Evidence of meeting #42 for Finance in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was officials.
A video is available from Parliament.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca
I believe we're having some challenges with the sound, Mr. Countryman.
3:45 p.m.
Director General, Federal-Provincial Relations and Social Policy Branch, Department of Finance
Can you hear me now? Is that better?
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca
Maybe slow down and see our interpreters and members can hear a little better.
Thank you.
3:45 p.m.
Director General, Federal-Provincial Relations and Social Policy Branch, Department of Finance
I will endeavour to be clearer.
In the cases of small jurisdictions like Prince Edward Island, those jurisdictions have flexibility to allocate according to needs, as long as these fit in the category of transit or housing.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
Heath MacDonald Liberal Malpeque, PE
Thank you.
I'm going to move on.
How will the measures contained in division 23 part 5 help Canada utilize immigration to fill some of the labour shortages we currently see across the country?
May 5th, 2022 / 3:45 p.m.
Philip Somogyvari Director General, Strategic Policy and Planning, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
The amendments to the express entry system will further support Canada's ability to respond to a broader variety of labour market needs across the country by allowing what are called “rounds of invitation” to be tailored to more specific attributes that would be assessed and recommended to the minister, for which the minister would relay through instructions. It would give essentially more flexibility with regard to the attributes possessed by the immigrants themselves and thereby respond to a wider variety of labour market or economic issues across the country.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
Heath MacDonald Liberal Malpeque, PE
Thank you.
Also, we have a many who want to ensure permanent residency, and citizens who are trying to create equality of employment across the country for some of them. What opportunities are there via training through this source, or how do you evaluate the criteria that are relevant to matching skilled workers with some of the openings or labour shortages that we have?
3:45 p.m.
Director General, Strategic Policy and Planning, Department of Citizenship and Immigration
Currently, these needs are assessed through the express entry profile builder, for which the candidate will relay various attributes, including human capital, education, skills and work experience. In the presence of an offer of arranged employment, those would essentially be assessed and scored for us to be able to respond to the needs across the country in that manner.
3:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca
Thank you, Mr. MacDonald. that's the time.
Now we'll have questions from the Bloc and MP Ste-Marie.
3:45 p.m.
Bloc
Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I thank all the officials from all the departments who are here today to answer our questions.
My first questions concern the Employment Insurance Act and relate specifically to divisions 26 and 27 of part 5 of Bill C‑19.
With respect to division 26, as I understand correctly, the bill seeks to ensure that previous intergovernmental agreements are respected. This is referred to in section 408 of the bill relating to part II of the Employment Insurance Act.
However, I wonder if the changes included in division 26 are not intended to circumvent these agreements by, for example, withdrawing existing federal assistance for employment support.
Could you shed some light on this?
3:50 p.m.
Saajida Deen Director General, Employment Program Policy and Design, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
Absolutely.
The changes that are being proposed related to division 26 have to do with the provisions in part II of the Employment Insurance Act. We are looking to modernize some of those provisions that have been in the act since 1996 to bring them into line with the current labour market needs.
To your question as to whether this is an effort to remove federal supports, that is not the intention. The intention is to make the framework more flexible so that we can serve more individuals and respond to the labour market pressures that we're all seeing right now.
Thank you.
3:50 p.m.
Bloc
Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC
Thank you very much.
Section 403, in particular, seems to specifically allow the commission to sign agreements with any government or agency to administer employment assistance measures on its behalf.
We know that agreements are already in place with most provinces for labour market training.
Could the federal government then free itself from its commitment by using the power referred to in section 403 of the bill?
Could it offer the funding and management of these measures to non-profit organizations, or even to a private organization?
I'm actually concerned about this because it reminds me of the WE Charity case.
Could you shed some light on this?
3:50 p.m.
Director General, Employment Program Policy and Design, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
Absolutely. There have been agreements in place, like I mentioned, since the mid nineties with provinces and territories, and there's no end date for those agreements. Those agreements were signed and will continue, so it's certainly not the intention to end agreements. Budget 2022 did signal the government's intent to negotiate and modernize those agreements to meet the modern labour market needs, so those agreements continue to be in effect.
Thank you.
3:50 p.m.
Bloc
Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC
Thank you.
I will now move on to division 27 of part 5 of Bill C‑19, still on the Employment Insurance Act.
We are pleased to see that the government will support seasonal workers. However, once again, this is a renewal of a temporary measure to address a problem that requires a permanent solution. The government itself acknowledges this in its budget.
The Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion has been mandated to implement an EI reform plan by the summer, given that the temporary measures in the program end in the fall. So time is of the essence.
Mr. Pierre Céré, of the Conseil national des chômeurs et chômeuses, had this to say: "We were expecting a concrete announcement, but that is not the case. We ask the question: are we postponing a possible reform to the next budget, in 2023, or worse?“
What are your observations on this?
3:50 p.m.
Anamika Mona Nandy Director General, Employment Insurance, Skills and Employement Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
What I would say is that the government is undertaking consultations on EI modernization that will inform changes to the EI system to better meet the current and future needs of workers and employers, including seasonal workers, who are an important group of workers. The government will release its long-term plan for the future of EI after the consultations conclude.
3:50 p.m.
Bloc
Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC
Thank you.
In the context of the pandemic, the government does not seem to have suspended the obligation for the employment insurance fund to restore a balance over seven years. This policy could have a disastrous effect on premium planning, as the fund has a significant deficit due to the various benefits related to the COVID‑19 pandemic.
Could I have some clarification on that?
3:50 p.m.
Director General, Employment Insurance, Skills and Employement Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
So that I can understand, is this in relation to the EI operating account?
3:55 p.m.
Bloc
Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC
Yes, it is.
The government does not seem to have suspended the obligation for the EI fund to restore a balance over seven years. This could lead to a serious problem, since the fund has a significant deficit because of the various benefits related to the COVID‑19 pandemic.
Could I have some clarification on that?
3:55 p.m.
Director General, Employment Insurance, Skills and Employement Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
I will turn to my colleague on this question.
Go ahead, Joel.
3:55 p.m.
Joel Reimer Manager, Strategic Initiatives and Policy Support, Employment Insurance, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
I'm sorry; I missed part of the question.
3:55 p.m.
Bloc
Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC
Okay.
I will repeat it a third time.
In the context of the pandemic, the government does not appear to have suspended the requirement for the EI fund to restore a balance over seven years. This policy could have a disastrous effect on premium planning, as the fund has a significant deficit due to the various benefits related to the COVID‑19 pandemic.
Could I have some clarification on that?
3:55 p.m.
Manager, Strategic Initiatives and Policy Support, Employment Insurance, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
I'm not sure I can speak to that—
3:55 p.m.
Director General, Employment Insurance, Skills and Employement Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development
Maybe I'll step in just to help on that.
There was an announcement in budget 2022 with regard to increases to the premium rate, and there are no proposed changes to the financing of EI in the legislation.