Government Operations Committee on Nov. 2nd, 2006

[The Chair, Liberal, Diane Marleau]

Thank you.

Madame Thibault.

[Louise Thibault, Bloc, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for being here with us this morning.

I will attempt to ask very brief questions, which for me will be a rather perilous exercise. I would also appreciate receiving brief responses because, as you know, eight minutes is not very much time.

Ms. Charette, in answer to a question from my liberal colleague, you gave statistics demonstrating that all is well with employment and the economy in Canada. Based upon these numbers, do you consider that things are going well across Canada and in all regions of Quebec?

As MP for Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, I know that the situation is far from brilliant in the critical sectors, be it agriculture, forestry or fishing. I am convinced that the situation is the same in other regions of Canada and of Quebec. Proof of this lies in the fact that our young people are leaving the regions in favour of the larger centres.

Do your statistics relate to major urban centres or do they also include those regions that are in crisis?

[Janice Charette]

Thank you for your question.

When I answered the other member's question, I used pan-Canadian numbers, but the department is well aware of the fact that conditions are not the same everywhere, in the field.

Our statistics indicate that some students have difficulty finding summer jobs because of the labour market situation of their region and of others in the country. The same can be said of certain groups of students, and this is why we believe that the program must better target those students who have difficulty finding a job.

[Louise Thibault, Bloc, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Thank you.

Have you heard about the Summer career placements program? Am I right in my impression that this program will be slashed by some 50 million dollars?

[Janice Charette]

Yes, I talked of a reduction of 55.4 million dollars.

[Louise Thibault, Bloc, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Over one or two years?

[Janice Charette]

Over two years.

[Louise Thibault, Bloc, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Over two years. As we are well aware of the role played by deputation in this program, we should expect to see reductions in our ridings as early as this coming summer.

[Janice Charette]

All of the agreements in place have been respected. However, next January, we will be launching a new call for tenders process, that will be based on new criteria, so as to better target the programs.

[Louise Thibault, Bloc, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

The question I put to you now flows from the first.

Will you and your colleagues in the department be keeping in mind the importance of this program for certain regions of the country? This program is not a luxury for our students.

If we want our students to remain, to the extent possible, in our province, in places such as Rimouski, where there is a university, to have summer jobs in our companies, to launch their careers and contribute to our economy, our social and cultural life — and the same goes for all the other regions —, then the funding for this important program should not be reduced.

I will be making political representations later on, but I would like to know, for the time being, if your department has taken into account the fact that this 55 million dollar cut will bring about certain disparities.

[Janice Charette]

The minister has indicated that the program will be targeted more towards students in rural regions who have difficulty finding jobs, as well as to those regions with a higher unemployment rate...

[Louise Thibault, Bloc, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Fine.

[Janice Charette]

... or students who really have difficulty finding jobs.

[Louise Thibault, Bloc, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Thank you.

I now turn to Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

In the document that you provided to us, we see that the Adult Learning, Literacy and Essential Skills Program will be reduced by 17 million dollars. You say here: “Better targeted“. I would like to know more about these investments, but I imagine that you are talking here of the 55 million dollar envelope.

I am allergic to certain terms, but I must read what my eyes see: “Refocussing of the Workplace Skills Strategy“. 17 million dollars are being cut from this program.

Mr. Moloney tells us that the program officers in Treasury Board did an evaluation; you did one also. We will come back to the guidelines later.

What tools did you use and who did you consult in determining reductions of this magnitude? I am talking here of the 17.7 and 17.6 million dollar amounts, for a total of 35 million dollars. Literacy is very important for adults. We are well aware of the problems that exist in Canada. How did you go about assessing the situation with the various stakeholders and determining that we either were not getting enough for our money, or that there was a need, to borrow from government jargon, to realize efficiency gains?

I would like to know more about the way in which you carried out this study that led the department to make these cuts.

[Janice Charette]

I will attempt to answer your questions, but I may call upon my colleague to add a few comments at the end.

The Adult Learning, Literacy and Essential Skills Program will be cut by 5.8 million dollars in 2006-07, and by 11.9 million the following year. The funding of this program for the next two years is of more than 41 million dollars.

You asked me to outline the tools that we used.

[Louise Thibault, Bloc, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

It remains that you cut 17 million dollars from this program, Madam Charette, is that not so?

[Janice Charette]

There are still 80 million dollars left.

[Louise Thibault, Bloc, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

There are 81 million dollars left.

[Janice Charette]

My apologies, 81 million dollars.

[Louise Thibault, Bloc, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Fine. There are 81 million dollars left, but had you not cut the 17 million dollars, the funding would be at 98 million dollars, would it not?

[Janice Charette]

Yes.

[Louise Thibault, Bloc, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Very well.

What tools did you use to determine these cuts?

[Janice Charette]

We looked at past assessments of the three former programs — the National Literacy Program, the Technical Learning Program and the Learning Initiatives Program —, that were consolidated to create the new Adult Learning, Literacy and Essential Skills Program. Is that it?

[Louise Thibault, Bloc, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

That is correct.

[Janice Charette]

Thank you.

Our Report on Plans and Priorities mentions the three programs that were consolidated to create the new one. The assessments related to the three former programs.

These assessments revealed, for example, that the National Literacy Program should have included more concrete performance indicators, because it was difficult to determine the impact of the investment made on the rate of participation of Canadian adults. This indicator should therefore be improved so as to better measure the impact of programs and ensure that our investment bears fruit...

My apologies, but I will say this in English.