Finance Committee on May 2nd, 2023

[Benoit Cadieux]

When the 13 regions were initially chosen back in 2017, they were chosen in part because there were higher than average unemployment rates in each of those regions. I don't have the most recent numbers with me. However, as you know, the unemployment rate has decreased significantly across Canada, including in those regions.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Could you provide the committee with information on the 13 regions, like where they are and their unemployment versus the national average? Is that reasonable information?

[Benoit Cadieux]

Yes, that is information we can provide.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Thank you.

I read that—maybe there was a pilot—10% of applicants at the end of an EI period did not have a job prospect, and that's one of the reasons we are extending it by five weeks. Is that correct?

[Benoit Cadieux]

That's correct. The pilot that was done from 2018 to 2021 found that in the reference period, which is 2013, 10% of seasonal claimants did have a gap between the end of their EI benefits and the start of their subsequent season.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

The reference year was 2013.

[Benoit Cadieux]

That's correct.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

I'm trying to understand why we would—

[Benoit Cadieux]

The reason is that this was a year in which there were no additional supports provided to seasonal claimants.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

I guess I'm trying to understand, though, why we would give 100% of the people in a region an additional benefit that might only help 10%.

[Benoit Cadieux]

Not all seasonal claimants need the extra weeks. A lot of them return to work before they even need additional weeks.

Among those who do need them, they took on average 3.9 additional weeks of benefits, and based on the pilot, we know that approximately 42% of eligible claimants did access at least one additional week of benefits.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Is there a study or something that you're referencing? Is that something you could provide to the committee, if it's publicly available? The link is fine.

[Benoit Cadieux]

There is an evaluation. It is publicly available. It is on the web.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Thank you.

Ten per cent, though, is maybe close to what the unemployment rate is in these regions anyway, and we're also in a period of time.... I know we're looking at the 2013 period, but every region in the country is at a historical low for unemployment. Regardless of where they are versus the national average, historically we're at a very low unemployment rate with a very tight labour market.

Can you understand why some people might ask why we're extending unemployment benefits while there's not quite a million but almost a million vacant jobs in the country?

[Benoit Cadieux]

The other reason we're targeting claimants in those regions in particular is that they have a higher than average percentage of seasonal workers compared to other regions across the country. That, combined with the higher unemployment rates on average, means that it's more difficult for these workers to find work during the off-season. That's why we're targeting those regions and those workers in particular.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Thank you. I'll look forward to some of the follow-up information.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Thank you, MP Chambers.

Now we'll go to MP Dzerowicz for five minutes.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Thank you so much, Mr. Chair.

I too want to thank everyone for being here today. Thanks for your hard work.

I'm going to start off with a couple of comments, because there have been some very thoughtful questions from some of my colleagues on the opposite side, and I'd like to address them.

My colleague Mr. Chambers talked about how many new FTEs there are in this budget, and there's a lot of concern around that. It's an important concern and is something we always have to be thinking about. For those who might be watching from home, it's important to know that we are an activist government. We have been one since we were first elected.

We've put in place major unbelievable programs, like national child care. We're putting in national dental care. The reconciliation that we're doing is historic. We're taking aggressive climate action and promoting gender equity and innovative economic measures around innovation and immigration. There are lots of reasons there has been a big increase in FTE counts.

I would say, though, that it's very important for every government to always ask, as we're introducing new programs, what tightening we need to do. It is important to note that in this year's budget, we have $15.4 billion over five years for a reduction plan. We should always be looking at where we should be reducing as we're looking to adjust programs. Those are absolutely important questions, but I think it's important to put that on the record.

My colleague Mr. Morantz mentioned that a number of different elements are included as part of budget 2023 and asked what the correlation is. I want to say that budgets by various governments have included a number of different elements. Our government is very careful to ensure that all of the measures included are either mentioned in some budgets, whether it's budget 2023 or budget 2022.... The former Conservative government, when they were in power, did not do that and often included elements that had no reference to any other budget. I just wanted to point that out in terms of the difference.

With that, I have about 45,000 questions and only two and a half minutes to ask them.

I'm going to start off with some immigration measures.

If I go to part 4, division 16, part 4, division 17 and part 4, division 19, we have a number of changes or amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act: capping the number of sponsorship applications, establishing a clear framework for asylum claims and providing electronic means to administer and enforce the Citizenship Act modernization program.

My key question is for whoever might be here to respond. I forget. Was it Mr. Pink who responded before? I want to see how this will improve processing times, if Mr. Pink happens to be here.

I don't see him here, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

I'll pause the time. Is there an official to answer any of those questions?

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

If not, then I will just ask the officials to please respond in writing to that. I would be grateful, just because I think it is important to have these measures. It is important for us to be dealing with processing times.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Just wait.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Oh, they're in the other room. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

We have about a minute and a half left.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Yes, but please don't take all that time. I have 44 more questions.

Mr. Chan is who I was thinking of.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Have you captured the question? Yes. Okay, go ahead.