But that's a dubious benefit. If somebody tells me that I'm going to stop getting paid but I can spend what I got last year, that's not particularly helpful. I know from talking to people like Marie Battiste, who does work with the aboriginal knowledge centres, that they're very anxious, as I know some members of the government side are, to see that we extend that funding, because the work you do is very important.
To ACCC, the community colleges, it's great work that you guys are doing. I really appreciate your coming here today on the issue of poverty. I know a lot of people involved in the community college network, as we all do. Ray Ivani is a friend of mine. Mark Frison runs a community college in Ed's province. Also, in Nova Scotia, we have one of the most impressive leaders in post-secondary education in Canada in Joan McArthur-Blair, who heads up our community college network.
I want to talk to you about that. I've talked to her a number of times as we've been dealing with this sort of recession in terms of ideas that ACCC has put forward. This is what she has said, very forcefully. She says that we're in a recession and we have to provide opportunities for Canadians right now so they can work, but we also need to train them for the future. For example, in Nova Scotia, if we decide that the infrastructure spending, the stimulus spending, is to build a new convention centre, which is one of the possibilities, in Nova Scotia we'd really be moving our skilled workers from one job into another job, as opposed to creating new opportunities for people.
In essence, here's what I think she's saying. Why can't we use this as an opportunity both to train and to educate, but also pay people right now? That can be done through the community colleges because of the nimbleness of the community college network.
Do you have any thoughts on that?