Human Resources Committee on Oct. 31st, 2006

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

--would motivate these people.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Mike Harris tried that, Minister.

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

And that's why we're wanting to consult with them this time to make sure we get it right.

As I said in my introductory remarks, we want to consult so that we get it right before we act. That's why we're meeting with a wide range, including the YMCA, which is one of the largest child care providers in the country. They know what it takes. They provide it for themselves. They also work with business to provide spaces for them. So we're trying to get these incentives right so that those spaces will be created.

Just as a by-the-way, my riding seems very pleased, I know, in talking with the parents. There's over $8 million in new money in my riding alone every single year to help parents get the choice in child care that they need--

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Not if there are no spaces.

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

--and they've been very appreciative of those. Those spaces are going to be coming.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

That's all the time we have.

I want to thank you, Ms. Bennett, for that.

Minister Finley, as you know, we've been on the road and you've heard some concerns from the opposition in terms of literacy. The counterbalance to this is that the new program you introduced for older workers had received some accolades from some of the people we talked to on the road, specifically CARP. I just wanted to mention that as some of the other things we've been hearing on the road as well, as we've travelled on the east coast.

Yes.

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Is that part of your next five minutes, Mr. Chairman, for the Conservative side?

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

I'm not taking five minutes--

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Well, it's a part of it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

--it was a quick reference point.

We're going to move to Madame Bonsant.

You have seven minutes.

[France Bonsant, Bloc, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Seven or five minutes?

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Cinq. Sorry.

[France Bonsant, Bloc, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

I can take seven minutes if you wish.

I am going to speak to you about youth employment. Last year, we worked together with your party on the Summer Career Placements Program. We learned that you wanted to cut 50 per cent of its funding. We formulated 14 recommendations on how to improve the program and help young people embark on a new career. Young people are not big spenders like all of the oil companies you're helping in Alberta, but they need work experience to be able to continue to search for a job.

Further to the simplistic response you sent with respect to these 14 recommendations, how do you think the program can be improved in future if you are reducing its funding?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

For starters, we are going to be taking, as we have been doing with all programs, a full and comprehensive review of each of our programs, and that's well under way. The summer career placement is one of those. We are very appreciative of the work that's been done by the committee on this, and we're bearing in mind those recommendations.

As I mentioned earlier, we're in a job market, overall, in this country, where there are too few people for too many jobs. And there are many parts of this country--Calgary was brought up, and various parts of Edmonton, but we know they exist right across the country--where there are too few summer students for the number of jobs that exist.

We don't think it's smart to spend taxpayer dollars to subsidize those jobs when they would be created anyway, when those students would be there anyway.

[France Bonsant, Bloc, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Madam Minister, what you don't understand is that in my riding, what is involved is organizations, not private companies. The applications I received from literacy organizations, some of which are non-profit, total $1.5 million. You say that these jobs will be created in any event. That would surprise me, because you are in the process of cutting these programs as well.

I want to know what you intend to do with the 14 recommendations and on behalf of young people in high school, particularly those who live in small municipalities. They want to pay for their education and earn money during the summer in order to further their careers.

I want to know whether that is your final answer with respect to the 14 recommendations or whether you really want to improve them. I am not talking about private companies, because I know they will hire students in any event.

I have another question. Please answer it briefly.

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

As you know, the program helps community groups, organizations, and those.... We're going to help students get jobs where the students need the help to get the jobs, whether it's because they're in a rural area, high unemployment, or maybe they live in circumstances where there's a high crime rate so it's very difficult for them. We're going to put the money where it will help students to get the jobs. We're going to put the focus back on the students' needs, instead of on those of employers who would have hired people anyway.

I come from a rural area. I'm very sensitive to this issue, because I know how hard it was for me to find a summer job, growing up, and my area hasn't changed much since then.

[France Bonsant, Bloc, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Madam Minister, I hope that you will take the 14 recommendations into consideration, because even your party worked on them.

The analysts tell us that your cuts will lead to the loss of at least 300 to 400 jobs. Is it the role of the Department of Human Resources to put people out of work?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

No, those numbers are grossly exaggerated, shall we say.

[France Bonsant, Bloc, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

The number are exaggerated? Okay. Are you going to cut analyst positions as well?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

I'm sorry, I misunderstood the question. Could you repeat it, please?

[France Bonsant, Bloc, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

The analysts tell us that your cuts will lead to the loss of at least 300 to 400 jobs. Is it the role of the Department of Human Resources to put people out of work?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

No. What we've made very clear from the beginning is that those 300 jobs are across the entire government. Within my department, we're looking at approximately 50 positions over a period of a couple of years. Every single one of those individuals will be given the opportunity to move into another job.

We have about 7,500 people who turn over across the government each year. In 2005-2006 there were about 7,500 people who left their jobs and were replaced. We're talking 300; there will be significant opportunity for people to find other jobs in which to be employed.

[France Bonsant, Bloc, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Madam Minister, that's all very well, but the analysts say that there will be job losses and not transfers. There is a difference between transferring people and firing them.

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

There is a normal course of events within government. Jobs are changed as departments change--they're added, they're decreased. Through natural attrition, these positions will be filled. There will be no displacement of individuals.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Thank you very much. That's all the time we have.

I'm sorry, that wasn't the seven minutes; it was the five minutes.