Evidence of meeting #55 for Finance in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was program.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Gary Losier  President, Canadian Public Works Association
John McAvity  Executive Director, Canadian Museums Association
Bruce Flexman  Chair, Tax Policy Committee, Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants
Kelly Moore  Executive Director, Canadian Library Association
Jan Harder  Executive Council Member, Canadian Library Association
Gary Friend  President, Canadian Home Builders' Association
Terry Campbell  Vice-President, Policy, Canadian Bankers Association
Armine Yalnizyan  Senior Economist, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Kelly Murumets  President and Chief Executive Officer, ParticipAction
Donovan Bailey  Director, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bailey Inc., ParticipAction
John Kenward  Chief Operating Officer, Canadian Home Builders' Association
Darren Hannah  Acting Vice-President, Banking Operations, Canadian Bankers Association
April Britski  Executive Director, Canadian Artists' Representation
Anna MacQuarrie  Director, Policy and Programs, Canadian Association for Community Living
Huw Williams  Director, Public Affairs, Canadian Automobile Dealers Association
Marlene Deboisbriand  Vice-President, Member Services, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada
Mark Rudolph  Coordinator, Clean Air Renewable Energy Coalition
Nicholas Gazzard  Executive Director, National Office, Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada
Rainer Engelhardt  Past Chair, BIOTECanada
Cliff Mackay  President and Chief Executive Officer, Railway Association of Canada
Sandra Schwartz  Public Policy Advisor, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada
Mario Villeneuve  National President, Canadian Artists' Representation
Timothy Weis  Director, Renewable Energy and Efficiency, Pembina Institute

6:15 p.m.

Liberal

Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC

I guess I'm asking if they are capable of administering their money. And is it enough? I know what the disability tax credit is all about, but I don't even think the amounts are sufficient to get them anywhere.

6:15 p.m.

Director, Policy and Programs, Canadian Association for Community Living

6:15 p.m.

Liberal

Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC

That's where I'm going with this. They would probably require more services, so wouldn't we just probably be better off guaranteeing them a minimum service in terms of housing and making sure they're fed? Wouldn't that be a starting point, rather than making sure they get a disability tax credit refunded to them?

6:15 p.m.

Director, Policy and Programs, Canadian Association for Community Living

Anna MacQuarrie

I think we need to start with a point that all people have control in their own lives, have voice and say in their own lives. By prescribing a service or a particular service response to someone's disability, I think it's undermining their capacity to have choice in their life, to spend their money as they see fit.

We would be better off to ensure that people have additional dollars in their pocket. I agree completely. A refundable disability tax credit does not go far enough in addressing the real poverty need. But I think we have to be starting from an assumption of capacity. It's a similar issue to the registered disability savings plan.

6:15 p.m.

Liberal

Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC

Thank you. That's a good answer.

Ms. Deboisbriand, I am a member from Quebec. There are youth centres in my riding. In my opinion, the problem is that the programs aren't recurrent and that their budgets are constantly being slashed. The centres attract young people from 10 to 15 years of age, but when they turn 15, we lose them because they have other interests. Some work, they don't all have bad intentions.

Would you comment on this please?

6:15 p.m.

Vice-President, Member Services, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada

Marlene Deboisbriand

I'll respond briefly. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada's programming continues after the teenage years. Although there's a drop, we do continue to provide various services to a slightly older clientele. Oftentimes, these are young people who become volunteers and deal with younger groups, who lend a hand in the homework clubs, and get involved socially. It's also a way of preventing crime.

We also see them getting involved in the area of social integration and job readiness. There are a lot of clubs which offer that kind of service. And they continue to attract a slightly older clientele.

6:15 p.m.

Liberal

Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC

So there is some follow-up.

6:15 p.m.

Vice-President, Member Services, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada

6:15 p.m.

Liberal

Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC

And is it a problem for you that the funds aren't recurrent?

6:15 p.m.

Vice-President, Member Services, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada

Marlene Deboisbriand

It's a huge problem, particularly when it comes to the clientele we referred to in our proposal. These are often young people who...

6:15 p.m.

Liberal

Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC

I'm sorry to cut you off, but my time is limited.

So is the recommendation that this be a spread over three, four or five years?

6:15 p.m.

