Thank you. It is a very challenging question from the member, Mr. Chair.
First, if I may just quibble a bit, I don't think I said that the Canadian economy is at full capacity or is going gangbusters. The message I meant to relay is that, compared to many other industrialized countries, the Canadian economy and the labour market in particular are performing very well. Looking backwards over a long series of years, the Canadian economy and the labour market have never performed better.
This is not to say that we do not have problems, serious challenges for individuals, for communities, for regions. And indeed, we would not be coming with information on some of these challenges of adjustment, seasonal work, and older workers if we didn't think there were serious policy challenges withstanding.
I do agree as well with the minister, of course, that if there were simply no problems, then perhaps the department could shut its doors and there would be little need for much of our programming. Our programming obviously exists, along with provincial programming, to support individuals through these transitions, whether it's access to post-secondary education, whether it's training opportunities, or whether it's income support for people who lose their employment through no fault of their own.
Poverty is a very large subject. There is a tendency in many countries where disparities in market income have been widening. Canada is not alone. This really attaches great importance to the social safety net, not only to programs like employment assistance, but also to provincial social assistance regimes. So when you make reference to food banks and the like, you really have to look, I think, at the workings of employment insurance, social assistance, as well as the influence of the tax system there.
Obviously we have concerns about people who lose their jobs. That's the very raison d'être for employment insurance and for employment measures themselves, the part II programs, where funds are revealed to be available and either we co-manage them with provinces or, in many instances, provinces deliver those services as well.
I would just point out in closing that the tax system is not unimportant here. While I'm not an authority, in terms of some of these individuals and the hardships you refer to there are a couple of features of the last budget. Both the employment tax credit, which supports employment, and the working income tax benefit set out...there's a proposal that can be an additional inducement to support people in making the transition into the labour market.