Mr. Chairman, we have an obligation to provide the best possible jobs for students, and simply rhyming off the names of different groups that didn't receive funding isn't very instructive. We could go back to years past and do exactly the same thing under the previous government.

What's important is what jobs are being offered, what barriers there are for students in those areas, and what the unemployment rate is in those areas relative to other parts of the province. The member has not provided any of that.

Mr. Chairman, my job is to make sure that these students are prepared to tackle the world. That means that this program has to give them the tools to do the job, not just to pour coffee, with great respect to my colleague, but it's to find the best possible jobs for them so they can succeed.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Michael Savage Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

You cut the program.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Ms. Dhalla, you have two and a half minutes.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Ruby Dhalla Liberal Brampton—Springdale, ON

The bottom line, Minister, with all due respect, is that students are simply out of jobs, and the program has been cut.

I just wanted to address, before I ask my question.... The member opposite, Ms. Yelich, had stated that I was going on about child care spaces. The reason I continue to ask about child care spaces is because it's an important issue to so many Canadian parents and families.

Minister Solberg, when I asked you how many spaces were created, I appreciated your answer, but you weren't able to give me an exact number. You were able to provide me with projections. But way back in 2005 and 2006 you also projected that you would create 125,000 spaces, and a year and a half later the number is still zero.

I'm going to go on to Minister Blackburn for a second, because I know that the chair is going to cut me off. I'm sure the minister is eager to tell this committee a bit about his expenses. I don't think we've had an opportunity to address that today.

Minister Blackburn, I want to bring up a quote that was stated by your House leader, Mr. Van Loan, when he stated, and I quote, "The fact is, the expenses of the Conservative labour minister”—

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

I'm going to rule that question out of order. We're here to talk about the estimates.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Ruby Dhalla Liberal Brampton—Springdale, ON

I was actually going to ask him about the estimates, because I think the government has spoken about accountability and transparency, and many Canadians want to know the answer in regard to accountability and transparency with regard to the minister's expenses.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Once again, I'm going to rule that out of order.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Ruby Dhalla Liberal Brampton—Springdale, ON

I'll be more than happy to ask questions on child care, then, Mr. Chairman.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Okay, there you go. Thank you.

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Ruby Dhalla Liberal Brampton—Springdale, ON

Can we have a vote to overrule the chair?

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Actually, that's five minutes. Your time is up. We're going to move on to the next person.

This is the last round of five minutes.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

Lynne Yelich Conservative Blackstrap, SK

I just want to make a comment, because there are some good things happening. I know that in Saskatoon, for example—this is to Minister Solberg—there is a pilot project that SIAST is doing, taking it abroad, to recognize foreign credentials. I think that's excellent. The e-learning that was just launched here in Ottawa is great. You're doing lots for skills and training.

Mr. Merasty mentioned his people. He serves the northern part of Saskatchewan, and mining is really important. I know that in Canada, mining is a $39.7 billion industry. So what are you doing to attract and retain workers in the mining industry? Because for sure, this would address Mr. Merasty's concerns about some of the north.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

Monte Solberg Conservative Medicine Hat, AB

First of all, going back to the aboriginal skills and employment partnership, that program is actually used quite heavily by the mining sector. I can think of what's going on at Voisey's Bay, where the aboriginal community makes up 50% of the workforce, and I'm encouraged.

There was a great story in The Globe and Mail in the fall regarding the rising number of aboriginals in the workforce today. And the aboriginal skills and employment program, although it is expensive in a sense—it costs about $10,000 a person to run training for that person—has tremendous results. So I'm pretty darned encouraged by that.

I think the fact that we have hot labour markets allows us to begin to resolve some of the long-standing social problems we've had in this country and to at least make progress on them with respect to people who have not been attached to the workforce in the past--people who are disabled, people who are already working, in some cases, but don't have the skills to advance.

These new labour market agreements we've put in place—the aboriginal skills and employment program that we've doubled the funding for and a number of other initiatives we're taking, including changes to labour market development agreements and this kind of thing—all give us the ability to tap that hot labour market and make sure that people who've never really been involved and engaged in getting the help they need can finally get that help.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

Lynne Yelich Conservative Blackstrap, SK

Thank you.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Mr. Brown, you have about two minutes and 45 seconds.

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

Patrick Brown Conservative Barrie, ON

Thank you, Mr. Allison.

I have two quick questions for Minister Solberg. First, I understand there's been an increase of 40% in post-secondary education transfers under the CST. Maybe you could touch a little on that recognition of the importance of education.

Second, I've heard some talk about the summer jobs program. Are any taxpayers complaining that Service Canada isn't subsidizing large corporations? I was at the Service Canada branch in Barrie on the weekend, and I didn't see people up in arms because we weren't subsidizing Bacardi, in my colleague's riding, or Safeway, Ford, or Wal-Mart, as was the Liberal way in previous years when we put hard-earned taxpayer dollars into subsidizing corporations.

Have any of those corporations gone under? Are taxpayers complaining about this? Am I missing something that you can maybe share with us?

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

Monte Solberg Conservative Medicine Hat, AB

First of all, Wal-Mart is safe. I think they'll be fine without the money they got from the government in the past. We think it's important that this money be spent as effectively as possible, and that means two things. First, you do not subsidize companies that would hire people in any event. We did our own survey and found that three out of four private sector employers said they would hire people for the summer anyway. Second, obviously big companies like that just don't need the help.

On your other point, about universities, I was pleasantly surprised to see student groups coming out in support of our 40% increase in transfers to the provinces for post-secondary education. The president of the Association of Universities and Colleges, Claire Morris, actually thanked us for taking the important step to earmark that $800-million increase, 40% increase, in the Canada social transfer. It will allow them to keep better account of how that money is spent.

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

Patrick Brown Conservative Barrie, ON

Could you also expand on the registered education savings plan? I think that was another exciting aspect of the recent budget.

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

Monte Solberg Conservative Medicine Hat, AB

We made changes to the registered education savings plan so it could be used more easily for people who were going back to school after a number of years, for instance. We also raised the limit that people can put into it and that we, the government, contribute. The idea is that as the labour market ages people will increasingly have to go back to school--particularly community colleges--to get upgrading. Having access to the RESP will allow them to do that more easily.

May 15th, 2007 / 5:10 p.m.

Conservative

Patrick Brown Conservative Barrie, ON

Thank you.

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

That's all the time we have.

I want to thank the ministers and the department heads for being here to answer questions today.

We're going to take a few minutes to move to committee business.

Thank you once again for being here.

5:10 p.m.

Liberal

Michael Savage Liberal Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS

Chair, on a point of order, the agenda indicates that we're going to be hearing from the ministers until 5:30. Is that not what was agreed?

5:10 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

No. We have committee business. We always leave half an hour for committee business. We've gone over that time, so we have 15 minutes left to deal with that issue.

Thank you once again for being here.