Finance Committee on Oct. 26th, 2006

[Dr. Rick Miner]

If you look at it from various vantage points, one of the issues is that a lot of newcomers to Canada don't realize they have a credential problem until they arrive in Canada, which is really a mistake. They should have prior knowledge of the issue.

Second, colleges in Canada are distributed in every constituency in this country. They can perform a role for a significant number of the new Canadians in the areas of technology, technologists, and services. For example, a lot of the immigrants who come in as engineers are probably more akin to technologists in the Canadian system, and colleges could play a very vital role in evaluating their credentials and upgrading those credentials.

They certainly cannot provide that service across the board, but even in the health profession, with nurses, there is a very vibrant role for Canadian colleges. We see them as a vehicle for assisting others in not only evaluating the credentials, but providing educational experiences where needed in order to achieve their credentials.

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Brian Pallister]

Thank you, sir.

We'll conclude with Mr. Wallace now.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Since I have only three minutes, I'll likely just focus on our friends, Mr. Stapleton and Ms. Black.

I'm intrigued by the income tax refundable tax credit. I understand--and just so I'm clear, personally--you would consider that a household at $21,500 is at the minimum poverty level. Would that be an accurate statement?

[John Stapleton]

No. In fact, the proposal we have in the MISWAA report would have the various credits we propose actually end at that point. The reason is that at that level, the national child benefit supplement starts to phase out, so we want to make sure we don't try to occupy both zones.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

You don't want to get in that zone.

What confuses me a little bit, to be frank with you, is that you've got a combination of the income tax refundable tax credit, which is of interest, and then you are creating a new income supplement and combining those together. How does the supplement work? I don't understand that.

[John Stapleton]

The main difference is that one is provided based on all income, whereas the working tax benefit is provided on the basis of employment earnings.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

So somebody could be getting social services and be working a little bit and get the supplement. Is that correct?

[John Stapleton]

Likely not, because with the way we've structured the supplement in our design, it would start at 600 hours of work per year. So you couldn't be working just a little bit and get the supplement.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

Okay. I may follow up with you on that just so I have a better understanding.

Do I still have a couple of minutes?

[The Chair, Conservative, Brian Pallister]

You have half a minute.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

I'm going to ask Mr. Williams a question. It's been a while since we heard from. You actually work for a municipality. Is that correct?

[Col Rick Williams]

That's correct.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

You talk about the federal government getting involved in housing, which is a fair comment. I come from a municipal world, with thirteen years as a regional and local councillor, for the city of Burlington in the region of Halton. The first time I ever heard about the tax cut for school boards was when I got to Ottawa, not when I was in Burlington.

Would you not think it's a fair statement that the municipalities would rather have social services off the municipal base and on the province's base? And does that argument not still hold true when you talk about federal money for housing?

[Col Rick Williams]

Currently all services--housing, child care, and social assistance--are co-funded under a very complex formula between the province, assisted by federal contributions, and the municipality. So there is a movement, certainly, to try to clarify that responsibility, just as there is between the province and you.

The provinces announced a review of funding and the capacity to provide services. Our role, I guess, is primarily to say that the delivery is best managed and most accountable, most accessible, probably most efficient at the local level. So the municipal level as a provider of service I think is part of our enshrinement of--

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

But it's not actually as the funder?

[Col Rick Williams]

The cost sharing is probably something more complex.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

Okay, thanks.

[The Chair, Conservative, Brian Pallister]

Thank you very much, Mr. Wallace, and thank you, Mr. Williams.

If you'll indulge the chair for no more than a few minutes, I'd like to make some concluding comments today, as it is my last opportunity to do so.

In the last five weeks we have engaged in a rather intensive process of consultations. We have met with and heard from well over 400 different groups and individuals across Canada, from St. John's, to Whitehorse in Yukon, to Vancouver on the west coast. Most of these committee members and staff have seen nothing of the communities we've been in except these rooms, and they have dedicated themselves admirably to this task. Without the support and help of our technicians, our researchers, the clerks, that translator and her friend, we couldn't have done this job, so I'd like us to show our appreciation to the staff for their fine efforts.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Chair, Conservative, Brian Pallister]

Thank you for that.

I would also be remiss in not thanking the members of the committee. This has been an amazing experience for me personally, and for you, I'm sure, with over a month of our lives dedicated not only to the other responsibilities we have as members of Parliament, which are numerous, but to engage so fully in this process. We've met so many amazing people; we've heard perspectives, conflicting at times, but nonetheless heartfelt, from people who care deeply, as we do, about the future of this country. I would conclude by saying thank you to my committee members, though we of course disagree. But as my grandfather used to say, “If two people always agree, one of them is probably unnecessary.”

[Voices]

Oh, oh!

[The Chair, Conservative, Brian Pallister]

And we are going to disagree. I believe something we share, and certainly, panellists, I know we share with you, is an incredible love for this country and a concern for the people of this country and their future. So it is with that that I also conclude by saying I think we have, as a group, perhaps shown a face of parliamentary work to Canadians that they may not see when they see clips of question period in the House of Commons. For that, I thank very much the members of our committee, who are an incredibly dedicated group of hard-working and genuine people, regardless of political stripe.

I thank you, panel, for your participation. It was a very enjoyable and stimulating experience to share with you, and we wish you all the very best.

We are adjourned.