Finance committee  Agency, yes. Well, it doesn't hold water anymore. We're disappointed that the $4 billion went to premiums rather than to benefits, because that's essentially what it would have cost to have what we proposed in terms of allowing everyone in Canada to qualify equally with the same

Finance committee  I'm trying to say a few things here. I think that premiums should not have been frozen, indeed. And the benefits should have been improved. A number of groups in Quebec, all the union federations included, essentially proposed that changes be made for two or three years, with a

Finance committee  To answer your question, we've always thought the system as a whole would be best managed by employers, unions, and government together—with enough money to go around, in other words. This is a model we have for a number of organizations in Quebec, for instance, and it works rela

Finance committee  I will wager that our Conservative and Liberal friends will see the light and acknowledge that this is a matter of principle that warrants... There you have it.

Finance committee  Our federation represents 450,000 workers.

Finance committee  As far as we are concerned, the issue of pay equity transcends the collective bargaining process. This is something that cannot be negotiated. We are talking here about a long-standing practice of employment discrimination that goes back decades. Women were declared persons under

Finance committee  You are quite right to point out the lack of diligence, as far as this situation is concerned. The crisis in the forestry industry is not a Quebec crisis, but rather a national crisis. As you correctly pointed out, the alarm bells have been sounding for several years and it was c

Finance committee  Absolutely. Also, in cases where there was no other choice but to close a processing plant, we demanded some assistance to see people through the transition period. This brings me back to POWA. It's somewhat disconcerting to realize that the government has no game plan. Even in

Finance committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would like to thank the committee for this opportunity to present our views on Canada's budget priorities. It would have been nice to do this before the budget was tabled, but nevertheless, just having the opportunity to do so is appreciated. To our way