extra help.
We've made sure that Canadians are receiving their benefits in a timely manner. Despite a very large spike in EI claims last year, we were able to maintain our service standards, and Canadians received the benefits in the same timeframe that they did before the global downturn took hold.
Second, we're helping Canadians get the training and work experience they need to transition to the jobs of tomorrow. This is part of our government's commitment to have a workforce that is the best educated, most skilled, and most flexible in the world. Close to one million Canadians received skills training in the last year alone, thanks to our government's unprecedented investments.
[Translation]
We know that older workers often have difficulty finding a new job because they have limited skills. That's why we increased investments in the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers by an additional $60 million.
Keeping older Canadians in the work force is becoming increasingly important due to the demographic challenges our country is facing and because of their invaluable knowledge and mentoring abilities.
[English]
We're also encouraging Canadians to pursue the skilled trades and to complete their apprenticeship training. Over 140,000 Canadians have received the $2,000 apprenticeship incentive grant since it was introduced in January 2007. Close to 20,000 Canadians have already received the $2,000 apprenticeship completion grant since it was introduced less than a year ago.
Our government is committed to helping Canadians receive a post-secondary education. We have significantly improved student financing. For example, over 265,000 students received grants this year under our new, improved program. That's money that they don't have to pay back. And that's 120,000 more students than benefited under the old program.
Third, we are creating and protecting jobs. The enhanced work-sharing program has been a huge success right across the country. In fact, to date, over 255,000 Canadians' jobs have been protected. This means that these Canadians can continue to put food on their table for their families and that businesses can keep their skilled workers.
In addition, we froze EI premiums last year and this year. This means that Canadians are able to keep more of their money when they need it most and employers are able to maintain their skilled workforce.
Furthermore, our investments in housing are providing Canadians a hand up while they are creating tens of thousands of jobs right across the country.
We know that youth employment was particularly hard hit this past year. Our infusion of an extra $10 million in the Canada summer jobs program last year resulted in almost 40,000 jobs being created for students last summer. This year the program will again receive an additional investment of $10 million that we expect will produce the same results.
Madam Chair, the results so far make it very clear: our economic action plan is working. It's creating jobs and it's helping Canadians get back to work. Now we're seeing several positive signs of economic recovery. In January we saw the largest monthly increase in GDP since December 2006, and the fifth consecutive month of economic growth. In March, employment increased by 17,900. This was the sixth month of job gains in the last eight months. Since July 2009, about 180,000 net new jobs have been created.
The global accounting firm KPMG recently ranked Canada the most competitive industrialized country for job creation. Just last week, the OECD predicted that Canada's economic growth will lead all G7 countries this year by a wide margin.
This is good news for Canadians and for the Canadian economy, but we cannot become complacent. Our economic recovery is fragile. It's imperative that we continue with the implementation of year two of our economic action plan.
[Translation]
That is what the Main Estimates and the Report on Plans and Priorities are all about. They confirm our commitment to creating jobs, helping Canadian families and continuing our unprecedented investments in training to help Canadians transition into a new career and to ensure Canadians have the skills they need for the jobs of tomorrow.
[English]
It's important to note that the main estimates and RPP do not include the smart investments made in budget 2010. Budget 2010 reaffirms our commitment to year two of the economic action plan, and even builds upon those investments.
For example, budget 2010 extends the enhanced work-sharing program so that Canadians can keep their jobs. It includes significant investments to help students obtain employment and work experience. It provides additional support to Canadian families, including the families of our armed forces members. It also includes funding to educate seniors to protect them against financial abuse. It adds to our government's unparalleled support for persons with disabilities by encouraging their full participation as well as their financial security.
[Translation]
The stimulus was necessary and it is delivering results. However, it was short term and targeted and will soon come to an end. Once implementation of our Economic Action Plan is complete, our government will focus on returning the budget to balance.
[English]
Canadians work very hard for their money and they expect their government to use it wisely and in a prudent manner. We believe that, just like Canadians, government should live within its means. We believe this is important because, over the long term, a balanced budget means better jobs and stronger growth. It's also the best way to ensure that Canada's social infrastructure is sustainable for the long term.
But just as important as what we will do is what we won't do.
We will not raise taxes on hard-working Canadian families or on small and medium-sized businesses that are integral to job creation.
