Evidence of meeting #17 for Finance in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was surplus.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Mark Hodgson  Senior Policy Analyst, Labour Markets, Employment and Learning, Social Policy, Federal-Provincial Relations and Social Policy Branch, Department of Finance
Louis Beauséjour  Director General, Employment Insurance Policy, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Rob Cunningham  Senior Policy Analyst, Canadian Cancer Society, Coalition québécoise pour le contrôle du tabac
David Hughes  President and Chief Executive Officer, Pathways to Education Canada
Dale Patterson  Interim Chief Executive Officer and Vice-President, External Relations, Genome Canada
Bob Kirke  Executive Director, Canadian Apparel Federation
Michel Ducharme  Vice-President, Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec
Michael Firth  Partner, Indirect Tax, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Guy D'Aloisio  Vice-President, Finance, Genome Canada
Marc Bellemare  Syndicate Counsellor, Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec

5:20 p.m.

Syndicate Counsellor, Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec

Marc Bellemare

Here employers and workers have been robbed of $57.2 billion.

5:20 p.m.

Bloc

Robert Carrier Bloc Alfred-Pellan, QC

In the little time I have left, I also want to ask David Hughes a question about Pathways to Education. I’m quite surprised to see that a budget of $20 million is being allocated in education across Canada, whereas every province has its own department of education. I wonder whether discussions have been started. I’m a member from Quebec. Are any discussions underway with the Government of Quebec with a view to transferring the money you have at your disposal to it or to invest in its programs?

5:20 p.m.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Pathways to Education Canada

David Hughes

Yes.

The funding of Pathways to Education Canada, in our local program sites, are largely funded already through provincial support, through provincial sources, and through private sector funding. To date, there has been very little funded through the federal government. We are in discussions in Quebec with both private and provincial-level individuals, to see what the opportunities are for funding there, but the Pathways to Education program isn't strictly about education. It's about community engagement. It's about developing youth. It's about addressing community health. It's about helping with the transition into post-secondary education as well as preparing for workforce readiness, and so many other issues. So we believe that while there is largely a role for provinces to fund and assist with this work, as there is with the private sector, there is also a role for the federal government in this work.

5:20 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

All right, thank you.

We'll go to Mr. Kramp, please.

5:20 p.m.

Conservative

Daryl Kramp Conservative Prince Edward—Hastings, ON

Thank you, Chair.

Welcome to our guests. I regret not having enough time to get around to all of you.

I have a bit of a personal passion. I will discuss this very briefly--related in with Mr. Cunningham--as a former president of a local Canadian Cancer Society branch, and obviously I'm home to a riding where there is a multitude of smoke shops, and not too far from Akwesasne too. This might be information for my colleague across the floor too.

You have made reference to some of the dramatic changes and benefits we've received lately from some of the changes that have been made at the border. For my colleagues' information, this issue has been studied quite explicitly in this last while by Canada Border Services and the public safety committee. I am certainly looking forward to their report. Hopefully it's going to deal with even further suggestions to improve this matter, but of course a number of witnesses have come before that.

My concern right now is I'm really pleased for you to recognize that it's a complex issue. There are sensitivities involved, and there is no single solution. It's going to take a multiple of solutions on this, but certainly the stamping is a step in the right direction. You've acknowledged that, and I'm really pleased to see that.

What I am concerned about as well is that everybody thinks that it's just the baggies that are the problem. You touched on that a little bit. There's a huge trade, and you've intimated some of the penalties that were in place. A lot of our small businesses have the problem of illegal branded packaged cigarettes that are a huge problem too. I'm wondering if you could just put it in scale for us.

5:25 p.m.

Senior Policy Analyst, Canadian Cancer Society, Coalition québécoise pour le contrôle du tabac

Rob Cunningham

By its nature, the contraband problem is hard to measure and to quantify, but on the example you mentioned, there are examples of products that have federal tax paid but not provincial tax, and it's supposedly for sale on a first nations reserve, but then it gets diverted off reserve. It has the stamp on it, it has the health warning on it, and either people come on the reserve to buy it or it's diverted for distribution into formal channels off reserve. That is an example of the different categories of contraband.

We do need a comprehensive strategy, as you indicate.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Daryl Kramp Conservative Prince Edward—Hastings, ON

I have just one other suggestion. We're blessed in our area: we have the former provincial medical officer of health, now our local medical officer of health, Dr. Richard Schabas, who is doing a mass education program as well. So I'd suggest you can also help by leading rather than dictating--in other words, educate rather than legislate. So there's some movement forward.

Just in the brief amount of time I have, I'd like to slip over to Mr. Hughes for just a very quick question. I'd like to personalize your accomplishments. We're tremendously pleased and quite proud of your contribution to Canadian society for our youth: they are the future. Do you have any particular numbers regarding persons who have been assisted or are being assisted directly? Quantify those numbers for us so we can put a face and a name to the effects of your good work.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

We have about one minute, Mr. Hughes.

5:25 p.m.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Pathways to Education Canada

David Hughes

Right now we have 2,425 students participating in the Pathways to Education program. That doesn't include the number of alumni. We now have, just this past year, seen our first students graduate from the program. They had gone through the first registration in grade eight, started the program in grade nine, and have graduated and are in university. We have a number of students who are now overseas studying, or who are in post-graduate work here in Canada. Last year we also saw a number of graduates who went into community colleges and a number who have gone into the trades.

With regard to where we expect to be, we would like to see those numbers of students in the program grow closer to 7,500 to 10,000 students by 2015.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Daryl Kramp Conservative Prince Edward—Hastings, ON

When do you expect to get the greatest growth, from a partnership point of view?

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

Very briefly, Mr. Hughes.

5:25 p.m.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Pathways to Education Canada

David Hughes

We anticipate seeing our next program sites in the communities of Kingston, Winnipeg, and Halifax next, and after that seeing them in the provinces of Alberta, B.C., and elsewhere.

Thank you.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

Thank you.

I want to thank all of our witnesses for being with us here. I apologize for the shortened time period.

Thank you for your presentations.

Ladies and gentlemen, we will see you on Tuesday. Thank you.

The meeting is adjourned.