Evidence of meeting #23 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was need.
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
Ed Komarnicki Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
And perhaps we could audit what they're doing from time to time as opposed to trying to get them to qualify.
Tanis, did you have a comment?
3:35 p.m.
Executive Director, YWCA Halifax
I really appreciate your approach and the fact that you're asking how we can use the existing dollars to reach the best outcome possible. I really want to commend you for having that kind of approach and thinking, because that's exactly where we need to move towards.
On this most recent call for proposals under HRSDC, what if those dollars were distributed among regions and we had regional decision-making? I think the HPI infrastructure is actually a pretty darned good infrastructure, because there's a local plan with local priorities for alleviating and preventing homelessness. There are federal dollars that then are distributed to those local bodies, who make decisions locally based on those priorities.
I wonder if there might be a way to look at cross-cutting interdepartmental priorities. That would have the outcome of alleviating and preventing homelessness so that this wasn't just in one category, which could allow for local priorities and local innovation.
But absolutely, if we were able to focus on serving women, young women, and families who are in urgent critical need instead of focusing so much--which we do--on chasing dollars, writing proposals, reporting to funders, and fundraising, the service return would be much more significant.
3:35 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
Thank you.
We're going to move to the second round for five minutes.
Mr. Savage.
3:35 p.m.
Liberal
Michael Savage Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
We've talked about putting together a strategy and consulting with people who know what's going on. Were any of you involved in the Nova Scotia anti-poverty strategy discussions?
3:35 p.m.
Liberal
Michael Savage Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
What's your view of the plan that has been produced? We met with them at lunchtime, by the way.
3:35 p.m.
Executive Director, YWCA Halifax
The Community Coalition to End Poverty? Did you meet with Pamela Harrison and Rene Ross?
3:35 p.m.
A voice
Yes.
3:35 p.m.
Executive Director, YWCA Halifax
Are you asking for my opinion of the provincial strategy that's been put forward by the Nova Scotia government?
3:35 p.m.
Executive Director, YWCA Halifax
I don't think it reflects the priorities of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Working Group or the strategies or the values put forward by the community in 2007.
The strategy put forward by the provincial government really has more to do with a rehashing of funding announcements that have already taken place. For example, in the collaboration section, it speaks about collaboration within departments, which is absolutely critical, and I certainly want to commend them on moving forward in that respect. However, it doesn't speak to the collaboration with the service providers, the non-profit sectors that are delivering, in partnership with the provincial government, critical programs and services that will alleviate and prevent poverty.
So when a government is putting forward a strategy that doesn't have the ability to collaborate with the service providers it needs to work with in order to achieve its objectives, I think it's deeply flawed.
3:35 p.m.
Liberal
Michael Savage Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
Here's a problem. Actually, it is an acceleration of an existing problem.
We've had structural poverty in Canada for a number of years. We have a recession now, which has to some extent brought people's attention to the issue, but the problem has existed for a long time. The problem is this: we have now gone into a deficit as a country. We have come up with a stimulus budget that's going to make it difficult for any future government to do anything except pay the deficit down. If the money we've gone into debt to finance isn't going to people who need it most right now, then when are we going to do it? That's the question.
I think most economists would say that the best stimulus spending is to invest in people who need the money. If you put money into EI, social assistance, or organizations such as your own, it pays dividends. If you're going to stimulate Halifax or Dartmouth by building a new convention centre, you're just going to be moving skilled tradespeople from one job to another as opposed to training people who need the skills and putting money in their pockets.
I'm concerned that we've gone into deficit as a country. We're not putting money into the hands of people who need it most. What do you think of that, anybody?
3:40 p.m.
Assistant Executive Director, Halifax Booth Centre, Salvation Army
We had about a 10-year boom in this country of exceptional growth. We couldn't afford to do it then, and we can't afford to do it now. Without a plan, it's not going to be solved in our generation. But the time has come to take a stand and say, “This is what we have to do.” It has to go forward in steps. What is the first step? You have to have a plan or you don't go anywhere.
3:40 p.m.
Manager, Neighbourhood Change, United Way of Halifax Region
I'll interpret what I think you're asking: are local solutions worth pursuing? I think it's worth trying. I think finding local solutions to local challenges is worth doing. If it starts in Halifax or in another city, then let's take that first step. You're talking about big national issues like deficits, but I think you're really saying we should look locally for some local answers. I would encourage you to keep going on that. There's lots more dialogue.
3:40 p.m.
Liberal
Michael Savage Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
I'm saying that we need to invest in people first. I'm not suggesting a motive on behalf of the government. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives thinks that all the tax measures in this stimulative budget are permanent but that the investments in people and social infrastructure are temporary. We have a full-time problem that we have to get our hands around.
