Human Resources Committee on May 30th, 2023

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

That's great. Thank you.

To clarify, you mentioned what the average could be, but in 2021 alone there were 37 revocations of clearance for officials in your department.

What happened in 2021 that made security threats in your department increase so dramatically?

[Jean-François Tremblay]

Do you remember that we came to committee to explain that, during COVID, we hired a lot of people? In the context of the work we did in terms of security and all of this, we revoked and actually terminated employees in the context of the pandemic.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

We have a few more seconds.

One of the things we're looking at is with the security clearance. What are the normal protocols with that? Is this part of the normal briefing when you have such a dramatic increase like this, or, ongoing, is that something that is in a separate type of briefing, or is it just a normal briefing?

What are the next steps after you look at something like this?

[Jean-François Tremblay]

We're talking about more than 35,000 employees in the department, so those numbers are not a dramatic increase. As we said, there was a lot of hiring during 2021, which explained why the numbers are higher.

It's taken case by case. If their cases are really risky from the national security perspective for the security of ministers, we will of course let them know, for their information. However, if it's not, it's actually standard procedure for us.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Ms. Gray.

We'll go to Madame Martinez Ferrada for six minutes, please.

[Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Liberal, Hochelaga, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Minister Gould, thank you for being with us today.

Social economy enterprises and non-profit organizations involved in the social economy are an integral part ofthe Canadian economy. I know you made a nice announcement about that yesterday. Can you tell us a little more about the challenges the new social finance fund will help overcome across Canada, in terms of food or poverty?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Yes, of course. Thank you for the question.

I'd also like to thank the committee for having me here today, once again.

Yesterday, we made a wonderful announcement about the social finance fund. The $755 million was set aside for the fund in the 2018 budget. At the same time, we announced the three senior fund managers who will administer this fund: CAP Finance in Quebec, as well as Boann Social Impact and Realize Capital Partners in the rest of Canada.

The purpose of the fund is to support social enterprises so that they can expand their influence and activities on the ground. We have a lot of social enterprises across Canada, and they have an incredible influence on food security, affordable housing and the environment. We really want to make sure they have the financial support they need.

The fund's other major purpose is not only to fund initiatives that will actually help communities in Canada, but also restore private investors' confidence and show them they can make good investments. Yesterday, we announced that fund managers will be receiving $400 million from the government. Since their goal is to attract double that amount, those funds will help attract $800 million in additional investments to support social enterprises here in Canada.

[Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Liberal, Hochelaga, QC]

Thank you, Madam Minister.

Minister O'Regan, the Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec welcomed the government's decision to amend the Canada Labour Code to prohibit the use of scabs. I know you've done a lot of work on this. Could you give us an update on what the government has done so far to meet this commitment?

[Seamus O'Regan, Liberal, Minister of Labour]

Thank you for the question.

We want to ban the use of replacement workers. That was a commitment we made in the last election with the agreement of the NDP. I'd like to thank Senator Hassan Yussuff and my NDP colleague Alexandre Boulerice for their work.

We want to make sure that the collective bargaining process is as open and fair as it can be. I'm committed to developing a fairer collective bargaining process in federally regulated workplaces. We'll be introducing a bill to further limit the use of replacement workers.

Last year, I launched consultations on this commitment. I also asked stakeholders to share their views on the best ways to improve the sustainment process. On November 30, 2022, we extended consultations for six weeks to give stakeholders more time to submit comments. The consultations have now ended. During those six weeks, we held five round tables with employers, unions and our Indigenous partners, and I was pleased to attend several of those sessions. We will take the comments we received into account as we draft the bill, which we want to introduce by the end of the year.

[Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Liberal, Hochelaga, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Minister.

Minister Qualtrough, we have people with disabilities in my family who commend the work this government has done for those with disabilities.

I know that you're not only a dedicated minister, but you've also launched many other initiatives. In addition to Bill C‑22, you have several other initiatives in your portfolio, such as the opportunities fund for persons with disabilities, the ready, willing and able initiative, financial assistance for the visually impaired and print-disabled, and capacity-building measures.

I'd like you to tell us a little more about Bill C‑22, but also about all the other action you're taking to improve the situation for people with disabilities.

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Delta, BC]

Thank you for the question.

There's a lot of work to be done, but we've already done a lot.

We have new laws and policies, including the Accessible Canada Act, which establishes a system to create accessibility standards. We've created the new position of chief accessibility officer within the Government of Canada. We also have Canada's disability inclusion action plan, which has four pillars: financial security, employment, accessible and inclusive communities and a modern approach to disability.

We're now focused on making things happen. The pillar of financial security is reflected in the Canada disability benefit, which will change the lives of hundreds of thousands of people by lifting them out of poverty. Of course, we need to pass Bill C‑22 first. That's what we talked about earlier. We'll also have a lot of work to do throughout the regulatory process. We'll continue to work with the disability community and we will get there.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, ladies.

Ms. Chabot, you have the floor for six minutes.

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Ministers, thank you for being here.