We will not cut transfers like the previous Liberal governments did.
We will not engage in massive new spending programs that Canadians are not asking for and cannot afford.
Madam Chair, our Conservative government's number one priority remains the economic recovery. Canadians and members of the committee can rest assured that our government will remain vigilant.
[Translation]
We will stay the course and focus on the task at hand of implementing year two of our Economic Action Plan to help sustain Canada's economic recovery. We are focused on maintaining Canada's economic advantage now and for the future.
[English]
Thanks to the investments in the economic action plan, along with the hard work and ingenuity of Canadians and Canadian business, I am confident that Canada will emerge from this recession stronger than ever before.
Merci, Madam Chair.
After the remarks of my counterpart, the Minister of Labour, I will be happy to answer your questions.
:
Madam Chair and everyone, thank you for having me here today. I am extremely pleased to be here along with my colleague, the Honourable , to meet you all, to have an opportunity to talk to you a little bit about the labour program, and to highlight how its mandate and activities are really there to support hard-working Canadians as well as successful Canadian businesses.
Federally regulated enterprises are the ones that we in the Ministry of Labour oversee. They are represented in some key economic sectors, so ensuring their health and prosperity is essential to our economy. As well, doing so strengthens Canada's innovation and makes Canada a destination of choice for new business investment.
There's no question that Canadians spend a lot of time at work. There are very few things as important to a Canadian's quality of life as a safe, encouraging workplace and a dependable source of income. A well-functioning workplace also allows workers and managers to focus on productivity and innovation. A strong working relationship between workers and managers will help, in the end, to contribute to Canada's economic vitality.
This underscores the key role of the labour program, which is to promote a safe, innovative, productive, and cooperative workplace. It's within this balanced framework that the partners can and do thrive.
I want to start by reminding members of and picking up on what Minister Finley said: that our government's top priority is to complete year two of Canada's economic action plan. Through this economic action plan, our government took decisive steps to protect incomes, create jobs, ease credit markets, and help workers and communities get back on their feet.
Within this context, I want to highlight for you some of the activities that the labour program implements to support this renewed prosperity and well-being for the benefit of all Canadians.
First, the wage earner protection program, or WEPP, is an initiative that has been a tremendous success in responding to the economic downturn. This program supports workers at a really difficult time in their lives. It provides timely compensation for wages, vacation pay, severance pay, and termination pay when their employers go bankrupt.
Since our government implemented this program in July of 2008, and with its expansion in Canada's economic action plan, the program has played an important role in supporting workers who were owed money by bankrupt employers. In the past fiscal year, over 16,000 Canadians have benefited from the program, with some $36 million in compensation having been paid.
Another important area of activity is the mediation and conciliation services that are provided to federally regulated employers and unions that are engaged in collective bargaining. These services encourage the resolution of differences without a work stoppage. That's an outcome that is important not only to the parties but also to the Canadian economy on the whole.
Of the approximately 650 collective agreements reached in the federal jurisdiction in the last four years with the assistance of federal mediators and conciliators, over 95% were settled without a strike or a lockout. This is an impressive record and it has remained intact even in this economic climate.
Now, going forward, we'll continue with this strong track record by pursuing proactive interventions, including preventative mediation, which is designed to improve overall labour relations and reduce the likelihood of major labour disputes.
In the second phase of Canada's economic action plan, our government reaffirmed its dedication to the successful completion of free trade and to making progress on concluding new free trade agreements. The labour program plays a key role in this area by supporting the government's international trade agenda through negotiation and implementation of labour cooperation agreements, or LCAs. These accompany each free trade agreement. The government is committed to pursuing labour relations with international partners that respect labour standards and to ensuring that human rights and increased economic activity both are emphasized during these negotiations.
I am very pleased to report that LCAs have been signed with Peru, Colombia, and Jordan. Negotiations are ongoing with other key trading partners. Not only do these agreements reflect and promote the values that we as Canadians cherish, but they also serve to ensure that level playing field for Canadian companies working in the global economy.
On the domestic front, employment standards play a key role in defining responsibilities for workplace partners as they relate to such things as leave, hours of work, and, of course, pay. As well, occupational health and safety legislation ensures that employees are safe from injury and occupational illness, because, fundamentally, safe workplaces mean more efficient work environments and of course higher productivity.
