Evidence of meeting #39 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was initiative.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
Thank you.
We're going to move to Mr. McGuire. Five minutes, sir.
12:40 p.m.
Liberal
Joe McGuire Liberal Egmont, PE
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
On the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the regions of Quebec, I understand some changes have been made in the involvement of the minister in the everyday practice of the agency. In the past the agency could approve projects up to half a million dollars, and I understand that's been dramatically reduced, that the minister has taken over the signing authority on projects of very low cost. Could you inform us about the changes that were made between the minister sign-offs and the way it was before the new minister for regional development in Quebec took over?
12:40 p.m.
Director , Improvement, Service Delivery and Management Practices, Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
As far as the average value of projects is concerned, there was no impact. The fact that it was the Minister, Mr. Jean-Pierre Blackburn who signed the agreements and approved the projects had no impact on the average value of the projects, if that is what you are asking.
There was no minimum or maximum amount. The minister can approve projects whose value is under $10 million, and that is still the case today.
12:40 p.m.
Liberal
Joe McGuire Liberal Egmont, PE
What are the limits? How large a project can the president of the Quebec agency make on his own, without ministerial approval?
12:40 p.m.
Director , Improvement, Service Delivery and Management Practices, Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
Are you talking about programs in general, or only those involving the social economy? If you are only talking about the social economy, I can tell you that generally speaking the projects are...
12:40 p.m.
Director , Improvement, Service Delivery and Management Practices, Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
The average must be approximately $250,000 per project, in general. Very big projects are approved as are very small ones. It varies from $10,000 to several millions.
12:45 p.m.
Liberal
Joe McGuire Liberal Egmont, PE
Do all these projects go to the minister's office, or only those over $250,000?
12:45 p.m.
Director , Improvement, Service Delivery and Management Practices, Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
All projects are approved by the minister.
12:45 p.m.
Liberal
Joe McGuire Liberal Egmont, PE
All the projects.
Do you find with that political involvement that your ability to get projects approved and implemented in Quebec has been delayed somewhat, or quite a bit? This has to take an awful lot of time, for the minister to be signing off all the projects. You would have literally thousands of projects in a year. If he's looking at every one of them and his staff is evaluating them all and making recommendations to the minister, above and beyond your evaluation at the provincial level, wouldn't that really throw a major dam into the ability to get projects implemented in the countryside?
12:45 p.m.
Director , Improvement, Service Delivery and Management Practices, Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
It is true that we approve between 1,000 and 1,200 projects per year. Currently, the statistics on the number of projects approved indicates that that trend is continuing. There has been no real changes.
It is true that this brought about some delays for the projects under $100,000. In the past, the minister only approved projects worth more than $100,000. Now, he approves all the projects, including those under $100,000. This causes some delays for those projects, but it is nothing dramatic. We manage to work very well and to support the projects. This is the case because we recommend them. Officials recommend all the projects, analyze them, and we make recommendations. The fact that the minister signs off on them adds three or four days to the process.
12:45 p.m.
Liberal
Joe McGuire Liberal Egmont, PE
But then he likes to wait until he has a week off from the House to go around Quebec making the announcements. Wouldn't that be a further delay for those small projects that communities are anxious to get going on and get people working?
12:45 p.m.
Director , Improvement, Service Delivery and Management Practices, Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
No, when we prepare the documents to be signed, if necessary, we accompany the minister to the region, for example. We even went to Toronto in order to have him sign off on projects.
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
Thank you, Mr. McGuire. That's all the time we have.
Mr. Martin, we're going to give you another round of five minutes.
12:45 p.m.
NDP
Tony Martin NDP Sault Ste. Marie, ON
I just want to put a question in context, the socialist question that was raised.
Across Europe there are socialist parties that are in government promoting these kinds of enterprises. They are called the social economy. They are huge, from what I understand, in Europe. I've been to Ireland and Finland and have seen some myself.
I'd like maybe one of you--Dave, Nancy, or Carol--to talk a little bit about the global perspective on this. By not moving forward aggressively, which we're not doing now in Canada on this social economy, how does that affect our place in the world and our ability to compete and to keep up with what's going on elsewhere?
