Mr. Speaker, the proposed plans to privatize training under changes to the Unemployment Insurance Act and to implement a voucher system have devastating consequences not only for recipients but for educational institutions and for long term educational planning.
This proposal is based on two very dubious assumptions: that every region has a mix of private and public training facilities, and that all applicants can on their own easily access training options.
In many rural and northern areas this is simply not the case. For example, the Yukon College under this scheme would lose $2 million to $3 million a year in stable and assured funding, funding which allows the college to plan ahead for both UI recipients and the general public. Under the government proposal both groups will be the losers.
I urge the minister to review this ill advised change, which clearly undermines training in the north and in rural areas.