When these standards are not respected, the labour program plays an enforcement role. In other words, the program is responsible for making sure that the ground rules for safe, fair, productive workplaces are understood and followed. That benefits everyone involved.
Similarly, it's essential to ensure that the rules under which we expect workplace partners to operate are effective and efficient, that they contribute to positive results, and that they continue to meet the needs of all the parties. So, during 2009, the labour program consulted with stakeholders and the public on how federal employment standards can be modernized. We all recognize that the 21st century workplace is vastly different from the workplaces in the past.
We know that Canadians need support in balancing their work, their family, and their civic responsibilities and that employers need flexibility in managing their workforce and their business. Currently we are assessing the results from the consultations and we're taking a view to ensuring that we're providing the necessary flexibility to support the needs both of the employees and of the employers in the current economy.
Madam Chair, the final area I'd like to highlight is our government's employment equity programs. These encourage the establishment of working environments that are free from barriers for four designated groups in Canada: women, aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities, and members of visible minorities.
Our efforts in this area include ensuring that employers understand and meet their obligations under the Employment Equity Act, and that helps promote equitable workplaces for all Canadians. By identifying barriers to the designated groups, gaps in representation are defined and steps can be taken to reduce these hurdles.
To give you an example, CIBC has a women's network and a mentoring circle for women in the workplace. Telus has implemented a “mapping your path to balance” program, which helps women find a work/life balance. I'm sure there are a lot of women around this table who would like to subscribe to that program.
For aboriginal peoples, considerable work is under way in many federally regulated companies to ensure that there is an open and inclusive workplace. Alliance, for example, has put in place a full-time aboriginal relations lead at its Calgary headquarters, while CTV sends its job postings to various aboriginal associations, such as Quebec Native Women Inc.
We also support the racism-free workplace strategy, which helps us to foster inclusive workplaces that can take full advantage of the skills and talents of all Canadians. Immigration can contribute greatly to Canada's growth over the next 20 years, and new immigrant workers, along with the increase in the aboriginal population, account for all of the growth in the labour force.
So with a growing labour market, it is essential that we foster inclusive workplaces that welcome Canadians of all backgrounds, not only because this makes Canada a more just society and better able to attract talent from abroad, but because it also allows employers to take full advantage of the varied range of abilities across the Canadian work pool. This makes our economy stronger and benefits all Canadians.
The full and fair participation of all members of Canada's workforce will become increasingly important. These programs that I've mentioned play an important part in supporting that key objective.
In 2009 the labour program undertook a strategic review of its activities to ensure that its programs remain relevant and that Canadians are receiving value for money. The outcome of that review, which was announced under budget 2010, will generate some $7.3 million in savings by fiscal year 2012-13.
The strategic review process confirmed the continuing importance of the labour program's mandate to foster fair, productive, safe workplaces and cooperative work relations. It demonstrated that our activities fall squarely within the defined roles and responsibilities of the federal government and also allowed us to bring enhanced focus and clarity to the longer-term vision for the organization. I am confident that the labour program will be a stronger, more focused organization as a result of its strategic review process.
This is the overview of the labour program, Madam Chair, demonstrating how we're helping to build and maintain a strong, adaptable economy by ensuring our workplaces are safe, fair, healthy, and productive. I look forward to responding with my colleagues to questions from the committee.
Thank you very much.
:
Thank you, Madam Chair. I would also like to thank the ministers for being here with their staff today.
I'm going to waste no time since I have seven questions. With the little time I have, you won't be able to answer all seven. So I'm going to read them all at once, and I'd like to get some answers in writing to those you can't answer today.
My first question concerns Canada Summer Jobs. The process for granting summer jobs is currently underway. This involves a budget of $107 million for the third year. It has been $107 million for the past three years. It hasn't budged. I'd like to understand one thing. The cities, like Montreal, had a specific budget for summer jobs. This year in Montreal, the jobs that were taken over by the city were directed to the constituencies. That means that for each of the constituencies, approximately 30 jobs encroach on the budgets of the constituencies concerned, that is between 30 and 35 jobs. I'd like to know whether you have cut the city's budget. Will these jobs have to be taken into account by the constituencies? If so, will it be acknowledged that this is a major cut to the budgets, since the city's budget has been cut?
