Evidence of meeting #4 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was services.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Tom Wright  Assistant Deputy Minister, Industry Sector, Department of Industry
Colleen Barnes  Acting Director, Financial Institutions, Financial Sector Policy Branch, Department of Finance
Janet King  Director General, Service Industries and Consumer Products Branch, Department of Industry

10:50 a.m.

Bloc

Paule Brunelle Bloc Trois-Rivières, QC

My questions tie in exactly with your concerns, and they deal with job losses in the manufacturing sector. I see that sector as being very central to the economy, a little like the engine of a car, with the service sector built around it.

Do you not share my concern, which is that if there are job losses in the manufacturing sector, which is collapsing because of a major crisis, the service sector will be in worse shape as well?

Of course, when we talk about services, we need to think not just about the manufacturing sector and the textile sector, but also about the pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors, where there is research and development and other important things that need to be considered.

Will there not be repercussions in the medium and long term?

On page 6, you showed the breakdown of jobs in the service sector, with retail, health care and social services coming at the top.

Do you think that this distribution has more to do with the aging population, and that the situation is more sporadic, which surprises me a bit, or is it that baby-boomers who have made a good income are now getting into the service sector? However, with the collapse of the manufacturing sector, the service sector will lose ground.

10:55 a.m.

Assistant Deputy Minister, Industry Sector, Department of Industry

Tom Wright

With respect to problems in the manufacturing sector, things are what they are. Moreover, the economy has created other jobs in the industry sector. So, to this point, there has not been a crisis.

How long will that go on? There we get into making predictions, and the crystal ball does not give us a very clear picture. However, I understand that there may be some problems.

As far as the sub-sector of health care is concerned, I do not see aging as a sporadic issue. It is definitely a day-to-day phenomenon. Science also plays a role by enabling us to get a little older all the time. The numbers show that there will be more people with grey hair amongst us. That comes as no surprise. In my opinion, we will be living with that situation for some time to come.

10:55 a.m.

Bloc

Paule Brunelle Bloc Trois-Rivières, QC

Thank you, Mr. Wright.

10:55 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

Thank you very much for coming in. We appreciate your presentation. If you have anything further you'd like to provide, please do so.

Ms. Barnes, I know that you have a presentation, which we will have translated for the members as well.

Thank you very much for your attendance.

The meeting is adjourned.