Evidence of meeting #74 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 chairman.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Ruby Dhalla Liberal Brampton—Springdale, ON
They have not seen the delivery. The fact of the matter is that parents need to know the truth, because they are feeling the results.
Conservative
Liberal
Ruby Dhalla Liberal Brampton—Springdale, ON
I'm asking you about child care spaces, Minister. There hasn't been a single space created.
Conservative
Monte Solberg Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
Your leader said he would cut support for parents to provide child care.
Liberal
Conservative
Monte Solberg Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
We should make sure that we tell not just one side of the story. Parents play a very important role in this. We need to recognize that this government has stepped up to the plate and provided them with support. Your leader has said he would withdraw that support.
Liberal
Conservative
Liberal
Ruby Dhalla Liberal Brampton—Springdale, ON
No. You gave me some dollar figures, and some political rhetoric and projections, but—
Conservative
Liberal
Ruby Dhalla Liberal Brampton—Springdale, ON
—we want to know an exact answer, because I'm asking on behalf of those Canadian families that are struggling.
Conservative
Monte Solberg Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
In the wake of our announcement with regard to funding the provinces to create child care spaces, many provinces did make specific announcements. Saskatchewan, for instance, has a waiting list of 1,500. They said they would create 500 spaces. Ontario reaffirmed their commitment to create 15,000 spaces. Other provinces made other commitments.
Conservative
Liberal
Michael Savage Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
Thank you.
Minister Solberg, how much was the summer career placement program cut this year?
Conservative
Monte Solberg Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
The summer career placement program no longer exists. We have a new program called Canada summer jobs. It has a budget of $86 million. The previous program had a budget of $97 million, and the funding for the not-for-profit sector was retained exactly at $77.3 million.
Liberal
Michael Savage Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
So if the funding for the not-for-profit sector was retained, why in my riding have the Canadian Diabetes Society, the Canadian Celiac Association, the Edward's House for at-risk boys and girls, the Self-Help Connection for mental health, the Dartmouth North Community Centre, the Elizabeth Fry Society, the new Alderney Landing arts groups, and the Downtown Business Commission—all not-for-profits—consistently received grants over the last number of years, but not this year?
Conservative
Monte Solberg Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
That's a great question, and I appreciate the concern.
Remember that the Canada summer jobs program is part of the youth employment strategy. The purpose of these programs is to create opportunities for youth, so that they can go on and be successful in their careers. The focus of this program is to give students the best possible job experience they can get.
Liberal
Michael Savage Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS
If it's for students, and you're right, why wasn't that other $11 million allocated to hire an equal number of students?
Before you answer the question, I want to let you know that the Autism Society of Nova Scotia has received grants in the last number of years. Last year it got 11 positions. This year we applied for 15 positions and they got none; they were shut out. One hundred and fifty children have been using this program for the summer months, and now that program is very likely not going to happen. They always got the grants; they didn't get one this year.
Was your program designed to exclude the Autism Society of Nova Scotia?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
Mr. Minister, I want to mention that we are out of time, but I'll let you finish the answer.
Conservative
Monte Solberg Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
Sure, and thank you very much.
First of all, under the old program, thousands of not-for-profits were turned down every year, because there are always more applications than funds to support them.
Let me give you an example. Under our program, the Autism Resource Centre in Moncton will be getting nine summer work experience students. The great thing about this is that they won't just be doing filing. They'll be working with the psychologists and occupational therapists to get real work experience to take into the workforce and help them with their study.
So the point of this is to make sure that they have those skills going forward, not necessarily to help members of Parliament, their ridings, or even, to be honest, not even necessarily to help individual not-for-profits do their work. As worthy as those not-for-profits are, this is about students. That's what this program is designed to do.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
I'll have to cut you off there, Mr. Savage. Maybe we can pick you up in the second or third round, if you negotiate with your colleagues.
Madame Lavallée, I've got you for seven minutes.