Evidence of meeting #3 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 40th Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was budget.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Josée Beaudin Bloc Saint-Lambert, QC
Once the budget is passed, would a person on his 30th week of benefits be entitled to the five additional weeks?
Conservative
Diane Finley Conservative Haldimand—Norfolk, ON
If that person lives in a region where that applies, the answer is yes.
Conservative
Diane Finley Conservative Haldimand—Norfolk, ON
There is a maximum of 50 weeks. In the case of a pilot project where the maximum is nearly reached, then no, there wouldn't be—
Bloc
Josée Beaudin Bloc Saint-Lambert, QC
I understand.
Let's talk about homelessness. Vote 5b concerns supplementary funding of $27.3 million for the Homelessness Partnering Strategy. This funding is intended for shelters, halfway houses, supervised housing and support services.
Why is the government allocating housing spending through Human Resources and Skills Development Canada rather than the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation?
Conservative
Diane Finley Conservative Haldimand—Norfolk, ON
That's part of a series of programs. We want to prevent homelessness; that's the first thing. We have to offer affordable housing, and that's why we are investing so much money in this area. It must be acknowledged that we spend a lot of money to fight homelessness every year. Last fall, in September, we promised $1.9 billion more to combat homelessness and support affordable housing. A lot of money is invested. CMHC's role is more financial. That's why this comes under the department.
Bloc
Josée Beaudin Bloc Saint-Lambert, QC
As you'll see, there's logic in my thinking. Homelessness and housing are an enormous concern for me. So I have a final question on housing. Let's talk about Vote 15b. Provision is also being made for $11 million in spending to increase the supply of affordable housing for low-income households. This is of interest to me because, in the budget to date, it was more a matter of renovating housing for seniors. When it comes to low-income households, that's a concern for me. I believe that this is action that can have a real effect, given the economic crisis that young families with children are experiencing.
We're talking about the Affordable Housing Initiative. How many units are planned for construction next year?
Conservative
Diane Finley Conservative Haldimand—Norfolk, ON
There is funding for construction, but also for renovation, because 10,000 housing units need to be renovated, because they are not up to standard.
Bloc
Josée Beaudin Bloc Saint-Lambert, QC
I entirely agree with you about renovation; there's no problem there, but—
Bloc
Josée Beaudin Bloc Saint-Lambert, QC
—as regards the construction of housing for families, in particular those with young children, I see there is a credit—
Conservative
Diane Finley Conservative Haldimand—Norfolk, ON
—for persons with disabilities, aboriginal persons and seniors. Approximately 40,000 housing units will be built—
Bloc
Josée Beaudin Bloc Saint-Lambert, QC
—through the Affordable Housing Initiative. So 40,000 units could be built through this program.
Bloc
Conservative
Conservative
Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Minister, you've referred to this already in your opening remarks and also in response to Mr. Lessard. In regard to the initiative for older workers, all of us know, maybe through personal experience, that it becomes a little more difficult for older people to get back into the workforce when they get laid off. It's harder to learn new skills and harder to get back into the workforce if those jobs or careers no longer exist. You've said a number of times in the House that you have real confidence that older workers can learn the new skills it takes to re-enter the workforce, and that we shouldn't write them off or send them out to pasture and off into the sunset.
People have said that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but I don't think that refrain is valid any more. At 50-plus myself, I know we can teach an old dog new tricks. It takes longer sometimes, and you may have to go a little slower and use a bit more repetition. I find this with myself, though I don't know about others. Learning French, for example, takes more repetition and you have to go slower at it. I can pick up these new skills. I've been a member of Parliament now for 12 years, but I won't be one forever. At some point down the road I will have to pick up new skills. I have confidence that I can do it.
I have a lot of older workers in my constituency of Saskatoon—Wanuskewin. What does the training program look like in the targeted initiative for older workers? Can you explain the program, what it looks like in terms of their getting back into the workforce? How would older workers get into the program and back into the workforce?
Conservative
Diane Finley Conservative Haldimand—Norfolk, ON
We actually have four different programs that play to those people who have long-tenured employment, who are perhaps in a town where there's heavy reliance on a single industry or a single employer. Outside of HRSDC, there's our $1 billion community adjustment fund, which is to help the community diversify. But that can be coupled with the targeted initiative for older workers, which is designed to help the very people you're talking about get the new skills they may need.
As well, we have special targeted support, as you mentioned, for what we call long-tenured workers, people who may have graduated from high school at, say, 19, and have worked in one industry, with one employer, for the last 20 years. They may not have developed a lot of skills that are portable, and their jobs may be gone forever. Through that particular program, we're extending their EI benefits for up to two years if they go into training. We'd also want to make it possible, if they used their severance to pay for their own training, let's say at college, for their benefits to continue. That severance would not be used against their EI.
We believe that if we work with the municipalities, if we work with industry, we can help whole communities adjust.
You bring up the point about members of Parliament. A lot of us come to this royal House after the age of 50. Some have even become leaders of their party after the age of 50. So to say that people over 50 aren't capable of learning is very unfortunate, I think, and is an insult to anybody over 50. I personally have great faith in these people.
And yes, it has been said that there should be some changes to EI. It was brought up earlier that we haven't seen major reform with this budget. I did discuss that with Premier McGuinty. He has been a big advocate for major change. But perhaps I can share with you what he said when he was asked about a macro rehaul or retrofit of the EI system--that we don't have time to do that, so let's just make some temporary changes that stand to benefit folks who have lost their jobs, especially in Ontario.
And I agree with him on that. What we need to do is pass this budget. There are a lot of good things to help the unemployed, to prevent unemployment, to help people get going--I'm referring here to the extension of the work sharing program--and to help get people into jobs so that they won't be unemployed in the future. This is to help them and this is to help their families. I have great faith in these people, and I would really like your support to get this budget passed quickly so that we can deliver these benefits to those who really need it.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
Thank you.
I have just a quick question, Minister. I realize you have your officials here.
The Canadian Council on Learning is an organization whose mandate is up this year. Do you know if that has been extended or will be extended? Or do you know its status right now?
Conservative
Diane Finley Conservative Haldimand—Norfolk, ON
The funding for that has been extended to the end of next year. There will be discussions about the future.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
Excellent. Thank you very much.
Once again, I want to thank the minister and the department for being here. We do have to have some votes here on the estimates....
Go ahead, Mr. Martin.
NDP
Tony Martin NDP Sault Ste. Marie, ON
On a point of order, Mr. Chair, many of us have further questions for the minister and the department on some of these very important issues.
Could we forward those questions to you, Minister?