12:45 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Co-operative Association
I would just say that Canada prides itself on having a mixed economy. It's not a socialist economy; it's not just a private sector economy.
The point was made earlier that the social economy really is an apolitical issue. It's something that other governments in Europe have recognized from all parties, that it's a very important part of the economy. I would just say that the social economy is something that I would hope all parties would support, because it's an investment in the community. I think Canada would be losing an opportunity and detracting from its worldwide reputation as having a mixed economy if it did not roll out something as significant as the social economy, because what is the message we're saying to Canadians, that we only support the private sector?
Part of our reputation would be reinforced by rolling out the social economy, because we do very much have a mixed economy. It's part of our reputation on the international stage.
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
12:45 p.m.
Program Manager, Enterprising Non-Profits Program
If we all agree on strengthening communities, then the community has to be provided the tools and the resources to be able to do that. I think we've established within Canada the beginnings of a very strong social economy. Quebec is an extremely valuable example.
When we look at other examples, of what's going on in other countries—to speak to your question, Mr. Martin—just look at what happened in the U.K. last week when they brought together social enterprise and government and put together a tremendously comprehensive social enterprise plan. One of the people who led that discussion is Jamie Oliver, who is using his restaurants to hire youth at risk on the streets. He's now doing that internationally. They have restaurants across the world. They don't have one yet in Canada, so let's invite him.
12:50 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Social Economy Working Group
As I said a little earlier, on the international scene, the Québécois model, that is to say everything that is going on in Quebec in terms of the social economy, is considered exemplary. Last week, there was a summit for Quebec; despite that, we welcomed people from 20 countries. In Quebec, there is a partnership between the Quebec government, municipalities and many other partners. Obviously, the contribution of the Canadian government would have been beneficial. I think it would be good, but the main reason why the Canadian government should pursue and intensify its policies in favour of the social economy is that this would meet the needs of Canadians.
It is an issue of presence in all areas and many other issues as well. The other countries are beginning to realize the importance of this social entrepreneurship and what it can bring about. We have much to learn from other countries. Quebec has an exchange program with Brazil. Furthermore, the Fórum Brasileiro de Economia Solidária, which means the International Circle of Economic Solidarity of Brazil, spoke at our event last week. In a few weeks time, we will be going to Argentina, because there are already exchanges that exist between the Argentine government and Quebec's on the issue of the social economy. We have already participated in meetings with all of the European countries and we have had meetings in Africa as well. The social economy initiative in Quebec has had an excellent outreach, and we would be pleased to see the social economy of Canada as successful in this regard.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
Thank you, Mr. Martin.
Ms. Yelich, you may have just a couple of questions before we wrap up.
November 21st, 2006 / 12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Lynne Yelich Conservative Blackstrap, SK
Thank you.
I'd like to pick up on this. You noted that recently the social economy is an international trend and pointed out how other jurisdictions are supporting it. You noted that some European governments have preferable procurement policies for social enterprises, because they address employment and economic concerns for our vulnerable populations.
Have you studied the feasibility of governments in Canada pursuing similar measures? Have you done any studies? Or Ms. Neamtan, you—
12:50 p.m.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Social Economy Working Group
These are some of the discussions that had begun when the social initiative started. These are discussions from which, for example, the City of Montreal has just announced that they're going to adopt a social economy policy that goes in the same sense, and there are some discussions going on in Quebec.
We have more done a survey of what's going on internationally than looked at the specific impacts. But, certainly, these are discussions we would like to have with government, because it's very hard to do it on our own.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Lynne Yelich Conservative Blackstrap, SK
Okay, thank you.
I have no more questions, I'll just mention to Mr. Martin that if he does get a ski hill social economy going, I have one in my riding that's desperate, and it's a socialist government ruling our province, so I sure appreciate that.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
You could franchise these across the country.
Let me thank the witnesses who came out today. Thank you very much. This has been enlightening in terms of what you're involved with as a social economy initiative, and we want to thank you for being here and taking the time. Once again, thank you very much.
Mr. Martin, did you have something for us? Did you want to propose something?