Madam Speaker, the Minister of Human Resources Development has asked me to furnish a response on his behalf this evening.
I know the minister would want me to begin by recording his gratitude and admiration for the continued interest of the hon. member for Brant as well as for the thought provoking suggestions which she has put on the record this evening.
I say on the minister's behalf that the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development has been listening to Canadians express their views on social security reform. The minister has also appointed a small task force of Canadians involved in matters of social security and employment reform to help him pull together the elements of the reform process.
In April the minister will be presenting an action plan setting out the options and the choices for the standing committee to consider during the course of the summer, using the widest possible means of public dialogue.
The concept of a guaranteed annual income program to meet all the needs of persons with insufficient income has been considered time and again by previous governments, both federal and provincial.
The broad outlines of a guaranteed annual income are consistent with the department's goal of overhauling and streamlining current programs to make them more effective at addressing the social security needs of people today.
A guaranteed annual income would require major reforms to the structure and financial arrangements underlying several components of the income security network, including unemployment insurance, social assistance, child benefits and taxation.
One guaranteed annual income proposal which has garnered much attention in recent months has been the income supplementation program for Newfoundland and Labrador prepared by that province's economic recovery commission.
Federal and provincial officials are working together to review and assess the Newfoundland proposal to see how it could fit into the government's national social security reform process.
However, this government cannot consider a guaranteed annual income outside the context of the broad social security reform process.
A guaranteed annual income is a very innovative approach to reform that is not constrained by the existing program structure. Such a proposal could be presented as one of the many options available.
Before any such option is considered, careful consideration will have to be given to various government objectives, including job creation, achieving current fiscal objectives and addressing the inequities inherent in the current system of government programs.
The social security reform process is an ambitious plan with a tight timetable that will result in major changes for Canada. The action plan review process will be open to the public. Consideration on all options will require the participation of our partners, the provinces, as well as the Canadian public as a whole.
These are essential programs and this government does not intend to leave any stone unturned in considering how best to reform the social safety net.