My second question concerns the New Horizons for Seniors Program. Budget 2010 provides for an additional $10 million for this program. And yet, when we look at the situation, the total budget is $26 million, which was already the case. Are we talking about an additional $10 million, or is that amount already included in the total of $26 million? I'd like someone to give us an answer to sort out this issue. Again with regard to the New Horizons for Seniors Program, the budget allocated for Quebec represents 17% of the overall budget. Is there a reason why Quebec does not have a share of the budget proportionate to its population, that is to say approximately 23%? That's six percentage points less than the percentage that should be allocated to it.
There's something else. There are three major items in this budget, one of which concerns awareness. Only 4.3% of the amounts in this budget are allocated to Quebec. I'd like to understand why so little is being allocated to Quebec.
My fourth point concerns the Guaranteed Income Supplement. It will be remembered that, last summer—this probably also occurred in your own ridings—a number of citizens contacted us to say their Guaranteed Income Supplement benefits had declined by 4% to 20%. That was directly related to an increase on January 1, 2008. Are we to understand that the funds allocated to the Guaranteed Income Supplement declined as a result of a planned increase in the CPP and QPP in 2010? This is in your $200 million budget in 2009 under the Main Estimates. This is like the rising tide lifting all boats. I'd like you to inform us about that.
With regard to the Accessibility Fund, the Main Estimates grant nothing to that fund. As we understand it, you are terminating it. Would it be possible for you to provide us with a list and all the information concerning the constituencies that have received funding under this fund and to indicate to us the nature of the projects? A number of projects were not forwarded to us on the ground that they were not being carried out, but I now believe we are in our third year and the budgets authorized should be in the process of implementation.
With regard to the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers, it appears the budget was only $7.8 million in 2009, in the middle of the economic crisis. Do you have the figures on the number of workers we were able to help with that amount?
I will conclude my questions with this one. What are we to understand of the restriction measures that you are applying to programs for illiteracy and essential skills enhancement? We're trying to analyze the causes of poverty and we know that the illiteracy program is one of the measures that can help people emerge from poverty. In 2007, the budget was $48 million and it was cut to $28 million, and now you are preparing to cut it to $21.5 million in 2010. How are we to understand this kind of measure when we are in a process of committing to helping people emerge from poverty? I'll stop there for the moment, Madam Chair.
:
Thank you very much. I appreciate your being here today, both of you. I have a few questions.
You're aware that we've been undergoing a fairly extensive study of poverty for the last two years in this committee. It's working very well. We've travelled across the country and have heard a lot of good input. It's as much about trying to find answers as it is to see if there is poverty or to define it or anything else.
A number of issues keep coming up and will probably be key in the report that will be tabled within the next few weeks to you and to the House. One of them is in the area of housing. It's a huge issue wherever poverty is concerned.
I know from the reports that I get, and in fact from a meeting I had just last week when I was back in my constituency, that the folks who are out there working on homelessness and tapping into the homelessness partnership fund are really working hard. They are providing some absolutely fundamental and necessary services to some of the people in our communities who are most at risk and vulnerable.
Ottawa released a report just a week or so ago from the Alliance to End Homelessness that outlines some of the work they're doing and indicates that the demand is actually increasing in Ottawa for the kind of shelter and support they're giving.
In my own community of Sault Ste. Marie, I met with the folks who operate that program as well, and they've indicated that it's staying fairly even, but that the effort they're making, for example, to move people from homelessness to housing... In 2008 they moved 68 people, and in 2009 the numbers dropped to 38, but they said there are still people out there whom they need to work with.
Their concern—and I think you probably know what question is coming—is that there's no commitment past 2011 for the homelessness partnership fund. And what I've raised before when you've been before the committee is the issue of core funding, so that they can spend more of their time creating more success in moving people to housing and into employment and training, which they're doing. The effort is nothing short of spectacular, but there's still a huge need there.
They're asking me to ask you what the plans are past 2011 and whether there is any hope at all of their getting, at some point in your tenure, some core funding.
:
Thank you very much for the congratulations. I'm very much enjoying the portfolio and I'm enjoying the discussions that I've had, not only with you, Ms. Minna, but with the other critics as well.
With respect to the Employment Equity Act review, you asked about the current status. A motion was adopted on April 22, 2009, referring the review of the Employment Equity Act to the House standing committee on human resources. That would be this committee. Because the committee didn't deal with the motion prior to prorogation in January, a new referral motion will be required.
