Debates of May 30th, 2005

Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec Act

[The Deputy Speaker]

The question is on the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Deputy Speaker]

All those in favour of the motion will please say yea.

[Some hon. members]

Yea.

[The Deputy Speaker]

All those opposed will please say nay.

[Some hon. members]

Nay.

[The Deputy Speaker]

In my opinion the yeas have it.

And more than five members having risen:

[The Deputy Speaker]

As requested, a recorded division on the proposed motion stands deferred until the end of government orders tomorrow, Tuesday, May 31.

The House resumed from May 9, 2005, consideration of the motion that Bill C-23, an act to establish the Department of Human Resources and Skills Development and to amend and repeal certain related acts, be read the third time and passed.

Department of Human Resources and Skills Development Act

[The Deputy Speaker]

The hon. member for Compton—Stanstead has 13 minutes remaining.

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

Mr. Speaker, I do indeed have 13 minutes left to speak to Bill C-23. At the risk of repeating myself, I will say that the Bloc Québécois is against this bill since it proposes an Employment Insurance Commission without any real power and with the opposite makeup to that outlined in our Bill C-280. My colleague from Chambly—Borduas introduced a bill for an independent employment insurance fund that would have only 17 members. Bill C-23 does not help our Bill C-280 whatsoever.

Furthermore, this bill institutionalizes blatant constitutional interference in the jurisdictions of Quebec and the provinces, particularly with respect to the National Literacy Secretariat, Learning Initiatives Program and the Office of Learning Technologies. All these matters come under provincial jurisdiction. As my colleague already said during consideration of another bill, the federal government interferes in anything to do with provincial jurisdictions. In Quebec and in the other provinces, we have appointed people to deal with this. Visibility is one thing, but we need the money.

No measure will prevent the use of replacement workers. Also, in connection with Bill C-23, we are talking about POWA, the program for older worker adjustment. It worked very well in the 1990s, but was eliminated by the current Liberal government. At present we face problems arising from globalization. Many jobs are being lost because of industry closures, for example in the textile sector. Furniture manufacturers are closing, such as Shermag in my riding. This is happening in Victoriaville too.

These employees have training in working with wood, but have never had any retraining. POWA would help these people aged 55 and older—we want the threshold dropped to age 50—to be retrained in another area and thus continue to work. At age 50, people still have a career. These people really need financial help to get retraining in another area, rather than stay home and wait for EI benefits, which never come. Indeed, the government had fun borrowing money from the EI fund without any intention of repaying it. That is $46 billion gone.

Furthermore, the Bloc feels that Bill C-280 better responds to the demands of contributors to the EI fund. This is another matter, which considerably frustrates the people of Quebec, and, I have no doubt, the rest of Canada. Many workers contribute to EI, but are not entitled to receive it. They include women, young people and even students who have summer jobs and pay into EI. This is just a little strange. It is another hidden mini tax. We are proposing that EI be improved to help people who are really suffering.

Then there is the exodus of young people. Many of them go to work in the city, because their is nothing in their municipality. When young people leave the countryside to move to the city, they do not come back. They find work, meet people, start another life and do not come back. It is extremely hard on the farming sector, succession and replacement work. So this is why it is vital C-23 not be passed.

In terms of workforce development, the government must respect's Quebec's authority. The current government must stop meddling in areas of jurisdiction not its own and must unconditionally transfer the money to Quebec.

In Quebec, our post-secondary program was developed based on our culture and needs. However, the federal government is constantly interfering. We are simply asking this government to mind its own business.

The federal government should also negotiate an agreement with Quebec to transfer four groups that were not included in the 1997 accord, namely young people, disabled persons, immigrants and older workers. Earlier, I talked about older workers when I mentioned POWA.

As regards young people, the summer career placement program ended up surprising everyone in that, in my opinion, it was a total failure.

There are many immigrants in downtown Sherbrooke who would love to work, but there is a language barrier preventing them from doing so. Because the government made cuts to French language courses, these people have to wait, often for long periods of time, for months and even years, before being given the opportunity to learn French and thus be integrated into Quebec society.

The Bloc Québécois supports the Quebec government, which feels that Ottawa should give these people the maximum amount provided by the Employment Insurance Act for training. There is an annual shortfall of some $200 million. This amount would allow us to invest in education and literacy. Quebec is also deprived of $100 million in the area of manpower, for those four groups. As I just mentioned, when it comes to development for young people and disabled persons, Quebec is ending up with an annual shortfall of over $400 million, which is a significant amount.

