Human Resources Committee on Oct. 18th, 2023

[The Chair (Mr. Robert Morrissey (Egmont, Lib.)), Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Committee members, I call the meeting to order.

Welcome to meeting number 82 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skill and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities. Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee is meeting to study the Canada summer jobs wage subsidy program.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format pursuant to the Standing Orders. Members are attending in person and remotely using Zoom.

I would like to make a few comments for the benefit of the participants. Several will be attending virtually, and all committee members are in the room. Please use the “raise hand” icon to get my attention, or raise your hand if you're in the room. You have the option of choosing to speak in the official language of your choice. If there is an interruption in interpretation services, please get my attention. We'll suspend while that is corrected. I would ask members and witnesses to speak clearly and slowly for the benefit of the interpreters. To committee members, please be careful of your microphones, your headsets around the mike, as well as cellphones, for the benefit and protection of the interpreters.

We were delayed starting, but we have two panels. One witness is not appearing in the second one, so it would be my intention, if the committee wishes, to do both panels and simply use a six-minute round in each panel. Everybody will get the same.

Mrs. Gray.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Can you clarify what you mean by that?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

We have one hour.

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

Only that, so we're not going past—

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

It's the wish of the committee. We do have resources.

What is the wish of the committee?

Mr. Coteau.

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Personally, I have a hard stop at 6:30 p.m.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Madame Chabot.

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

I agree with your suggestion. We have witnesses here with us, in person, and we want to hear from them.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Madame Chabot.

We will have the ability to hear from all the witnesses. Each party in the committee will also have their six-minute questioning round if that's the consensus of the committee. It will push us beyond the 6:30 p.m. mark a bit as well.

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Chair, is there a process you can put in place—and I've seen it done before—where after 6:30 p.m. we just restrict voting?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

That's the wish of the committee, if the committee resumes.

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

I need to leave at 6:30 p.m. I have something scheduled that I need to be at. I was hoping, as a courtesy, we would listen to the witnesses with the agreement that, after 6:30 p.m., we would suspend any possible voting.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

The committee can always choose, after 6:30 p.m., to operate under the rules of a reduced quorum if the committee wishes to go a bit further.

Mrs. Gray.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

If we have all of the witnesses except for one, and we're doing them in one hour, there's very little time to ask anyone questions. I don't think that's fair to anyone, both the members here at this table.... The reason why we're late is that the Speaker of the House made a lengthy statement today, so it was because of what was going on in the House. I don't think that's fair to these witnesses. We should be able to ask questions.

Why don't we schedule another meeting, so we can have the full hour with just this shorter group of witnesses. Even if we have all the witnesses at the same time, there's not as much time to ask them questions, which isn't fair to the members, or fair to the witnesses either.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

I agree, Mrs. Gray, but I've called the meeting to order.

We will begin with the first panel group that will be presenting their opening statements. There are only two, so that's 10 minutes. We will have a six-minute round, and the committee can then give me direction at that time.

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

For clarification...we'll go to what time? Have we decided that?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

We do have the resources to go to 7:30 at the latest.

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Is it the will of the committee to do that?

I'd just like to know, as a courtesy, so that I can make some arrangements.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

All right, as chair, I'll make the decision.

We have the resources to go to 7:30, so we will proceed now with the opening round with the first panel. If members have to make some decisions, then we'll deal with them then.

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Just for clarity... Again, are we going until 7:30?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Do I hear any objections to going to 7:30?

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

I would make a motion, then, that we finish at 6:30 if no one is suggesting 7:30 except one member.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Madame Chabot.

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

I understand Mr. Coteau's motion, but we have provisions for replacing a committee member who needs to be absent. We can continue the meeting until 7:30 p.m. So if we start now, we can sit for the two hours, or nearly two hours, scheduled on the agenda. The names of the witnesses already appear on the notice of meeting, and we have some witnesses here in person.

It seems clear to me that, in the event a committee member from any party is absent, we can comply with the established provisions for replacing that member, and I would hope that's what will be done.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Madame Chabot.

Yes, I will take direction from you that the meeting is under way now and that the meeting will conclude, unless somebody calls an earlier adjournment time, at 7:30.

We'll go to the regular scheduling and our first panel. We have, from Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada, Dr. Matthew Rempel, president. From Lullaboo Nursery and Childcare Center, we have Connie Leung, controller, who is not making a statement. We also have, from Statistics Canada, Vincent Dale, director general, labour market, education and socio-economic well-being; and André Bernard, assistant director, centre for labour market information. All the witnesses in the first panel will be appearing via video conference.

I will call on Dr. Matthew Rempel to make his opening statement for five minutes or less, please.