I would like to congratulate each of you for this presentation which has been very much to the point and suggested some avenues for action. Several members here, on this side of the House and especially those of my party, have met with people outside of this Committee. I am sure you are aware of this. The goal was to try to find not one — since there is no single solution to this problem — but a number of practical solutions to the tangible issues that you brought up.
I'd like to refer specifically to the Canada social transfer. One of the big problems with it--and I come from Quebec--is that in the relationship between the provinces and territories and the federal government, once the provinces or territories get the money, they pretty well spend the money as they wish. There is no reddition de compte. There's no accountability to the federal government. They can just say that they've spent the money in that general area, but they do not have to say in what area, specifically, they have spent the money. This is a big problem, generally, and I think it's an even bigger problem in terms of poverty and in terms of all the different factors you have mentioned here this morning.
My first question is whether you have changes to suggest, if that could ever come about, to the Canada social transfer in terms of the relationship and in terms of accountability to the federal government, which holds the purse. How can we make sure that this money is spent in these specific envelopes, so to speak, rather than in the general one?
I'd like to make a comment before I hear your answers. I particularly appreciate Madam Torjman's suggestion about social policy structure. One of the things that struck us about the Conservative government's budget, Bill C-10, was the fact that as regards infrastructure--the money is welcome, of course--that infrastructure money really addresses men in the workplace, mostly. Women in the workplace don't seem to be addressed in Bill C-10. Your suggestion, Madam Torjman, and the others as well, is where I could see women in the workplace receiving money through this particular budget. So thank you very much for that suggestion. I wanted to make that remark, because that is something that, to some of us here, is very important.
My question is this. With respect to the Canada social transfer, what do you suggest be done to make it more responsive to the situation of poverty in Canada? I address that to anyone who wishes to answer.