Many young people are discouraged because they are not finding any work in their field. So they are leaving for the cities. They would like to have access to courses in agriculture, another area that is really threatened with extinction. I wonder how we are going to feed our people in future.

The government does not acknowledge fiscal imbalance. This is another area that is costing Quebec $50 million a week. A careful calculation will make that a total of $2,500 million a year. That amount is not going to health, post-secondary education or young people. With $50 million a week, we could do things in Quebec to help the coming generation and especially the seniors. Seniors are often neglected. They have a wealth of life experience. Unfortunately, they are shunted aside as unimportant, to the detriment of Quebec society.

Among examples of the federal government's mismanagement and incompetency I note that it also enjoys taking away programs that are working well, such as POWA. I would add that section 78 of the Employment Insurance Act allows the federal government to invest 0.8% of total insurable earnings in support measures. At the present time, its investment is 0.57%. That is why it is making a profit while the provinces are in the hole.

As I have said, the deficits primarily affect women, who earn 70¢ for every dollar that men earn. So there is a 30% shortfall. We must not forget that children living in poverty have poor parents. Then there are the single mothers who count on EI when they are between jobs. They are penalized or disqualified because they have returned to work and have to accumulate 910 hours rather than the 360 the Bloc Québécois is calling for.

So, the cycle continues. These women cannot receive EI benefits in order to make ends meet or feed their children. So, they have to apply for social assistance, a temporary free pass, which is not something Quebeckers want to rely on.

So, it is extremely important for the Government of Canada to consider the provinces by transferring this money in order to help the four categories of applicants we are proposing.

Quebec will also be able to take care of itself, redistribution and its own areas of jurisdiction. We hope that, if the fiscal imbalance were resolved, the problems in hospitals would be fixed too. This would also correct the problem in post-secondary education, where young people are discouraged due to the lack of follow up. Furthermore, teachers lack support and the school boards need more teachers. As a result, burnout is a frequent problem. You have to work in the public sector to know what burnout is. In Quebec, many nurses have cancer, because they work non-stop and drive themselves into the ground. However, at a certain point, the human body needs to rest.

I repeat that, with regard to Bill C-280, the Bloc Québécois is proposing 17 commissioners instead of 14,000 public servants. These 17 commissioners could administer the EI fund, without anyone being tempted to take money that does not belong to them. We must weigh our words carefully here in the House of Commons, because some parties do not like to hear themselves described as they really are.

This $46 billion was taken from funds belonging to employees and employers. This money, that does not belong to them, is like a small hidden tax to pay the mortgage when the house burned down. It is all well and good to pay down the debt, but never at the expense of individuals, families and children. As I was saying earlier, children are poor, but some people forget that the parents of those children are poor as well.

As for manpower development—I am going from one thing to the next because I have so much to say—there is interference there too. Does the government intend to create hidden education? Is it going to want to develop a department simply to manage other departments that manage departments? This is very costly for no gain.

The government also has to negotiate with Quebec on the 1997 agreement. We have four categories that do not belong to Quebec: young people, persons with disabilities, immigrants and seniors. We must protect, develop and help these four treasures. The youth of today will become the adults of tomorrow.

I already touched on the $412 million shortfall. In October, Labour Canada said it was open to discussion. However, it did nothing. That is why we have to continue to drive home the fact that it is a provincial jurisdiction and that provincial jurisdictions absolutely must be respected.

[Peter Adams, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development]

Mr. Speaker, I listened with great interest to my colleague and I know from her passion that she is interested in most of the areas with which this new department will be dealing.

Bill C-23 is about setting up the new Department of Human Resources and Skills Development. It essentially is a department of lifelong learning and lifelong training. It is my sincere hope that it will more effectively deliver what the federal government generally is delivering already.

My colleague mentioned students. This is the department that deals with the Canada student loans which students all across the country benefit from. It is the department that provides annual grants to disabled students for every undergraduate year. It provides first year grants for low income students. It is the department that will deliver the Canada student bond, which is the way in which low income families can accumulate money toward the education of their children. I know my colleague knows this department, when it is reorganized and redesigned, will be dealing with students.

