Human Resources Committee on Feb. 6th, 2007

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Mr. Lessard, you'll have to address that tomorrow with our new witnesses.

We do want to thank all the witnesses, including the chambers from Winnipeg, from Hamilton, and from Charlottetown, whose representatives aren't here.

Mr. Bell and Mr. Secord, thank you for taking the time to be here. We really appreciate it.

We'd like to get into motions right now.

Mr. Martin, you have a motion before us that the chair present the following report to the House:

That the new Minister of Human Resources and Social Development re-examine and provide a comprehensive response to each recommendation of the First Report of the Committee entitled “Summer Career Placement Program” which concerned matters raised in the Tenth Report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills Development, Social Development and Status of Persons with Disabilities in the First Session of the Thirty-Eighth Parliament entitled “Summer Career Placement Program”,

That the Government implement the Committee’s unanimous recommendations in time for the 2007 Summer Career Placement Program,

And that pursuant to Standing Order 109, the Committee request that the Government table a comprehensive response to the Report.

Is there any debate on this, or are we going to go right to a vote?

Ms. Yelich.

[Lynne Yelich, Conservative, Blackstrap, SK]

We're talking about the government again responding to the report. The minister has already responded, right?

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

What Mr. Martin is asking is that the new minister respond, yes. The government has responded already.

[Lynne Yelich, Conservative, Blackstrap, SK]

They've responded. Isn't that the response? Why would we—

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

What he's asking is for the new minister to re-examine.

Once again, we have had a response from the government.

[Lynne Yelich, Conservative, Blackstrap, SK]

Could you just mention one thing? Hasn't this committee gone on and had recommendations accepted by the House? Am I right that the committee forwarded the recommendations and that they have been accepted? No? Yes?

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

I'm not sure. I know we've already sent one report.

[Lynne Yelich, Conservative, Blackstrap, SK]

So recommendations are made to the House.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

There has been a response from the government. I don't know what all the recommendations are.

Mr. Martin, and then Mr. Wallace.

[Tony Martin, NDP, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

The response from the government was one page, thank you very much, very nice report, good luck, and oh, by the way, there's a $55 million reduction in the cost-cutting that happened before Christmas.

We'd like to remind the minister that there was a very comprehensive report and detailed study of the summer career placement program, which is a very important program across this country. It was done by this committee. There was unanimous agreement that we should push it forward.

There was no expectation at that time that there would be a reduction in the budget. As a matter of fact, some of us were hoping that there might be an increase, particularly if the ministry was going to respond to the recommendations that we made to be cognizant of some of the challenges in economically depressed areas in the country.

I would like the new minister, who frankly in my interactions so far has expressed an openness to listen and be more generous, in terms of some of these kinds of initiatives, to have an opportunity to take a look at that report, and make sure that he saw it and was briefed on it. Then perhaps he could respond to us.

I think we need to do this as quickly as possible. As we speak, I'm sure that they're making decisions about how the program is going to roll out, and about exactly how much money will be in it and to what parts of the country it will go.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Thank you, Mr. Martin.

We have Mr. Wallace, followed by Mr. Savage.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

Thank you.

It's just for a clarification. I read the first part of the motion about asking the new minister to respond to something that's already been there. The second part speaks to implementing the committee's unanimous recommendations.

I have two questions. If it was unanimous recently—I'm assuming on this side also—is that part of the report? I need to know whether it's part of the report. Also, can a committee charge the government to implement something, or does it recommend something?

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Like all committees, I believe that we make recommendations, and it's up to the government to respond how they see fit.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

I'm concerned about the wording where it says “implement the Committee's unanimous recommendations”. Is the intent of the mover to re-recommend them? Was it stated as a recommendation, or was it stated as a requirement to be implemented? That's how I read it, so I'm interested to know the answer.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Once again, Mr. Wallace, any committee can make recommendations, but it's up to the government to decide what they will implement, and they will give us a response. We can only recommend.

What Mr. Martin is asking is that the new minister re-examine. That's sort of the key word in there.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

That's not in the second part of the motion.

Of course I have no issue with the minister getting up to speed on everything and coming back to this committee to talk about the recommendations regarding the summer career placement program.

My issue with the second paragraph is that as a layman who just read that, “the government implement the Committee's unanimous recommendations”, it sounds like you're requiring the minister to do it. I don't think that's appropriate. If the wording were changed to allow him to come back and discuss what those recommendations are, and what he and cannot do, that would be my approach.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Thank you.

Mr. Savage.

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

In my view, the summer career placement program is one of the most important issues that this committee should be looking at right now, because of the timing. The government's disgraceful cuts to this program are going to be felt by all of us in our ridings. If you're not getting calls now, you will be getting calls from worthwhile community groups in your riding and students in need of assistance.

This is hogwash about private companies benefiting. In my riding, every single grant went to a non-profit organization. We can only hope that the new minister has more of a heart and the ability to see the value of this program. We're talking about so little money in the overall scheme of things.

In the spirit of non-partisanship, which I embrace all the time, as my colleague from finance would know, I think we should adopt this unanimously. I'd like to see the minister come and talk about this program, because it is important to Canadians right now.

I support the motion.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

I appreciate those non-partisan comments.

Mr. Lessard, please.

[Yves Lessard, Bloc, Chambly—Borduas, QC]

First of all, I would like to understand the motion. Is this Mr. Martin's motion, or is it Mr. Wallace's suggestion? What are we debating?

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

We are still debating the motion; no amendments were proposed.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

May I move an amendment, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Mr. Lessard, followed by Mr. Wallace.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[Yves Lessard, Bloc, Chambly—Borduas, QC]

I certainly agree with Mr. Savage. In Quebec, over 1500 organizations have written to the minister, and they represent millions of people. These organizations have used student services during the summer and they also represent students. We have had an opportunity to hold press conferences with organizations in almost all the ridings represented by the Bloc. Forty organizations and students accompanied me to a press conference and testified about the value of this program. If any program is working well and achieving its objectives, it is certainly this one. A government study done when the Liberal Party was in power said that the program was meeting 95 per cent of its objectives.

It should be remembered that there are three objectives. First, to give students an opportunity to acquire work experience. Second, to allow students to earn some money to pay for their education. Third, to immediately start looking for areas of interest to them with a view to their future employment. This is quite a wonderful result. A number of students who came with us to the press conference said how helpful the program had been to them.

We must bear in mind what I just said. In the space of three weeks, 1500 organizations have written to the minister, and I have copies of these letters. The motion put forward by our colleague, Mr. Martin, comes exactly at the right time. I would have even included a date for a response, because we are in the time period for the calls for tender. Usually, calls for tender take place in December or early January. It is now February, and the calls for tender have not gone out, because even the minister does not know where he will be making the cuts. Once the call for tender goes out, a number of organizations and students will not be able to apply, because the deadlines will be too short. Consequently, it is urgent that we make a decision about this today.