Evidence of meeting #43 for Finance in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was federal.
8:40 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Rental Owners and Managers Society of British Columbia
That's definitely true.
We have about 2,100 members throughout British Columbia, and about 75% of them hold fewer than five units. Those are often fourplexes, duplexes, and so on. The large 57-storey buildings that you see house the majority of renters, they provide the majority of rental units, but they certainly are not owned by the majority of landlords.
In simple terms, in response to Mr. McCallum's question, about 75% of landlords have small buildings.
8:40 a.m.
Liberal
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Thank you.
I'd now like to turn to Ian Bird. I totally agree with you that when you get a fitness tax credit, it should be refundable. Not every Canadian knows what that means. If you get a tax credit and it's not refundable, it means that if your income is not high enough to pay tax, you don't get any benefit. In other words, the lower-income people, who need it more than anybody, get nothing unless it's refundable. So I totally agree with that point.
On the $22 million, this is programming that will lapse. Can you tell us briefly what would be the consequence of not doing that $22 million?
8:45 a.m.
Senior Leader, Sport Matters Group
Yes. The current program would be reduced by 35%, Mr. McCallum. These are existing resources that will lapse. There are three different buckets assigned in three different budgets. We're asking the government to extend those investments in the coming year.
8:45 a.m.
Liberal
8:45 a.m.
Senior Leader, Sport Matters Group
It's our national sport program. You'll have read about Own the Podium, which supports our athletes and our coaches in their preparation for their activities on the international stage.
8:45 a.m.
Liberal
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
So it's really just continuing what we've been doing at the existing levels.
8:45 a.m.
Liberal
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Okay.
I think I'm running out of time here.
I'll just say to Ms. Montani and Ms. Sinclair that I don't think I have time to ask you questions, but we are on the record as a party that is absolutely committed to early child care.
8:45 a.m.
Conservative
8:45 a.m.
Liberal
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
I have two minutes?
Well, then, maybe I will ask you a question, Ms. Sinclair or Ms. Montani, either one of you.
In the previous election we were committed to a national system of early learning and child care; we will be in the next election as well, whenever it will be. The alternative before us seems to be this $100 a month. We would retain that, but what do you think of that kind of approach as an alternative to the kind of thing that we want to do, which is national early learning and child care?
8:45 a.m.
Provincial Co-ordinator, First Call: B.C. Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition
Are you directing the question to me?
8:45 a.m.
Provincial Co-ordinator, First Call: B.C. Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition
Okay.
We would argue that when we look at child poverty statistics, it looks like the UCCB transfer is having some impact. As an anti-poverty measure, that's fine; just don't call it a universal child care benefit, because people are spending it on anything but child care, in some cases. It's certainly not enough to buy or create more spaces or lower the costs of child care for families, so it's really not accomplishing its stated objective.
As to a revived family benefit or income transfer for families with children, we always welcome that.
8:45 a.m.
Regional Executive Vice-President, British Columbia, Public Service Alliance of Canada
With regard to the $100 a month, I believe it has a cost to the government of $2.5 billion, which is a significant cost. I agree with Adrienne that it does nothing to build you a child care system, to create spaces for toddlers of shift workers or for any number of needs within a child care system that should exist.
I would suggest that it should be converted, and those funds, those significant funds, should be transferred over to a national child care system and go toward transfer payments, with conditions attached, to provinces and territories.
8:45 a.m.
Liberal
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Actually, our position is closer to what Ms. Montani said. We think the program is fine, but it shouldn't be masqueraded as what it isn't, and that's child care. We would retain it and also work on the universal child care program.
Thank you very much.
8:45 a.m.
Conservative
8:45 a.m.
Bloc
Jean-Yves Laforest Bloc Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good morning to all the witnesses. It is a pleasure to be here with you in Vancouver.
I want to start with a question for Ms. Sinclair. You gave a great presentation, very interesting. A representative of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, you stressed the importance of childcare. You also pointed out the economic and tax advantages of a universal program. And you talked about the advantages for children, but not as much as I would have liked, seeing as that is perhaps the biggest advantage.
Obviously, when we invest in services for children, it opens up a lot of possibilities for families where parents may not have been able to work. But it is still very important for children themselves in terms of socializing and acquiring skills, not to question, of course, the ability of parents to help their children learn better. The fact that daycare centres are well structured is extremely important.
Do you have any studies on the importance of daycare to children as it relates to learning?
8:50 a.m.
Regional Executive Vice-President, British Columbia, Public Service Alliance of Canada
Merci.
A universal affordable child care system is basic to women's equality in Canada or in any society. Women, as we know, are the main caregivers for children and other members of the family. We also know that lack of child care is a barrier to women either entering the workforce or having full-time employment, or entering the workforce and being able to have full-time employment if they so choose.
I do think that child care should be universal whether one is working outside of the home or not or working for pay. I think it should be available to children of women who work in the community or who work and don't receive any pay. I think that would increase women's' participation in economic, social employment, and political spheres in Canada.
I'll just say one last thing. You well know as committee members in the House of Commons that less than 25% of the MPs are women. I would suggest to you that child and family care would be a major factor in that statistic, which is a shameful one.
8:50 a.m.
Bloc
Jean-Yves Laforest Bloc Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
Ms. Montani, I listened to both you and Ms. Sinclair. I think that your presentations and your requests for the Department of Finance are along the same lines, to a certain extent. In addition, both of you cited the example of Quebec's universal childcare program. Quebec made its decision without necessarily waiting to have the federal transfer payments. You are not the first to refer to Quebec's example. It has allowed more women to join the workforce and more children to receive adequate services early on, especially in terms of development.
As a member of my party, the Bloc Québécois, I completely agree with what you are asking for. But we believe that if the federal government agrees to make transfer payments, Quebec should also get some given that it has already made commitments. I am very glad to know that we made this decision and that, as a result, we are being touted as an example by many. A lot of people are saying that Quebec made the right decision, as much for women and children as for the job market. I would also add for the economy. In this respect, that testimony was along the same lines as yours.
The way I see it, it is extremely important that all politicians be very familiar with this issue. I was listening to Ms. Dahling earlier, talking about her small municipality, which has a pretty serious crime problem. I think that the measures you are proposing have to do with prevention. Of course, in the very short term, they do not involve the police fighting crime, but when we invest in this area, we invest in prevention.
Do you agree, Ms. Dahling?
8:50 a.m.
Conservative
8:50 a.m.
Mayor, Village of Tahsis
Thank you.
We live in a very small community. Most of these communities have less than 5,000 people and don't usually have very many children, but if we did have universal day care, it would also help with the policing issues.
8:50 a.m.
Provincial Co-ordinator, First Call: B.C. Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition
I just wanted to also thank Quebec. We use the Quebec example a lot.
We also thank you for your legislated anti-poverty act that you've passed.
8:55 a.m.
Bloc
Jean-Yves Laforest Bloc Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
I am not trying to say that it is a one-size-fits-all solution. But when it comes to small municipalities with less than 5,000 inhabitants such as Tahsis, I do not think they struggle with crime as much in Quebec, for a variety of reasons. It is due, in part, to this system, which, in rural communities, takes care of children and allows women to work a lot more.
