Evidence of meeting #15 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was board.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
Relax, Ms. Goodridge. I simply indicated that this concluded those rounds, but there is some time. I will give two minutes, two minutes and two minutes. Who wants to go here?
Mr. Genuis, you have two minutes. Then I'll go to Mr. Blanchette-Joncas for two, and then we'll come to the government side.
Mr. Genuis.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Madam Secretary, I understand you are involved in the youth unemployment file. Youth unemployment is up over 14%, more than a full percentage point above where it was this time last year. Many witnesses have identified immigration and credential recognition failures as contributing factors.
Recognizing your responsibility for youth unemployment, do you believe, as we've heard from many witnesses, that the immigration policies of the government have been a contributing factor to youth unemployment?
Liberal
Anna Gainey Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC
I believe our government is committed to ensuring that more and more youth have employment opportunities. We're doing this with an increase in Canada summer jobs opportunities—
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Could you just answer the specific question? Do you believe immigration is a contributing factor?
Liberal
Anna Gainey Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC
We're growing that program by 30%, which will give an additional 24,000 summer job opportunities this summer—
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Minister, I asked a very specific question. Do you believe that immigration is a contributing factor? I can read to you, just for further context, something from a 2025 Bank of Canada staff paper, which said that the policy design quietly shifted labour market risk onto the youngest workers, deepening wage pressures and, by extension, worsening youth unemployment and disenfranchising Canada's working class.
Minister, what do you say about that? Do you think immigration policies of the Liberal government were a contributing factor to youth unemployment?
Liberal
Anna Gainey Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC
We have made adjustments to the TFW program, and we are focused on job creation.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Could you answer my question? It's a clear, simple question that relates obviously to your mandate.
Do you believe that decisions of the Liberal government in relation to immigration, as the Bank of Canada said, contributed to high youth unemployment, yes or no?
Liberal
Anna Gainey Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC
I believe the current government is focused on job creation across the country, and the Minister of Immigration has made adjustments to the immigration system.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Do you believe that policies of the government over the last 10 years contributed to youth unemployment?
Liberal
Anna Gainey Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC
I believe that the government is focused on job creation—
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
Thank you, Mr. Genuis. I must conclude it.
Ms. Fancy, you have two minutes, and then we'll go to Mr. Blanchette-Joncas.
Liberal
Jessica Fancy-Landry Liberal South Shore—St. Margarets, NS
I'd really like to thank the secretary of state today. I was an educator of youth for almost two decades before starting this new position, in which I really thought we would be the adults in the room and would not act like youth.
I would love to give you the rest of the time today to talk about all of the wonderful programs ESDC has and to highlight all of the good work the government has put in place for youth in this country.
Liberal
Anna Gainey Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC
Thank you for the question.
We have touched extensively on school food. The dental transfers are also very important. Affordable child care is a program we'll continue to protect, defend and expand.
I think it's really important, as well, to look at the commitment to major projects and the job opportunities that are represented in that. We could talk about the 5,000 jobs in construction at the Contrecœur expansion in Montreal—1,000 long-term jobs. We have 18,000 jobs coming into the Darlington new nuclear plant—3,700 long-term jobs there. New Brunswick's Sisson mine will bring hundreds of new careers to that area. We have an LNG project in northwest B.C. There are hundreds of jobs there for construction, and long-term jobs and careers as well.
In Quebec, more than a thousand jobs will be created at the Matawinie mine—
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Chair, I'd like to raise a question of privilege.
Liberal
Anna Gainey Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC
—and the Bécancour battery materials plant, through Nouveau Monde Graphite.
We're only getting started.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
Thank you. We have a question of privilege.
State your question, please.
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Chair, I want to draw your attention to, starting with paragraph 673 of the House of Commons Procedure and Practice, regarding responses to questions. Contrary to what you said earlier in the meeting, there is no rule that exempts ministers from the requirement to answer questions if they appear before committees. Ministers cannot be compelled to appear before committees, but they are not exempt from the requirement to answer questions if they do appear.
Paragraph 673, in particular, states, “Witnesses must answer all questions which the committee puts to them.”
I think the minister has demonstrably refused to answer clear questions repeatedly posed on multiple different matters. The decision of the secretary of state to refuse to answer direct questions—
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
—put to her by the committee is a violation of the committee's privileges, very clearly.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
Mr. Genuis, I will take that under consideration, and I will come back.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
No, I'm going to return...because I'm taking it under consideration.
Conservative