As you indicated, the Employment Equity Act contains a requirement for review every five years by a committee of the House of Commons. The assessment of advances in employment equity in the federal jurisdiction, presented each year in my annual report to Parliament, has demonstrated, however, that there's been progress in all four of the designated groups that I mentioned in my speech.
Since 1987 representation of aboriginal peoples has more than doubled and particular improvements are seen in the representation in crafts and trade supervisory occupations. Since 1987 representations of visible minorities in the federal jurisdiction has tripled and their representation has increased in all occupational groups since 2001.
As has been noted in the press, actually, in the last two days, before the creation of the Employment Equity Act, women accounted for only 5% of executive jobs in the public service. Now they're at 43% of executive positions.
I think these are wonderful accomplishments.
Just to finish, persons with disabilities, they're represented in private sector senior management and supervisory positions. The banking sector in particular has made some striking gains, including for persons with disabilities.
But in the interim, to answer the question on the review, the next annual report, to be tabled in Parliament in June, will report on progress for 2008.
When I first took over the portfolio in January, one of the opportunities I had was to talk to people associated both with the labour side and with the employment side. There was one thing that everybody had in common. From the CAW, from the Canadian Labour Congress, everybody agreed that the program itself was a huge help to workers and that it came at a very timely point in Canada's economy.
In essence, as I indicated, this program is designed to compensate Canadian workers for wages that are owing to them when their employer unfortunately goes bankrupt or goes into receivership. Just to give you some statistics about it--because I think it helps to give some context around it--since 2008 when it was created, almost 20,000 Canadian workers have received about $40 million in payments for wages owing in the six-month period up to the bankruptcy or receivership.
Prior to this program being put in place, interestingly, workers were rarely reimbursed for wages that were owed to them by bankrupt employers. In fact, studies have shown that payment was received in fewer than 25% of the case. The statistics demonstrate that the average worker received only 13¢ on the dollar, and often these moneys were received after several years of fighting with the employer for compensation. So the program itself has been put in place in a very timely way and has been very beneficial.
We also expanded the program to allow workers to claim both severance and termination pay, in addition to the wages and the vacation pay, up to the equivalency of four weeks for unemployment insurance. The economic action plan invested another $25 million in the program for this fiscal year and that's in addition to the $31 million set aside annually for WEPP payments to support the enhanced program.
It's increased the applicability of the program, obviously, to a larger number of claimants and the average payments increased as workers became eligible for the program. The average WEPP payment in 2009-10 was $2,210, compared to $1,300 in the previous year, but that remains below the current cap of $3,323.
In the end, it's a great example of the good work we're doing to help workers through the economic period we've just endured. Quite frankly, nobody wants to think about their company going bankrupt and workers being left on the street, and we filled the gap that was created. We've helped an awful lot of people. It's been a great program in that sense.
:
Thank you, Madam Chair.
My questions are for Ms. Raitt. Somewhat like my colleague, I will read them to you all at once. In five minutes, you may not have time to answer all the questions and I would like to have your answers in writing.
First, we're talking about the Wage Earner Protection Program and about $40 million that were given to workers. As you know, this crisis was dramatic for most workers, but also for tens of thousands of retirees. I could name businesses and prepare list after list. A number of them are claiming additional protection under this act. They have made requests to the government to amend the act and to ensure that pension plans are protected in one form or another.
Does the minister intend to introduce amendments to the act to protect pensioners? Currently we're talking about hundreds of millions of dollars that are lost in the Canadian economy, whereas you say it gave active workers only $36 million.
With regard to the act, you talked about modernizing federal standards concerning which consultations were held.
First of all, I would like to know how much time those consultations took. How much did those consultations cost? Who was consulted? I checked with a number of bodies and several told me they had not been consulted. That's why I wonder who was consulted. Lastly, was a consultation document used by your group when you conducted those consultations?
In addition, would the Minister of Labour be in favour of a precautionary cessation of work program, particularly for pregnant women with high-risk pregnancies?
For more than 25 years, Canada Post workers have been asking that an error be corrected under the former Pay Equity Act. Does the minister intend to solve this problem and how?
Lastly, I'll read you my final question. It's the last but not the least. In your strategic review of the Labour Program, you mentioned that decisions would be implemented this year, in 2010-2011. I would like to know which decisions you are going to make and what kind of additional spending will result from the implementation of those decisions.
