Human Resources Committee on Oct. 19th, 2006

[Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Conservative, Jonquière—Alma, QC]

And that is an important point.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

That's all the time we have. That may be a question for Minister Finley.

[Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Conservative, Jonquière—Alma, QC]

So, you are saying something that is not true.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

That's all the time we have.

Mr. Storseth.

[Brian Storseth, Conservative, Westlock—St. Paul, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I want to take the time to thank Minister Blackburn for coming out today to share with us his vision for his department and tell us about some of the strong work his department has been doing. Indeed, the opposition's reluctance to ask questions on some of the major undertakings in his department definitely shows the hard work and good work he is doing.

Minister, could you outline your efforts to promote safe and healthy workplaces from a national perspective? With a lot of the things you've been talking about today you've helped enlighten the opposition on a more national perspective on things. I wonder if you could approach this from more of a national perspective and tell us how you are working to build upon some of the safe practices with the stakeholders.

[Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Conservative, Jonquière—Alma, QC]

Before answering that question, I want to point out that the information presented by the member who questioned us earlier is not correct: there have been no cuts. I think it's important to point that out. The fact is that something didn't jibe with the information I had.

Furthermore, even though we're talking about healthy private sector workplaces, we also have to address this issue within the business environment and in our own personal life—in other words, at home. Last spring, all the provincial and territorial Ministers of Labour gathered in Whistler. We signed a joint agreement that talked about promoting healthy workplaces. Of course, that means avoiding workplace accidents. And I just want to remind you how important this is, because in fact, four people die every day in Canada as a result of accidents in the workplace. That's a lot of people. There are also a lot of people who injure themselves in the workplace.

Given that reality, we have mutually pledged, every time we have a chance to do so publicly, to address problem situations in the private sector that appear dangerous. We're not talking about just making observations and then going about our business; rather, we're talking about documenting the facts, standing back and taking the time to say that the situation is dangerous, and advising the individuals concerned, so that steps can be taken to avoid potential accidents, injuries or fatalities.

Similarly, Mr. Storseth, we must be aware of the dangers that can affect us in our own homes and everyday life. When we become aware of a dangerous situation, it is up to us, as individuals, to intervene and try to avoid this kind of situation. For example, often a member of the family will stand on a chair to change a light bulb. But we need to adopt safe practices; otherwise, we risk suffering serious consequences. We all do certain things mechanically. It's really just a matter of being aware of that. Once we have that awareness, we see things differently.

Now, every time I walk into a private business as the Minister of Labour, or the Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the regions of Quebec, I see things from a different perspective. I look at the workers and try to identify dangerous situations. I'm concerned about that. All the provincial Ministers of Labour and myself are trying to promote safe workplaces where safety is omnipresent. Every workplace fatality is a tragedy. Both co-workers and families are severely affected over the long term. And, of course, accident victims also suffer long-term consequences.

I have criss-crossed the country promoting racism-free workplaces. I have also talked about safe workplaces that are free of sexual or psychological harassment. We also have to promote what we call work-life balance. For example, if an employee's child is sick, someone obviously has to be at home. In such cases, the boss has to be conciliatory and promote quality of life. An employee who enjoys good quality of work life is more productive. And the employer benefits as well. It's the same thing when there are no workplace accidents. It's a win-win situation. Reconciling a healthy workplace and family life, while ensuring that employees are happy in their line of work, is a good way of doing business.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Thank you. That's all the time we have.

Minister, we want to thank you and your department very much for coming out today and answering our questions.

[Proceedings continue in camera]