Evidence of meeting #63 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was employability.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Thank you so much.
It seems to me, first of all, that unless Mr. Lake is going to ask the same question of every witness who comes before us, which I think would be atrocious—whether it's one or all, it's still atrocious and inappropriate—I don't understand why he would ask it of one in particular. Most of all, it's an inappropriate question for him to ask.
I don't think he's going to tell us what he has made throughout his life in every job he has had, and we don't expect him to tell us that. If he wants to, that's up to him, but I don't think it's appropriate.
Conservative
Mike Lake Conservative Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB
I'm speaking to the point of order, so I assume my time is not running.
Of course, any job I've had that has been funded by public taxpayer dollars is on the record in terms of the salary I've had.
My question is being asked on behalf of the 90% of parents who, a Vanier Institute study shows, prefer to care for their children or have a family member care for their children. It's their tax dollars that are paying for her salary—$2.2 million toward her organization over the 13 years that the Liberals were in government—and I'm asking that question on behalf of them.
Liberal
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
On a point of order, Mr. Chairman, first of all, over the past year and month or so, it has been a Conservative government in office. Before that, for 12 years and two months...in fact, you'll recall that last November was, in fact, the thirteenth anniversary of the election of the Liberal government. So when the Conservatives had been in power for ten months by then, I don't see what kind of new arithmetic Mr. Lake is engaging in when he concludes that it was 13 years, when in fact it was 12 years and two months. Twelve years and two months is far shy of 13 years. We don't say a child who is 12 years and two months old is 13.
I think we understand that this is nonsense, Mr. Chair.
NDP
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
I'm going to stop the points of order. We're going to get back to your line of questioning.
Ms. Lysack, feel free to answer the questions you want to answer.
We're going to go back to Mr. Lake and we're going to start the time where we left off.
Welcome back, Mr. Regan.
Conservative
Bloc
Yves Lessard Bloc Chambly—Borduas, QC
Point of order, Mr. Chairman.
I do not think this type of question should be allowed. If someone wants to make accusations relating to inappropriate or doubtful use of public funds, it should be done before the Standing Public Accounts Committee, not here.
Our role here is to look at employability and access to jobs. It is also to see if anything can be done to help employers who want to hire new people and to support those who want to provide the best working conditions possible to their workers.
Our job is also to look at the situation of some specific groups of our society such as persons with disabilities, immigrants and native people. We want to see how we can help them to have access to jobs, not through charity but through the appropriate use of their skills. That is the topic of discussion today.
If we want to look into the financial matters of those witnesses who are kind enough to appear before us and to look for weaknesses relating to them, I will not agree at all, Mr. Chairman. Therefore, I want you to accept my point of order and to reject this type of question.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
So it's okay if the opposition asks political questions, just not the government. Okay, I have that clear.
Let's move forward here.
Executive Director, Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada
I am ready to respond.
First, let me say that I think it's very telling when members of a committee ask questions that are deflecting from the real issues, and so--
Executive Director, Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada
I'm happy to answer the question, and that is exactly what I'm doing. When we talk about salaries and funding and so on, we're not really getting at the real issue here, and that is that eight out of ten Canadian children don't have access to quality child care.
Just to clarify the mandate of our organization--
Executive Director, Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada
You asked the question.
Conservative
Mike Lake Conservative Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB
That's not the question that I asked. I asked what your salary was, and if you don't want to answer, just say no. That's okay.
Executive Director, Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada
And you also asked about--
Conservative
Mike Lake Conservative Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB
I have a certain limited amount of time, and you've had seven minutes to speak already, so now I have specific questions I want to ask.
Executive Director, Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada
You did raise the question about the funding for the organization. Would you like me to comment on that?
Conservative
Mike Lake Conservative Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB
Actually, I asked what your salary was. That is the question I asked.
Executive Director, Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada
You prefaced that with a discussion of how much funding our organization has received, and I think there's some clarification required. If you're nervous about hearing the truth, I cannot speak...but I think other members in the room are entitled.
Conservative
Executive Director, Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada
Our organization does not receive one cent of core funding. I'm not sure about many, many years ago. I've been involved with the organization for not quite three years. In that time we have actually had three projects, not two, and these are all on a fee-for-service basis.
Much of the voluntary sector takes on work that I think government actually should be doing. A major project that we're funded for, which receives, I think, about $600,000, is to monitor whether or not government investments in child care are actually being spent on child care.
So this is a role of the federal government, whether it be a Conservative, Liberal, or any other form of government. So I'll leave it at that.