I'll close on a positive note. I think this committee is well intentioned. We're trying to find some solutions. We appreciate what you're telling us. We recognize that you are the guys who are doing the stuff on the ground. There are times when government just needs to say, “Look, keep doing what you're doing. Here's the money to do it better, and we'll see you later.” That might be one of the roles that government needs to perform.
3:40 p.m.
Conservative
Ben Lobb Conservative Huron—Bruce, ON
My honourable colleague across the way knows that in the economic action plan that was brought forth in January a number of dollars were invested directly into people and communities. There were additional weeks added for employment insurance. There were billions of dollars invested in our infrastructure. And billions more went into housing—housing for seniors and persons with disabilities. We can generalize, and we have the luxury to do so, but when we drill down to the specifics, anyone can see that there were a lot of dollars invested in those who need it most.
I have a question on financial literacy. Tanis, I was very appreciative that you mentioned this. I wonder if you could tell this committee a little more about what the YWCA does with respect to financial literacy.
3:40 p.m.
Executive Director, YWCA Halifax
Thank you, sir. I had to completely reduce my speaking remarks.
We have a pilot project. It's one of four demonstration sites across the country, and the aim is to increase access to government initiatives like the Canada learning bond and to support low- and moderate-income families in saving for their children's education.
What we soon learned was that it was difficult to encourage low-income families to save for their children's education when they didn't know how to manage their own budget. So we moved towards financial literacy. One woman we helped, for example, was a single mother living in her car with her two-year-old and she was steps away from having that child taken away from her.
The financial literacy has been about helping families live within their means, which has led to making better choices for themselves and then to economic empowerment. But it's a basic building block of supporting families in living within their means. And the results have been extraordinary.
But it's not easy work to do. For example, one 17-year-old single mother we helped was sent off to the bank after we supported her in saving. We helped her develop a plan to save for the $35 it took to buy the birth certificate and we helped her get to the Service Canada office so she could get the social insurance number for her child. We then sent her off to the bank. Well, she left the bank with a credit card. So we realized we needed to step up and intensify the support to make sure she was understanding and actioning the financial literacy for herself and not just opening an RESP for her child.
The point of this project, though, is that it is helping low- and moderate-income families stay within their means, make better choices for themselves, and then seek to change their economic status. And it's absolutely incredible the results we've had.
The project ends in 2010. If I had one thing I would do with core funding, this is what I would do with core funding. I would make sure that families who are experiencing an economic crisis had the ability to navigate through that crisis and empower their families to live within their means. So it is--
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
Ben Lobb Conservative Huron—Bruce, ON
I know my time is running short, so I just want to build on that. I agree that it's not the root cause of the issues we're discussing today, but it's definitely one pillar in a solution to lead them in the right direction.
To follow through, though, on the issues I see in my office, my community is very much a retirement riding. It's along Lake Huron, and that's the destination for people to retire. What we find is that those people who are entering their retirement years and have made fine incomes throughout their lives now find themselves approaching 60 or 65, and the income they have is gone because they're retired and they have no savings.
I wonder if any of our panel here are experiencing this or seeing this on a daily or weekly basis, seniors who are in this crisis? And along the idea of financial literacy, are there check points along the way before they enter the CPP/OAS years, where they can actually get some good advice? Someone would say, “You know, friend, if you stay on this path, you're going to have a retirement of meagre existence.”
Do you want to comment on that?
3:45 p.m.
Executive Director, YWCA Halifax
How do you support individuals in amassing that kind of savings? I think it starts early in life in terms of having the financial literacy as a core. It means that women, particularly, can work and amass those savings. They need access to child care training in order to enter the workforce and get those employable years behind them. Certainly not having a sufficient pension income would be a significant priority and concern to older detached single women, as well as a lack of affordable, safe housing.
If we were focusing on a very key solution that would help with a reduction in poverty decades from now, financial literacy is certainly one of them. It's a key strategy.
3:45 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
Paul or Robert, do you have a response to that?
I want to finish by saying that I appreciate your being here. I know you guys are in the trenches and on the front lines. You're probably saying, “Okay, great, another study on poverty. Just what we need to hear.” But it is important in terms of the education that we get as legislators. Not only that, but we can take back the suggestions that you offer on the ground and make recommendations to the government.
As Mr. Savage said, this is an issue that's not of any particular stripe, but it's an issue we deal with all the time across the country, regardless of political parties.
We appreciate your coming to us and offering your suggestions, which we can take back and on which we can make recommendations. So thank you once again for your time, and we wish you a good afternoon.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
Michael Savage Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
Since this is the last meeting here and I'm sort of the home MP, I'd like to say that there are a number of people who have been here all day with us, who didn't present but were listening intently. I want you to know that if you have any thoughts you'd like to submit to the committee, we'd welcome receiving those.
Thank you for spending the time with us today as well.