Mr. Speaker, I want to make a comment before replying to the secretary of state for the status of women. For reasons of time, I cannot answer all of her questions. However, I want to make an observation. Most of the hon. member's comments had to do with the UI project, while today's debate is on a motion dealing with manpower training.
Through the Chair-since we must always comply with parliamentary rules-I want to provide some information to the secretary of state for the status of women, who asked specific questions.
Why is it that we, Quebecers and Bloc Quebecois members, will not fulfil her wish to see Quebecers accept that the federal government bypass their provincial government in order to go directly to individuals? That is what she said, they want to reach individual Canadians. The hon. member said that we are really turning this into a power struggle. This is what she is suggesting: "You are turning this issue into a power struggle and, because of that, we, the federal government, have a problem adequately reaching individuals". Such a view truly reflects an attitude which still prevails and which has to do with reaching Quebecers, individually, in fields that come under Quebec's jurisdiction.
The hon. member sees this as a power struggle. Earlier, in my comments, I tried to show the adverse effects of maintaining such duplication on these same individuals who want to get proper training.
At one time, there were 25,000 people in Quebec seeking to get vocational training, but unable to get it, because sometimes one level of government would not have the required funds, while at other times it would be the other one. The funds allocated to a particular program had run out. There were some 30 federal programs, and approximately the same number of Quebec programs. Confused by all this overlap, the unfortunate individual was sometimes discouraged. Because they kept on trying others obtained the information they required, but it was often too late because the funds had run out.
For example, people registering in employability enhancement centres could be asked if they were UI recipients. If they said: "No, I am on welfare", they would be told they did not qualify and should turn to the Quebec government or to Quebec funded agencies. The reverse was also possible for welfare recipients. It is always like that.
I am quite familiar with current federal programs, because I have been studying the issue thoroughly for the past two years, and I can say that only 15 per cent of welfare recipients can benefit from federally developed or supervised activities. The same thing can be said about the province, and one must understand the reasons for that situation.
As Quebec must pay welfare benefits, even if 50 per cent of the funds come from the federal government, the province was well advised to create programs that helped people qualify for UI benefits, which is what they did. When they qualified for UI benefits the federal government decided to develop a program to retrain them.
I have been in the House two years now and I know that some of my constituents have registered in one program after another but are still unemployed because the system has not met their needs.
We are exposing that problem and we want it solved. According to the consensus reached in Quebec since the employment forum, only one government, the Quebec government, should have full responsibility for manpower training. That is what Quebec wants.