Evidence of meeting #17 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 families.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
—right now on the significant skilled trades shortage that we see across the country.
Conservative
Colin Reynolds Conservative Elmwood—Transcona, MB
Thank you, Minister.
I'd like to move on to my next question.
This government has been speaking a lot about its buy Canadian policy and nation-building projects. Recently, this government announced the next group of projects that are being considered by the Major Projects Office, which includes the Ksi Lisims LNG project.
What I find interesting is that project is majority owned by a U.S. company and is to be built by Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea and floated over to B.C. These are more jobs for other countries.
If this government isn't supporting Canadian labour with Canadian materials or Canadian companies, how is this project a buy Canadian national building project?
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
I will remind people that the projects that have been announced have been referred to the Major Projects Office. The Major Projects Office knows that the priority of the Government of Canada is to make sure that Canadian workers and companies see the benefit.
I will also say that is a majority indigenous-owned company.
Am I right on that?
Indigenous ownership is actually a priority of the Major Projects Office.
Conservative
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
I think everybody at this table knows that there will be a significant opportunity, through the major projects that have been announced as referred, to help ensure there is job creation across this country.
Conservative
Colin Reynolds Conservative Elmwood—Transcona, MB
Does that mean this won't get built? It's strange to me that it even got referred, if it's going to be built out of our country.
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
I would say that every major project that has been referred to the office is a project of national interest that the Government of Canada will be looking for ways to support. The Major Projects Office has an important job to do, though, which is to make sure that the project is viable, that it's economically viable, that it uses Canadian labour, that there are benefits to the Canadian economy and that there are benefits to indigenous people.
Liberal
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
I would just say that we're on the cusp of some exciting things.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
I will hold you close to the time.
Mr. Joseph, you have the floor for five minutes.
Liberal
Natilien Joseph Liberal Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
Thank you Mr. Chair.
Minister, my Bloc colleague brought up the subject of the forestry sector.
I want to give you some time to continue answering the question.
Can you tell us what the government has done and continues to do to support this sector?
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Aside from the actions my colleagues are taking in terms of the work to try to ensure that we can lift the tariffs and have a return to tariff-free trade—which I can't speak extensively about because I am not the holder of those portfolios—on my side, it's about protecting companies and protecting workers.
I'll give you a good example. We are really working with companies that are threatened, not just because of tariffs but because of market changes. Kap Paper recently was on the cusp of having to close its doors and needed some time to come up with an alternative approach or products it could pivot to. We were able to support that company in northern Ontario, which is very remote, and all of the subsidiary companies that depend on that company buying the wood, to ensure that it could actually stay in business while it pivoted to a new product. It remains to be seen what its business plan will uncover, but we wanted to make sure we were able to be there for that company.
We're also there for workers. Workers who are impacted are benefiting from work sharing. If a company can keep those workers on, we'll pay for part of their wages through EI. That keeps that worker attached to that workplace.
We are also making sure that EI is easier to get, whether it's ensuring that there's no waiting period or that people can keep any severance they are entitled to or, if they've been a long-tenured worker, that they get extra weeks so they have that stability while they're seeking a job.
Liberal
Natilien Joseph Liberal Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
We recently saw on social media some Bloc members encouraging applications for a summer jobs program.
Is it in fact a different program or is it the Canada summer jobs program?
Liberal
Liberal
Natilien Joseph Liberal Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
We recently saw on social media that some Bloc members are encouraging applications for a summer jobs program.
Are they talking about Canada summer jobs or another program?
Is there a difference between those two programs? I'm not familiar with that program.
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Oh, I'm sorry.
I understand now.
Yes, we have a summer jobs program for students, which is Canada summer jobs.
Canada summer jobs is available for every region of the country. It's federally funded. This summer, in fact, we're adding almost 35,000 more jobs, so it will be 100,000 Canada summer jobs across the country in a variety of different sectors.
Every member of Parliament will have a list with the jobs being put forward by businesses.
Liberal
Natilien Joseph Liberal Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC
Improving employment opportunities for persons with disabilities has been a priority for your department, particularly with the launch of the first-ever employment strategy for Canadians with disabilities.
Could you speak about the government's comprehensive approach in removing barriers, supporting employment and employees, and strengthening the labour market participation of Canadians living with disabilities across the country?
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Thank you for the question.
That is a very important question.
People often forget about the needs of persons with disabilities.
We have a focus on that, and we make sure that we have programs. For example, we have the opportunities fund that works with employers who are willing to match with a person with a disability. That provides the employer the support to bring in a person with a disability and the person with a disability the opportunity to get a job.
We also support many organizations around the country that work with people with disabilities who are looking to find a job, improve their job skills or their ability to apply for a job or be seen by an employer. Indeed, with our youth employment program, many of our programs have a specific focus on youth with disabilities. In fact, about 17% of the youth who take advantage of those programs are people with disabilities, and that's intentionality. We have to be intentional about this work, because so many people forget about the needs of people with disabilities, and people with disabilities are some of the best educated in our country.
Liberal
Bloc
Marilène Gill Bloc Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC
Thank you Mr. Chair.
Thank you, once again, Minister, for being with us.
I want to talk now about Correctional Service Canada and correctional officers, whom I would like to acknowledge. The Port‑Cartier penitentiary is located in my region in the Côte‑Nord. I'm also talking about Mr. Guimond and all his colleagues.
We're still talking about job creation. However, correctional officers are very concerned and dissatisfied with the 15% budget cuts that have been announced. For example, the retirement income that was negotiated with correctional officers will now be reduced. The government is now stepping in to reduce the retirement income of these workers, which was negotiated under their pension plan.
How can you explain this backtracking regarding the retirement income of correctional officers, which had been negotiated?
Why is the government going after what belongs to them?
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
I think this is a question for another minister. I'm sorry. This doesn't fall under the role of the employment minister or the labour minister.
Bloc
Marilène Gill Bloc Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC
I think the question is a bit of a cross-cutting one. Workers' pension plans might involve Treasury Board, the government or the industry. I imagine that the minister's decisions carry a lot of weight in these situations as well. The government is saying that, ultimately, it is not reducing the quality of public service jobs. However, the government is starting to reduce the number of employees in the public service.
I talked earlier about the 40,000 public servants who will be laid off. There will also be cuts to benefits and pension plans. The quality of jobs is being reduced.
I think that the quality of the jobs is the responsibility of the minister and the department. That's why I wanted to hear your comments on the matter.
I could have also discussed the CX‑4 positions occupied by some correctional officers. They also carry out management work. They will see their purchasing power reduced year after year because negotiations are going to be held for certain CX‑1, CX‑2 and CX‑3 positions, but not for CX‑4 positions. Again, instead of solving the problem, the government is making cuts.
Sorry, Minister, do I have your attention? It's a bit difficult to ask a question in order to get an answer when you're not being listened to.
Do you want me to repeat my question?