Human Resources Committee on Nov. 29th, 2012

[Joe Daniel, Conservative, Don Valley East, ON]

Thank you, Minister.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Komarnicki]

Okay.

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brant, ON]

Ministers, thank you for being here as well.

I'm going to move very quickly here because I know the time is limited.

I'd like to pick up on the subject of giving Canadians work. I'm pleased to see that you've included in the estimates the Third Quarter project. This project, I believe, has great potential in connecting businesses with older, experienced workers in a very worthwhile initiative. As you know, in our ridings we're neighbours. We have a strong and experienced industrial work base and lots of people with lots of skills.

Can you provide the committee with your thoughts on this project moving forward?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

I'm really very excited about this project. It started out west, and we're getting really great results. That's why we were pleased to be able to help them by providing funding and expanding this program right across the country. In fact, we're putting in $6 million over the next three years.

People who get past 50 find it harder and harder to find work, partly because, in many cases, they haven't had to look for it in a long time. Facing some of the technology of today's job search can be a bit daunting. This program provides assistance with that. It's making sure, also, that employers are aware of the tremendous talent, skills, and resources that people over 50 can offer. Too often these people are written off because they're “too old”.

I've heard it said that today's 50 is the new 40. People are living longer. When they hit 50, they have a tremendous amount of experience to offer. This program matches these workers with employers who are finally recognizing the value that these people can offer. I think it's a great way to make sure that everyone's talents and skills get put to work productively. That's what we really need right now.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Komarnicki]

You have about 20 seconds.

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brant, ON]

I'll pass, because it's not enough time.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Komarnicki]

Okay.

We'll move to Ms. Boutin-Sweet.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Madam Minister, thank you for joining us today.

Supplementary estimates (B) contains a vote for $3.5 million in additional funding for the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, or HPS. The public accounts, however, show that $31 million in homelessness funding was not spent before it expired, in other words, 2011-12.

Yet, it is a fact that at least 300,000 people are homeless, and the situation is getting worse. That is all too clear in my riding of Hochelaga, where shelters are full, summer and winter. In addition, Montreal has RAPSIM, a support network for people who are homeless and alone. That city has the biggest homelessness support network. Nevertheless, the organization's funding was not renewed for the first time this year, despite all the recommendations of the Public Health Agency of Canada and the federal-provincial committee. It is the only agency in the country whose funding was not renewed, despite recommendations.

In light of such an acute need, why do the supplementary estimates call for just $3.5 million, instead of the full $31 million in the previous budget that lapsed? What's more, even that $31 million would not be enough to meet the need, especially since it was never indexed.

Why did you not sign off on RAPSIM's project?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

You asked a number of questions. I will try to answer each of them.

Fighting homelessness is very important to us. That is why we joined forces with the Department of Health to invest in a new program called At Home. Under that initiative, $100 million will be invested to determine whether a new system would allow us to tackle homelessness more effectively. And we have had a number of positive outcomes.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Yes, I am familiar with the project, which is ending soon, by the way. But why did you not reinvest that $31 million instead of investing just $3.5 million?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

We issued a call for proposals in 2011. Unfortunately, the election that year fell during the call for proposals period. That is why we—

reprofiled. We moved the funding from one year into the next to make sure the funding was still going to homelessness, even if not in the year in which it was intended.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

The money was already in every region, and the agencies were already aware of the available funding. That money was already there. So it doesn't apply.

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

There is $3.5 million. It moved from one year to the next.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Why didn't you invest the $31 million that was not spent despite the needs?

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

No. We spend all the money. I insist that all of it be spent, but it changes from year to year. Keep in mind that the call for proposals period was interrupted by the election.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

But there is still $31 million that was not spent from the previous budget.

Before I run out of time, I have a motion, Mr. Chair:

That the committee ask the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development to provide it with the information requested by the Parliamentary Budget Officer regarding the budget cuts in her department.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Komarnicki]

Just hold on a moment with respect to that motion.

We'll stop the clock.

I would ask you to perhaps write out your motion for the benefit of the clerk, who will have a look at it. We can deal with it on an immediate basis or—I've stopped the time on your clock and you have one minute left—you can conclude your time and provide us with the motion, and we can deal with that motion when the minister's questioning has concluded. If you wish to have it dealt with on an immediate basis, I'll just wait until you provide the motion. You have a minute left.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Okay.

[The Chair, Conservative, Ed Komarnicki]

Okay. So you'll finish your minute, and then you'll provide us with the motion and we'll have a look at it to make sure it's in order. Then we'll deal with it. Okay?

Go ahead.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

I am coming back to the last part of my question, on RAPSIM, since you didn't answer.

Why wasn't that organization's funding renewed? It was the only group in Canada whose funding was not renewed.

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

I want to be clear. There was $28 million that we could not spend this year because of the interruption resulting from the election. That amount will be spent next year. I just wanted to clarify that.

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

That answers the first part of my question.

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

As for specific applications, we receive a number of funding requests for good projects, but—

[Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, NDP, Hochelaga, QC]

Yes, but the agency was already aware.

[Diane Finley, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

—it's never possible to give everyone funding.

We can't always provide funds for all of the good programs and, unfortunately, sometimes difficult choices have to be made.