Finance Committee on Sept. 28th, 2006

Evidence of meeting #25 for Finance in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was federal.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Pre-budget consultations 2006

MPs speaking

Massimo Pacetti

Pierre Paquette

Judy Wasylycia-Leis

Dean Del Mastro

Also speaking

Robert Spickler President, Canadian Conference of the Arts

Joanasie Akumalik Director, Government and Public Relations, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated

Norman Riddell Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation

Peter Lewis Chair, Government Relations, RESP Dealers Association of Canada

Elinor Wilson Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Public Health Association

Paul Moist National President, Canadian Union of Public Employees

Alain Pineau National Director, Canadian Conference of the Arts

Alastair Campbell Director, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated

Alan Bernstein President, Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Luc Vanneste President, Financial Affairs Committee, Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, Bank of Nova Scotia , Canadian Bankers Association

Michael Hale Chair, Member Services Council, Canadian Institute of Actuaries

Jeff Morrison Executive Director, Road and Infrastructure Program of Canada (The)

Amanda Aziz Canadian Federation of Students - National Office

Mark Dale Dean of Graduate Studies, University of Alberta, Canadian Association for Graduate Studies

Conservative

Garth Turner Conservative Halton, ON

Do you feel that part of the reason we don't have enough disposal income is that we pay too much in tax?

Chair, Government Relations, RESP Dealers Association of Canada

I would certainly suggest that is a big part of it, yes.

Conservative

Garth Turner Conservative Halton, ON

Mr. Moist, what is the cost of your program?

National President, Canadian Union of Public Employees

Which portion of the program? We talk about child care--

Conservative

Garth Turner Conservative Halton, ON

Well, these eight points.

National President, Canadian Union of Public Employees

With respect to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, we need to go beyond the five-year commitment on the share of the fuel tax.

Conservative

Garth Turner Conservative Halton, ON

I just meant, overall, could you give us an estimate of what it costs for what you've asked for?

National President, Canadian Union of Public Employees

I don't have an overall costing in totality.

Conservative

Garth Turner Conservative Halton, ON

Well, it makes it more difficult for us to do our work.

I understand you want more government spending so that you have more government employees. I understand that. That's your agenda.

National President, Canadian Union of Public Employees

No, we don't represent very many federal employees.

Conservative

Garth Turner Conservative Halton, ON

Okay, but it's important for us to get an idea.

For example, with child care, you've suggested that we quadruple expenditure on child care, basically go from 0.25% to 1%.

National President, Canadian Union of Public Employees

Through the chair, I would suggest that we follow the establishment of something that was started with the consent of most provinces in Canada. Some provinces signed five-year deals with the federal government and put shovels in the ground to start building these things.

Conservative

Garth Turner Conservative Halton, ON

How much money did we spend on child care last year?

NDP

Judy Wasylycia-Leis NDP Winnipeg North, MB

Mr. Chair, this is ridiculous.

National President, Canadian Union of Public Employees

I know that the elimination of the deals as of March 2007—

Conservative

Garth Turner Conservative Halton, ON

But how much did we actually spend last year on child care?

National President, Canadian Union of Public Employees

You probably know the answer to that.

Conservative

Garth Turner Conservative Halton, ON

I think it was zero. How much are we going to spend this year?

National President, Canadian Union of Public Employees

Listen, the five-year deals that were started by the previous government—

Conservative

Garth Turner Conservative Halton, ON

No, that's not what I asked you, sir. In actual spending, last year versus actual spending this year—

National President, Canadian Union of Public Employees

Let me give you an example. The Government of Manitoba relied on the five-year deal that was signed. They started capital costs—

Conservative

Garth Turner Conservative Halton, ON

Do you know the answer to that question?

National President, Canadian Union of Public Employees

--and that's ending. You've taken over $3 billion from the commitment.

Conservative

Garth Turner Conservative Halton, ON

I just asked if you knew how much we had spent versus what we are—

National President, Canadian Union of Public Employees

The government you're a part of cut $3 billion from the proposed five-year child care deal.