Human Resources Committee on March 15th, 2010

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Okay.

The second tranche of $45 million...even though it hasn't been expended, that is still part of the first $45 million. It just hasn't been, as an official referred to it last year, “re-profiled” and added to make up $45 million. It's a new $45 million.

And will the qualification for that...? I realize the minister hasn't announced the details yet, but there was an awful lot of criticism last time that you had a $45 million fund, of which $30 million went to two projects and $15 million went to everybody else in the country who didn't happen to live in those two Conservative ridings.

Is there going to be a review of how that is done? Do you know what the details are going to be for the new fund?

[Liseanne Forand]

Madam Chair, we don't know yet the exact details for that fund, but we are looking at ways.... And we will be providing options to the government for the terms of that program to make sure it can meet as much of the demand as possible.

One thing is clear from the Minister of Finance's statement in the budget; there will be a new category of projects that will be included in the enabling accessibility fund for medium-sized projects. In the earlier iteration of the program there was a tremendous demand for the smaller projects and a certain amount of demand for the large projects as well, but there was no provision for medium-sized projects, which will be part of the new program. However, we still have to work out the details of the terms of the program.

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Thank you.

Were you involved in the recommendation for the first fund? Were you in the department back then, in terms of making recommendations to the minister on how the first $45 million should be spent?

[Liseanne Forand]

Madam Chair, I've only been in the department since October 2009.

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Okay.

When the Speech from the Throne was read, there was a passage that gave me a little hope. I'm not a big fan of the UCCB, the universal child care benefit. I think everybody can use the money. We wouldn't propose to get rid of it. But $100 a month.... It isn't indexed, correct? It's still $100 a month?

[Liseanne Forand]

That's right.

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

It doesn't really provide much child care. But when I read it in the Speech from the Throne, or when it was read to me, they indicated they were going to enhance that, particularly for single parents. The next day in the budget, it turns out that enhancement, if I understand it, fully implemented is going to be a total cost of $5 million a year.

[Liseanne Forand]

Madam Chair, there were in fact two changes to the UCCB in the budget. One was the tax treatment for single parents, and that was the tax treatment piece. There was also another enhancement that was provided this year, which has to do with allowing parents who have joint custody of their children to share the amount of the UCCB within the same month, so in a timely fashion. Rather than having to elaborate some sort of formula whereby one parent would get it for six months and the other parent would get it for the other six months, it will now be possible for parents to actually share the amount for their children. Those were the two enhancements.

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Is the total cost for the whole program $5 million a year?

[The Chair, Conservative, Candice Bergen]

Mr. Savage, sorry, your time is up. Thank you very much.

We'll go to Mr. Cannan.

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you to our witnesses, some returning and some here for the first time. Welcome. It's good to have you.

I and my colleagues around the table are going through some challenging times in our communities, from recession to recovery, and the work-sharing was welcome news, as well as the aspect of the housing strategy.

Coming from British Columbia, in the Okanagan, I know we work closely with B.C. Housing and it has been very successful. I think Minister Finley alluded to over 80,000 units having been built in B.C. in the last few years. So we continue to work on that.

In terms of mandate, as you know, each province sets the priorities. British Columbia is focusing on children, persons with disabilities, and seniors. We have some very successful projects that have been announced, and we continue to look forward to the rollout into 2010 and 2011.

On the question about children, as a grandfather now of a three-year-old, I know the importance of child care and the ability to provide options. I know it's a provincial responsibility to provide child care spaces, but the $100 a month is definitely welcome news, specifically, as you said, with single parents.

It was brought to my attention, actually by a reporter who has joint custody, that our new legislation was welcome. I just want to elaborate on Mr. Savage's point as far as the importance and the amount being committed to universal child care benefits is concerned. What is the dollar value, and what percentage of families with children under the age of six receive cheques every month under this program?

[Liseanne Forand]

The current amount expended in terms of the universal child care benefit is $2.6 billion. Approximately 99% of eligible families receive the UCCB. As my colleague Mr. Saucier mentioned earlier, that amount actually went up this year, because, of course, we're tracking population numbers. So the increase you see in the UCCB for this year's main estimates is due to an increased number in the population.

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Sorry. How much did it go up?

[Liseanne Forand]

Fifty million dollars.

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

About how many children are benefiting from that?

[Liseanne Forand]

I'm not fast enough with my zeros, I'm afraid, to do the math, but we'll get that number for you.

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

I think it's around two million, but I just wanted to clarify that.

The other question is on the other end of the spectrum. Seniors are vital. They built our country. In our great Okanagan Valley, we had the highest percentage of seniors per population in the last census, in 2006. So the GIS exemption from $500 to $3,500 and the pension splitting was welcome news.

I just want to know how the investments in the OAS and GIS in the coming year compare to previous years.

[Liseanne Forand]

Given the demographics in Canada and the aging of the population, we predict the number of eligible recipients of OAS to be increasing, for example, between this year and next year, by about 3%. So this is a process and a trend that has been ramping up.

Right now, we have about four million seniors in Canada who are eligible for old age security. As well, we have about three million Canadians who are eligible for CPP retirement benefits. Between those two programs, the Government of Canada provides $62 billion in benefits on an annual basis, and we expect that amount to increase.

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

In terms of aging demographics, that's definitely the trend.

Lastly, my colleague Mr. Vellacott had touched on the importance of mental health, and I know Prime Minister Harper introduced the Mental Health Commission. Working with our committee and the poverty task force, we're looking at the importance of investment in mental health and the challenges in the community.

I'm looking at the appropriation. Is there some additional funding to deal with the Mental Health Commission?

[Karen Jackson]

HRSDC does not have a relationship with the Mental Health Commission. I would suspect that you would find that relationship with the Department of Health, Health Canada.

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

It says, “Funding for mental health and emotional support”—

[The Chair, Conservative, Candice Bergen]

Mr. Cannan, thank you very much.

Mr. Martin.

[Tony Martin, NDP, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

Thank you.

I want to get back to the housing question. I know Mr. Cannan mentioned that.

How many units were built in B.C.--was it 20,000?

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

She didn't give me the exact figure.

[Tony Martin, NDP, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

That's my question. Could you tell me where across the country and how many units were built last year and what the projection will be for the coming year?