Thank you, Madam Chair.
My colleague basically said what I wanted to reiterate. Nevertheless, I would once again point out that this has been the situation in Quebec and elsewhere since 2006. When you consider that the average minimum wage used to be $7.50 and is now $9.36, a quick calculation is all you need to figure out that the number of jobs available through the program this year will likely drop and that the length of each student's employment will also be shorter. Students do not know what to do once their employment comes to an end.
A new reality has emerged, and we are going to have to address it in the next few years. I am already seeing it in my riding, and perhaps you are as well. What about all those students who are above the age of 30 and therefore too old to participate in the program? There are 35 year olds. In my riding, some of these people are women who have gone back to school. They have raised families and now want to re-enter the workforce. These summer jobs are not accessible to them, even if they are full-time students. This is a new reality that we will have to address.
When I worked for an agency, I submitted applications to offer employment under the Canada Summer Jobs program. For years, many organizations have seen their applications denied. Some community agencies need students to work during the summer. They may need four employees, but they get approval for just one. These organizations are already making the most of the limited resources they have to begin with. The program could create a lot more jobs if the budget were adjusted to reflect the increase in minimum wage and in the cost of living. Minimum wage has gone up in every single province. So I would think this has been happening everywhere, especially in the regions, where municipalities are often the ones applying for student workers. The program gives students valuable work experience. If we indeed want to continue encouraging youth employment and economic development in the regions, then I think we must support an increase in the budget.