Thank you.
I'd like to introduce my colleague Leigh Sherry. Both of us are here from the Sustained Poverty Reduction Initiative of the United Way of Calgary and area. This initiative consists of men and women from the business community, as well as experts in economic and social well-being. Our aim is to reduce poverty by promoting progressive policies and heightening public awareness.
This morning you had a presentation from some of our colleagues in the community. VCC is one of the groups we interface with.
I think each of you is very aware of the economic situation in Calgary and might have anticipated that Calgarians would say to you that the way to deal with the employability issues in Canada is to find a natural, non-renewable resource and use it to your advantage. But having the economic wealth that Calgary and Alberta are experiencing right now comes with its downsides, and I think my colleagues on this panel have spoken to some of those issues.
We are aware that just because the economy is doing well doesn't mean that everyone in the economy benefits from it equally. It has been our experience that with increasing economic activity you have increasing social issues. Mr. Martin spoke to some of those this morning.
We know that in Calgary our homeless count has increased by 33% in two years. We have looked at the statistics across Alberta. There is a general trend of increasing homelessness.
This morning you touched on the issue of affordable housing. I don't think we can speak about employability and trying to address it as a national issue unless we think creatively about affordable housing.
I'd like to suggest four recommendations for your consideration, based on the work we have been looking at. These four include the implementation of a working tax credit, the modification of the employment insurance program to include non-standard employees, the implementation of a quality child care system, and increased funding for aboriginal post-secondary educational strategies.
On the first recommendation, the working tax credit, according to recent research most poor people in Canada have jobs, they pay taxes, and they get little assistance from the government, which I think is inconsistent with the common belief in our communities that most poor people are unemployed. The fact is that they are working and paying taxes.
They primarily work in the retail, hospitality, and manufacturing industries. They work in jobs that are precarious in that they pay low wages without benefits or pensions, they're non-unionized, and they provide little chance of advancement or training. They are jobs that are typically filled by women, aboriginal Canadians, visible minorities, and recent immigrants. But they are jobs that are critical to the functioning of other workers and the general functioning of the economy. Any storekeeper, warehouse owner, or small business owner in Calgary can attest to the difficulty they are facing in recruiting and maintaining these employees, as attested to you by some of the people on this panel. The men and women who work in these positions can also share with you the difficulties they face in living in Calgary.
We believe that the federal government should establish a working tax credit, or work with the provinces to implement a wage supplement to assist low-wage workers, similar to what is taking place in Quebec and Saskatchewan.
Our second recommendation is that the employment insurance needs to be revamped to include non-standard employees and all part-time workers. There is a decrease in the number of people eligible for employment insurance, and an increase in the number of Canadians employed in non-standard employment. Employment insurance does not cover 60% of all Canadians. Employment insurance is an important mechanism for maintaining people in the workforce. Without it, we risk the chance of their exiting completely from the workforce. We strongly recommend that you consider revamping the EI policy.
Our third recommendation is the implementation of a quality child care system. We know child care services support the employability of parents, particularly women. Women are now the majority in virtually all university programs. Without adequate child care services, we will have decreased labour force attachment among mothers, and that will continue to contribute to skilled labour shortages. We acknowledge the new choice in child care allowances, and we recommend the development of a publicly funded child care system and the immediate action of the federal government on a commitment to create new child care spaces.
Finally, we recommend that the federal government commit to maintaining and increasing financial contributions for post-secondary education and training for aboriginal people, so that they can receive full support in pursuit of their education.
I would like to thank you for this opportunity to speak to you about these important issues. I look forward to your questions.