Mr. O'Regan, Minister of Labour, I'd like to come back to the anti-scab legislation for federally regulated sectors. You've been commended for the commitment in the budget. You know Quebec has had this in place for 40 years. Earlier, you said that you'd held consultations, and we followed the process, but why wait until December 2023? Why not act now?

[Seamus O'Regan, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

Thank you for the question, Ms. Chabot.

We heard extensively from unions, from employers and from indigenous partners. I insisted, in some of these consultations, that they actually sit together. They weren't separate consultations, because I wanted them to hear from one another as well. It's complex, because we are also talking about supply chains. When we look at the federal jurisdiction, we're talking about supply chains in rail and in transportation—very sensitive issues for the economy. We're trying to find a way in which we can ensure there is a maintenance of activities or a maintenance of services while partners are at the table.

In other words, we want to minimize work stoppages and make sure supply chains remain whole. We want to take the time to make sure we do that right, but we have committed that we will introduce that legislation by the end of year.

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Mr. Minister, are you telling me that it's taking a long time to introduce an anti-scab bill because you believe that the right to strike should be denied?

[Seamus O'Regan, Liberal, St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL]

No, I want to make sure we get the legislation right, so I'll take the time. The consultations are finished, and we are taking the time now to make sure we can ensure maintenance of activities and maintenance of the economy and supply chains while also getting rid of replacement workers in our economy.

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Minister. So I understand that this won't be done right away, even though workers want legislation sooner rather than later.

Minister Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, in response to a question from my Conservative colleague, you reiterated your commitment to reform the employment insurance system. Your mandate letter clearly stated that this was to be done around summer 2022. You held two phases of consultations, and a report was tabled by the committee two years ago. Why should we believe you?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Delta, BC]

We want the employment insurance system to be fairer and more accessible for workers and employers. We're taking the time. Honestly, during our consultations, with employers in particular, but also with workers, we were told to be careful about the cost of everything we wanted to do.

When we started doing this work, we were in a very different time from the one we are in now. We are very mindful at this point of putting additional costs—

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Madam Minister, I really want to know when you are going to reform employment insurance, because you've been saying that you're working on it for a long time. You know, for EI, I feel the best solution is to introduce a bill that we can study in order to move forward. It's been a year now. When will the government reform EI to address the gaps and discriminatory aspects of our current system?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Delta, BC]

I guess what I'm trying to say, Madame Chabot, is that times have changed, and we're very mindful of the additional costs of major reform. That doesn't mean it isn't needed; it means we have to be mindful of when we do it and how we sequence it, so that the impact on premiums is responsible, and we really need to understand.... It doesn't mean we're not doing things in EI, but it means that I cannot give you a date right now as to when I'm going to drop a massive plan that's going to cost workers and employers. We're looking at how to do this in a way that's fiscally responsible but that also addresses all the challenges you and I both worry about.

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Madam Minister, based on your answers, we can see that EI reform isn't going to happen anytime soon. This feels like a broken promise, and we don't understand why.

I have another question. In the budget, you once again extended—it's already been eight years—the 13 pilot projects for seasonal workers in 13 socio-economic regions. You've extended them by five weeks. Eight years ago, those five weeks of benefits met certain needs, but they remain pilot projects.

When we look at seasonal workers' realities, we can see that you could do some things at no cost whatsoever. You could improve the pilot projects and make them permanent. Some have recommended that they be extended for 15 weeks instead of five. We know that in the fishing industry, for example, the situation has changed a great deal. Some workers are struggling to make ends meet and they end up unemployed and without an income for weeks. Would you be prepared to amend the bill to improve these pilot projects and go further by making them permanent?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Delta, BC]

I'm always open to suggestions for improvement, but, as I said, we have to look at all sectors and all regions. Honestly, it made more sense to make a permanent change to the modernization plan than to continue making changes to pilot projects. So we've given ourselves more time to do that in the modernization plan.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Ms. Chabot.

Madame Zarrillo, go ahead for six minutes, please.

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'm going to start my questions with Minister Gould.

The last time you were here, we were talking about the intersection between your ministry, the agriculture ministry and the food crisis. The hunger crisis in Canada has only increased since the last time you were here. I appreciate the minister's mentioning that we are in a different time than we were in even six months ago in this country.

I note in the main estimates that there was some money set aside for education around SDGs, and we know that numbers one and two are both poverty and no hunger. It's a small amount for the education around SDGs, but I really wanted to understand, what more is your ministry, and the shared ministry, doing to address hunger in this country?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Burlington, ON]

With regard to the SDGs, that is part of the ongoing public awareness work that we're doing for the SDGs. One of the things Canada has decided to do this year at the high-level political forum in New York is a voluntary national review of our progress toward the SDGs, and we'll be doing that this July.

When it comes to the intersection of poverty and food insecurity, the last time I was here I talked about the fact that both the national advisory council on poverty and the food policy council would be having a joint meeting. They had their first joint meeting on May 18. I haven't yet received a readout from that. It was kind of an exploratory conversation to see how they could work further together. I anticipate getting that readout soon, and I anticipate that they will be doing further work together.