Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for Victoria Haliburton for a very important question as our government deals with the transition from cyclical unemployment to structural unemployment.
One program that is very successful in our department is the self-employment assistance program, which has generated 34,000 jobs. The program helps people on social assistance and unemployment insurance to start up their own business. The multiplier effect of the program is 1.1 full time jobs; in other words, 68,000 jobs have been created. The budget for this program has also been increased by 62.1 per cent.
During this time when the Canadian economy is going through changes, it is very important that our government devote itself to programs that help people help themselves and create sustainable employment.