Evidence of meeting #67 for Finance in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was federal.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
Unfortunately, I don't have time to ask my next question, but I just have to say that if you look internationally in countries with universal health care systems, we don't get the outcomes, and it's clear that we need to do something. But I'm not necessarily sure that increased funding....
I think I'm out of time, but maybe my colleague will—
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Unfortunately, you are, but I'm sure we will come back to that.
Mr. Brison, please.
Liberal
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Thank you very much.
There's been some discussion. We've heard from numerous witnesses. We've heard from the Council of Canadians on this omnibus bill, and the Conservatives pointed out earlier that there have been budget implementation acts in the past that actually were more voluminous in terms of the number of pages. I would just like to reference that those budget implementation acts contained hundreds of pages of customs tariff data and tables. This budget implementation act does not contain that. That's a big difference.
I'm about to celebrate my fifteenth anniversary as a member of Parliament. I don't remember a budget implementation act debate being led in the House by a minister of natural resources and a minister of the environment, which was the case with this. I'm just pointing that out for clarification.
I want to start off with the issue of youth unemployment. We have an issue now where this year we have seen the worst youth employment numbers in ten years, so pre-dating the downturn. I'd appreciate input from the museum sector and the cultural sector as to the demographic of the people in the cultural and museum sectors, as an example. Is it accurate to assume that there is a disproportionate number of opportunities for young people in your sectors?
Executive Director, Canadian Museums Association
No. We operate, on behalf of the Government of Canada, what is called YCW, Young Canada Works Heritage. That is a program of about $7 million. It funds a lot of young people.
What it also provides is quality jobs. These are not mowing lawns kinds of jobs. These are research jobs, jobs in technology, in public relations, and all kinds of different areas. In the statistics and the evaluation that we have done, we have seen that it has provided a great opportunity to young people. They have secured employment afterwards and gone on to greater, better things.
Liberal
Executive Director, Canadian Museums Association
There are opportunities. However, that program is greatly oversubscribed.
Liberal
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
Okay, that's an opportunity for us to invest in. Thank you.
On the cultural side, you referenced one of my favourite shows, This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Rob Ford's not a big fan, I understand, but some politicians are. In any case, within your sector, would investments in your sector be good for youth employment and opportunities?
Communication Policy, Canadian Media Guild
I think so. Very few young people don't want to become cultural stars, so I think there's a lot of attractiveness of the industry, but at the same time very few opportunities for paid employment. This is both in the public and private sectors.
What we're seeing is a shrinking industry with fewer real opportunities for people to get jobs. Unfortunately, the cuts at CBC will affect, I would say, both ends of the age spectrum. At the top end, people will perhaps take early retirements in order to save the jobs of their younger colleagues, but also we know there will be some of their younger colleagues going out the door, some contract and temporary employees losing opportunities, and in a shrinking sector, just plain fewer opportunities.
I can't imagine that it can help, the idea of people losing interest in this really important sector, which, as Alain says, is so efficient in creating jobs but also in creating pleasure and enjoyment for Canadians.
Liberal
Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS
I suggest that when we recognize the issue that there is a youth job crisis or problem in Canada, this would be a helpful part of your presentation to help inform our deliberations in terms of where we can invest that would disproportionately help young people find opportunities.
On the health care side, and I'll be very fast on this, with provinces being largely responsible for the delivery of health care and the balkanization of Canadian economic opportunity, resource-rich and non-resource-rich, there is a gap. Is there a risk with the aging population in the Atlantic provinces, let's say, of disproportionate health care costs at a time of a shrinking tax base? Is there a need for a more robust federal role at this time to avoid a hollowing out of health care—
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Very briefly. Mr. Brison has left you ten seconds to answer that.
Full Professor, Department of Political Science, Université de Montréal, As an Individual
Actually, in the transformation of the health care financing, part of the transformation is to place a ceiling on growth based on economic growth. But the other part of the transformation is that the distribution of the envelope will now be based, starting in 2014, solely on per capita.
There was, until now, some element of redistribution within the distribution of the health care transfer—and this was a bit arcane—based on the value of tax points transferred in 1977-78. This, I would argue, was not a very good way, because this is a very abstract and notional way to redistribute—
Full Professor, Department of Political Science, Université de Montréal, As an Individual
—but at least there was an element of redistribution that was involved, and that is being lost. Now it means that all provinces will receive this element, regardless of needs, and indeed in terms of the difference in age distribution among the provinces it's going to make a difference.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative James Rajotte
Okay. I've mentioned this to members only about 10,000 times; I don't know how to say it any more often. If we're going to ask our witnesses a good question, we have to allow them time to answer.
I say it at every meeting, and I implore members, if you're going to ask a good question—and these are all good questions—you have to allow the witness the time to answer, if you do want to have an answer to the question. I don't want to be cutting our guests off. I'd rather that members leave that time for the witnesses. I implore you to follow that advice.
I will go to Mr. Hoback.
Conservative
Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK
Thank you, Chair.
I'd like to thank all the witnesses for being here this evening. I appreciate your making the sacrifices to come on short notice. I know it's tough to rearrange your schedules to do something like this, but the work you're doing tonight is very important. I appreciate the time and the effort you're giving.
I'm going to start off with the Council of Canadians. Mr. Naidoo, I appreciate your honesty in stating that you were a candidate. I respect that, and I know you and I will probably agree to disagree on a lot of things.
In fact, your association is planning to hold a demonstration outside my office on Saturday. If I were able to be back there on Saturday, I would open up the doors and offer them a coffee and I'd sit and listen to them, and again probably agree to disagree, but I would try to listen to their views and appreciate or respect that.
The only thing I'm concerned about is can you assure me that the demonstration will be peaceful and that nobody will be hurt?
Conservative
Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK
Actually, I don't have a lot of time. I just want your assurance that it's going to be peaceful.
Project Organizer, Council of Canadians
I will just say it's not solely the Council of Canadians. This is being done by a broad coalition of groups, and it's part of...I think it's called Black Out. It's part of that. It's a takeoff of what's happened on the Internet.
Conservative
Project Organizer, Council of Canadians
We have been very clear that our demonstrations and our organization are non-partisan and peaceful. We have a non-violence policy, certainly.
Conservative
Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK
You may say you're non-partisan, but the reality is that your policies are very partisan. That's a reality.
Project Organizer, Council of Canadians
We've been very critical of previous governments since our inception 25 years ago, and the majority of that time has not been Conservative.
Conservative
Randy Hoback Conservative Prince Albert, SK
My concern is to make sure that everything is peaceful on Saturday. That's fine. It's a great country we live in, because you can do that. But when I see people abuse that....
I know Mr. Marston laughs at that, but that's unfortunate. I take that very seriously.
Ms. Silas and Ms. Wirsig, the reason that I pick on you—pick on you is not the right term.... I selected you two because I have one dollar to spend. The reality is, we have to balance our books. We've spent money and gone into deficit to build infrastructure that was required right across this country, but now I have one dollar to spend.
Do I give it to culture? Do I give it to health care? Or do I split it up? What would you suggest? If you were in my shoes, what would you suggest? That's the question, really. I have one dollar to spend. Who do I give it to?
That goes for all the groups. Government has to figure that out. Those are tough decisions, and there are no winners on each of the decisions. I think you understand—I sense the silence—what we're dealing with.