Mr. Speaker, through you I would like to once again remind the opposition party that today is the beginning of a debate in which we are attempting to re-invent, redesign or review government programs and services with the ultimate aim of meeting many of the objectives that the hon. member described in his speech of decreasing, overlapping, and eliminating waste. We on this side of the House share that with you. I guess the only thing we do not share with you is that we do not believe in separation.
There is a question related to putting people back to work. In 1982 there was a program called NEED, designed by the then Minister of Employment, who happens to be the same member responsible today. It was a program where, rather than people being on unemployment where they received approximately $17,000 a year, people went directly to small and medium-sized businesses and said, "If you take someone off unemployment or off the welfare rolls, then we will pay you approximately 60 to 70 per cent of their salary", rather than paying them to sit at home not doing anything. The employer would put in approximately 30 per cent. After six months of work the employer's contribution would increase and the government's would go down, and after a year the employer is responsible for the person.
Essentially it acted as a catalyst to help small and medium-sized business. At the same time, within a five-month period we put about 300,000 Canadians back to work in every region of this country.
I wonder if the member would consider looking at a program like that and whether or not he considers that type of reform worth while.