She also mentioned seniors and this is the department that will be dealing with seniors. For example, the National Literacy Secretariat, which is in HRSD, deals with literacy problems from childhood through to seniors. Although it is not a large federal organization, it is a remarkable organization that deals very effectively with the provinces, the territories, the not for profit organizations and aboriginal organizations on literacy all across the country. I know she is interested in these things. She also mentioned EI and training. My thought is that this new department will deliver those programs more effectively.

The bill does not come from the government. It is not a surprise to the House of Commons. It comes from a unanimous committee report, which the Bloc supported, recommending that the old department be divided in two. This is one-half. The House of Commons, with Bloc support, unanimously endorsed the division of the old department and the setting up of this new one. I really would like to ask her to explain how it is that the Bloc has changed its position on this improvement in the delivery of federal government services.

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

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-23 was split in two. First, this did not give more money to the program; it gave more work to public servants.

Second, my colleague is talking about literacy and learning. The Bloc Québécois has always respected provincial jurisdictions in that sense. It is federal interference, pure and simple.

Third, if we want to get into millennium scholarships, just look at what happened in Quebec: students voted against these millennium scholarships that would not get them any further ahead. It is very clear. The federal government has a knack for interfering in Quebec's jurisdictions and the Bloc Québécois wants to defend these jurisdictions.

[Mario Laframboise, Bloc, Argenteuil—Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, since I am getting the sign that I should be quickly putting a question to my hon. colleague, I shall be brief. The Liberals are never to be trusted when they introduce legislation.

Our Liberal colleague asked why we had changed our position. We did not. It was expected that, by establishing the Department of Human Resources and Skills Development, the employment insurance issue would finally be resolved. The Employment Insurance Commission was established, which appoints representatives through the governor in council. This means that four representatives are appointed by the government. We wanted the actuarial deficit in the money paid by employers and employees to finally be dealt with through a representative commission. Our proposal is for seven employer representatives and seven employee representatives.

Bear in mind that the federal government stopped contributing to the EI fund in 1996. Only employers and employees are contributing. I would like my hon. colleague to expand on that.

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

Mr. Speaker. the $46 billion that has been diverted for other purposes, like a tax grab, is money that employers and employees paid into the EI fund as protection for hard times. It is tantamount to people buying insurance being given an umbrella when the sun was shining and having it taken away when the weather got bad.

The 17 members of the Employment Insurance Commission would be there to manage the fund, to prevent the misuse of the fund and unequal treatment where employers and employees are concerned. It is very important that this money go to those who have contributed to the fund and not be used as a tax grab.

[The Deputy Speaker]

We will have four minutes remaining for questions and comments following oral question period.

University of Prince Edward Island

[Shawn Murphy, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Mr. Speaker, the University of Prince Edward Island held its 36th annual convocation on May 14. A record setting 717 graduates participated, representing 17 different countries.

A number of honorary degrees were also awarded to outstanding members of the community. The recipients were the Hon. James Lee, former premier of the province, Colin MacDonald, the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Martha, John Joe Sark and Charles Stewart Scranton. Mr. Scranton also delivered the morning address while the afternoon address was delivered by Sister Lauretta White on behalf of the Sisters of St. Martha.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the graduates in their considerable accomplishments. They can be proud of their UPEI education and of the success they will no doubt continue to achieve in the future.

Fisheries

[Norman Doyle, Conservative, St. John's North, NL]

Mr. Speaker, during the last federal election the Minister of Natural Resources sent out an election flyer that made a promise on foreign overfishing. On foreign overfishing, this is what the minister's election flyer said, “The Prime Minister came to this province and promised to do whatever it took to end foreign overfishing on the nose and tail of the Grand Banks, including custodial management”.

The Prime Minister has yet to fulfill that election promise.

Last month the government held an international conference in St. John's to talk about foreign overfishing, but little came from that conference except talk. People in the fishing industry said that this conference was more about politics than progress.

The fisheries on the nose and tail of the Grand Banks continue to be pillaged on a daily basis. The time for talk is over. When will the Prime Minister take concrete action on custodial management and fulfill his election promise to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador?

Cecilioni Award

[Beth Phinney, Liberal, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Dr. Brian McCarry, the 2004 recipient of the Dr. Victor Cecilioni Award for Environmentalist of the Year.