I don't know how much time you have left to answer. However, as I mentioned, I would like to have answers in writing. I think that's important.
:
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you, Mesdames Ministers and officials, for being here today. In the spirit of national pink shirt day and our anti-bullying campaign, I'm glad that the spirit and intent of our colleagues here are respectful of that. We do have a responsibility to lead by example.
One of the ways we have been... I appreciate the comments from my colleagues. One comment was about housing and provincial jurisdiction. Coming from British Columbia, I'd like to thank our CMHC representatives for working closely with BC Housing. We have an excellent program. The province sets the priorities. They've been focusing on seniors and persons with disabilities and we've really had good success to date.
I'd like to focus on something. It was a break week last week. Wherever I went, I heard that there was an issue with regard to something that's been in the headlines. It had to deal with Canada's most notorious serial killer, Mr. Olson, and the fact that he is getting old age security and a pension while he's incarcerated. I don't know about you, but I just think it's preposterous. My constituents can't believe that somebody is entitled to these benefits, getting a cost of living allowance, and getting everything paid for. It's a joke and it's frustrating for all of us.
Our government has always put victims first, Madam Chair, and all of us around this table realize that it's important to respect the victims instead of the criminals. In 2006 we implemented one of the first offices for victims of crime, the Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime. Also, in this last budget, we're helping to support victims of crime and their families. So I know it's very important.
Maybe you could elaborate, Madam Minister. What are you hearing from Canadians and your constituents as far as our government's effective action on criminal justice matters is concerned? What are you hearing on the general issue of Mr. Olson?
:
Thank you very much. I had a chance to sit on this committee for a number of years and it's a pleasure to be back, to be helping out one of my colleagues, and to have the pleasure of having both of the ministers here today.
I actually wanted to ask Minister Finley a few questions, but before I begin, however, I want to mention to Minister Raitt an issue that one of my colleagues from the Bloc brought up in regard to the pensioners.
I know that it's not part of your mandate, but I can tell you that throughout my almost six years since being elected, I've had a number of town halls in my constituency, and I have never ever seen the turnout that I did when I had a town hall for Nortel pensioners and seniors concerned about the issue of pensions.
Even though it may not be a part of your mandate, I would really urge and request you to take the message back to both of the ministers responsible that we do need to have an amendment made in the bankruptcy protection act to really ensure that these workers and people who are pensioners are protected in the future. The global recession has known no boundaries and no barriers, and I think Canadians across the country have been affected. As Minister of Labour, hopefully you can take that message back to them.
Now I'll go to my questions for Minister Finley. We had an interesting moment in my office a few months back when an older woman came in who had called for an appointment. We had never seen her before. She came in with a walker. As she struggled to get into the office, she had all of these plastic bags, and you could tell that she had not showered probably for days on end. It was really unfortunate to see.
She came to see me just to talk about politics. While talking to her, I was asking her how she got to my office. She mentioned that she had taken two buses. It was towards the end of the day. I asked her how she was planning to get back home, and she said she was going to be taking the bus. I asked where she lived, and she was very hesitant to answer. One of my staff members.... We were all in the room and we said that the staff members were also leaving and maybe they could drive her. My staff member decided to drive her. My staffer asked her where she would like to go. This woman would not say; she just wanted to be dropped off at an intersection. It was at that point that we discovered she didn't have a home, that she was homeless.
I bring up this issue because when people think about communities like Brampton, they take a look at the median income, which is almost $80,000, and think that it's a very prosperous city and community. However, the state of affordable housing in the community is an absolute disaster. People are waiting 21 years to get into a home. There are almost 13,000 families, or 30,000 people, on wait lists to get into affordable housing. I want to know what initiatives you are taking within your government to help these individuals, who are real stories. We read about the facts on paper.
More importantly, we are one of those industrialized countries in the world that do not have a national housing strategy. Do you foresee, with your vision, that your government will put in the time, effort, and energy to ensure that we as a country do have a national housing strategy so that we can help people like that woman who came into my constituency office?
:
Seeing that it's 5:08, I figured maybe you'd give me seven minutes, Madam Chair, just in the spirit of generosity.
Anyhow, thanks again, Ministers, for appearing today and for your forthright answers. I'm always amazed at the seven- and five-minute questions that come from our committee. It has been quite a learning experience.