Vice-President, Member Services, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada

Marlene Deboisbriand

As a minimum, it would have to be spread over three years, but we would hope that it would be over five years. These young people don't have any stability in their lives, everything's always short term. Parents, school, and social workers have always been present in the short term. If we're not capable of giving them something more long term, well then we run the risk of causing them more harm.

6:20 p.m.

Liberal

Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC

Parfait. Merci.

Just quickly, Mr. Mackay, you were saying that of the money that was committed for trade gateways, none of it has gone out in the last two years. Why is that happening?

6:20 p.m.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Railway Association of Canada

Cliff Mackay

I think the primary reason is that there's been an enormous amount of time spent on the front-end consultation, planning, and these sorts of things, both in the Atlantic area and in the Ontario-Quebec area. We and a number of other organizations have submitted very specific proposals. We're really hopeful that things will start moving soon.

I mean it when I say we're in a race with the U.S. There are enormous amounts of funding going into basic transportation infrastructure of all kinds, and we need to make sure our system is efficient and effective. Otherwise we'll lose share.

6:20 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

Thank you.

Mr. Gaudet.

6:20 p.m.

Bloc

Roger Gaudet Bloc Montcalm, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My question is for Mr. Mackay once again. Do you agree with the highspeed train project that would connect Windsor and Quebec City, via Montreal and Toronto? There's a similar project out west. Do you support the project? From an environmental standpoint, it would be very beneficial.

6:20 p.m.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Railway Association of Canada

Cliff Mackay

Sir, the short answer is yes. We do support high-speed rail. We think it's a very viable long-term solution to congestion and other issues, and it's environmentally sound as well. There are obviously major issues that need to be sorted out on the financing, and we need to ensure that we don't put the systems into conflict. We need both passenger and freight, and they both need to be efficient and effective. We don't want to create a system where you put those two systems into conflict.

You need to have that thought through at the front end.

6:20 p.m.

Bloc

Roger Gaudet Bloc Montcalm, QC

In your opinion, how long will this take to implement?

6:20 p.m.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Railway Association of Canada

Cliff Mackay

We are hopeful that we will see the reports the governments have been doing very shortly. We would argue that we're at that point. We think now is the time to start thinking seriously about high-speed rail, both in the corridor here in central Canada and possibly between Edmonton and Calgary as well. It's going to take a number of years to engineer it and plan it right, but unless you get started you're just going to lose more time. Frankly, we're pretty much convinced that the U.S. is going to move on a number of projects over the next 12 to 18 months.

6:20 p.m.

Bloc

Roger Gaudet Bloc Montcalm, QC

I'm happy to know that the Americans are truly headed down that track. It would perhaps be time for us to do the same. Today is 2009, and we are examining a report that had been requested in 1990. It will be almost 20 years, and no further advancement will have been made. I don't know if successive governments truly had the willpower to take on these projects. Whatever the case, if we want to protect the environment, this would be a good method. Thank you.

I will ask my next question to Ms. Deboisbriand.

How are the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada financed?

6:20 p.m.

Vice-President, Member Services, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada

Marlene Deboisbriand

The majority of funding, approximately 60%, comes from provincial governments. In fact, federal funding is minimal. It comes mostly from the Summer Jobs Program. The rest of the funding comes from fundraising, special activities such as spaghetti dinners and golf tournaments. It is a lot of work for a frequently small return on investment.

6:20 p.m.

Bloc

Roger Gaudet Bloc Montcalm, QC

Why does the federal government not invest more in that? It wants to increase prevention among young people, but it is not investing in those types of activities. Perhaps it prefers to invest in prisons. I don't know.

6:20 p.m.

Vice-President, Member Services, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada

Marlene Deboisbriand

It is one of the areas where the federal government could get involved. Our mission is truly in the field of prevention. We are asking that current budgets, which are, in our opinion, at minimum levels, be increased. When we talk about crime in general, the total budget for justice is approximately $14 or $15 billion. We are asking for $350 million for prevention.

6:25 p.m.

Bloc

Roger Gaudet Bloc Montcalm, QC

How much are you receiving now?

6:25 p.m.

Vice-President, Member Services, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada

Marlene Deboisbriand

In total, the federal government invests $46 million in this area.