Dr. McCarry is a McMaster University chemistry professor who helped to develop an innovative process of analyzing water sediments and air pollutants. Health Canada estimates that almost 6,000 deaths a year can be attributed to air pollution. Dr. McCarry is determined to find the answers to some of our most pressing environmental concerns, in particular the effects of the environment on our physical well-being.

Among his many involvements he is the chair of Clean Air Hamilton. This group, comprised of local stakeholders and representatives from all levels of government, is committed to improving the air we breathe in the city of Hamilton.

Congratulations and best of luck to Dr. McCarry who has now been nominated for the 2005 Canadian Environmental Award in recognition of his achievements in the category of climate change.

Johanne Bécu

[Raynald Blais, Bloc, Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate Johanne Bécu of Chandler, who this morning received the Meritorious Service Cross, Civil Division.

In 1989, Ms. Bécu founded the Maison L'Éclaircie, Aide à la santé mentale, a community-based agency helping people with mental health problems and their family. This resource centre provides a support group, information sessions, a help line for people feeling suicidal or distressed and resources to help them overcome their problems.

Through Ms. Bécu's commitment to her community and her many projects, people with a disability can not only recover their self-esteem but return to society.

And so I would like to pay tribute to this woman, who has given of her time and energy so that people who are more vulnerable in our society can enjoy a better life.

Congratulations, Ms. Bécu. Our region needs people like you.

Boreal Forest

[Mario Silva, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give my support to the boreal forest conservation initiative.

The boreal forest is an integral component of our national identity, and it contains one-quarter of the world's remaining original forests. It is the home to aboriginal communities across Canada, communities that depend on the forest for food, medicine and economic livelihood.

The boreal forest filters our water, cleans our air, helps regulate the climate and sustains a large variety of life, including human beings.

Canada's boreal forest faces the real threat of significant changes that would ultimately harm this picturesque and healthy ecosystem and threaten the many benefits the boreal forest provides all Canadians on a daily basis.

The boreal forest initiative seeks to conserve the cultural, sustainable economic and natural values of the entire Canadian boreal region. I commend these efforts and call on all members to lend their support to this essential piece of our national landscape. Canada has an amazing opportunity to be a global leader in nature protection. Let us start by supporting conservation efforts right here in our own backyard.

Meritorious Service Medal

[Russ Hiebert, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise in the House today to honour three of my constituents who were awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for achievements that have brought honour to Canada. The medals were presented by the Governor General during a ceremony at Rideau Hall this morning.

Timothy Collings, professor at the Technical University of Vancouver, was decorated for his invention of the V-Chip, a ground breaking technology contained in newer televisions that allows parents to maintain better control over the content their children are able to access.

Al Etmanski and his wife Vickie Cammack were decorated for co-founding the charity, Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network, or PLAN. PLAN works with the families of persons with disabilities to help them prepare for their financial and social well-being after the death of their parents and relatives. PLAN now has affiliates across North America, Europe and Australia.

I want to offer my thanks and congratulations to these fine Canadians for their important contributions to our nation and the world.

Post-Secondary Education

[Anita Neville, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to comment on the proposed amendment to the budget concerning post-secondary education.

It is my belief that we should undertake more direct financial assistance for students across the country. It is important that the moneys flow directly to students in order to facilitate access to both undergraduate and subsequent post-graduate programs.

While I acknowledge that post-secondary education is a provincial responsibility, two federal programs now exist that provide platforms to help students through grants and bursaries.

By investing the additional funding to be made available in the amended budget in an improved and more seamless Millennium Scholarship Foundation and the Canada study grants, we would assist both students and their families directly with the financial commitment to post-secondary education.

This measure would help ensure that Canadians are not graduating with the extreme debt loads that prevent further studies, put their families in debt and it would provide moneys when it is most needed.

Sustainable Development

[Guy André, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw attention to a specific example of cooperation between francophone nations, Quebec and Mali.

In fact, for 15 years, the people of the municipality of Sainte-Élisabeth, through the committee Des Mains Pour Demain, have been working passionately to improve the living conditions of the people living in the Sanankoroba commune in Mali.

I would also like to mention the participation of the RCM of D'Autray, which is helping with Mali's policy on decentralization by helping carry out the village of Sanankoroba allotment plan. Finally, I would mention that the municipality of Lavaltrie is twinned with the Malian commune of Dialakoroba.

I would like to thank all those involved in sustainable development and in ties through solidarity, especially with our partners in the Francophonie.