Minister Finley, your riding is very similar to mine, both in the size and in the “ruralness”, if you will, of the riding. The demographics are very similar in that we have retirement communities with an abundance of seniors. Since 2006 the government has undertaken a tremendous number of initiatives that have definitely helped our seniors have more prosperous retirement years and a better standard of living, no doubt about it.
Before I go into my question, though, I would like to also take an opportunity to thank you for coming to the riding of Huron--Bruce in the pre-budget consultation period and hearing what the people of a rural riding have to say. I think they certainly appreciated that opportunity. As well, I'd like to thank you for the hard work from your offices; my staff deals with them in Kitchener, London, and Goderich, and they are just tremendously helpful. I know that the people who come into my office appreciate the ability to have that medium to deal with.
There is a great number of examples of where the opposition parties have voted against our government time and time again, whether it's on pension splitting, guaranteed income supplements, or New Horizons dollars. It's really quite staggering, to be honest with you.
One very successful program, though, that I've seen in my short time in office, is the New Horizons program. Again, the opposition parties voted against it, but I just wondered if you could put it in your terms. You've travelled from coast to coast to coast. Tell this committee how that helps seniors.
:
Thank you for the praise. I really do appreciate that. I will pass that on to my staff.
We are very sensitive to the needs of seniors. These are the people who built our country, for heaven's sake; they are your parents and your grandparents, and mine. That's why we want to help them. We want to help them stay active within their communities. We recognize that they have a wealth of experience and knowledge, and we're trying to tap into that.
Let's face it. They say that 70 is the new 40 because 70-year-olds have so much energy compared to, say, the 70-year-olds of 40 years ago. We want to tap into that energy. The New Horizons for Seniors program does that. It gives seniors a chance to organize projects that get them involved in helping other seniors and helping young people learn from their wisdom. It gets them volunteering and keeps them active.
It has a number of aspects. One is that project component, which is really good. There is another--the capital assistance part of it. I know that in my own riding the local seniors' home set up a satellite library. Because they're outside of town, people can't get downtown to the library easily, so this is a satellite library with large-print books and audiobooks. It really serves the local needs. These things don't cost a lot of money, but they have a huge benefit for our seniors.
The third component is the program that we're really pushing this year. We started last year with a series of ads about elder abuse, which had tremendous success in raising awareness of the issue. We're going to push it further. This year, my and her National Seniors Council are going to be focusing on raising awareness of and combatting financial abuse of elders, because too often that either goes ignored or is dismissed as not being abuse. But I really believe that crippling somebody financially is just as serious an issue as crippling them physically. The scars may not be physically visible, but they are very real and they can last a lifetime.
This is all being done through the New Horizons for Seniors program. I was very pleased when the included an additional $10 million this year on top of the $26 million that was already in the budget, to which the Bloc member referred.
It's really a fabulous program. I'm hoping that we'll be able to protect even more seniors from financial abuse, whether it's by scam artists or, unfortunately, even members of their own families or their friends. This is not acceptable. We want to stop it and I'm looking forward to working with the to do just that.
I want to go back to the Canadian Council on Learning because I have a bit of a theory. I don't have time to ask a lot of questions, but I want to test this theory on you, Minister.
Don Drummond said it's a “valuable service”. An official at the University of Alberta said that it's a “terrible, short-sighted action” to kill CCL. The secretary-general of the OECD pledged his personal support for CCL. The president of CASA , CAUT professors, the provinces, university presidents, community college presidents, many people in industry, and a lot of people in labour all looked to CCL, and they've said that it's exactly what Canada needs; we need some surveillance on what we're doing.
We spend all kinds of money on post-secondary education and other forms of education, and CCL is a pittance to organize; this is one of the most cost-effective programs that the Government of Canada has come forward with. It's unbelievable that this government would refuse to go forward with it. It is one of the most economical investments the government could possibly make, and seemingly agreed to unanimously.
So I have this theory. I think many of the officials in this room... I know that when you come here you travel with a large party. I think a lot of the people in this room have probably told you that we should keep CCL. I think a lot of them know that CCL does good work. I think it was purely a political decision that was made by you, and perhaps your colleagues, to cancel CCL because it committed two sins: it was a Liberal program and it worked. What do you think of that?
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!