Mr. Speaker, it is an honour for me to rise today to speak to Bill C-473, an act to amend the financial administration act. As we know, women are significantly under-represented on corporate boards and our government certainly believes that having more women on corporate boards is smart for the economy, our government's number one priority.
Research shows that businesses with more women on their boards are more profitable. They routinely outperform those that have fewer women.
With economic uncertainty still ahead, that is the kind of business performance Canada needs if we are to grow our economy. It makes sense to recruit from the whole talent pool, not just part of it. However, when it comes to increasing the gender representation on boards of directors of crown corporations, the proposed solution in the bill is not acceptable. Legislated quotas are rigid and arbitrary thresholds that would adversely affect the appointment process.
That said, we agree that increasing opportunities for women to serve on corporate boards, including those of crown corporations, makes good sense for Canadian women and for Canada’s economy.
That is why economic action plan 2012 called for the creation of an advisory board, which the member opposite mentioned. It is a council of leaders that will link organizations to a network of skilled and experienced workers. Its goal is to increase the representation of women on corporate boards. By increasing opportunities for women's leadership, the council will also help to keep Canada's economy strong.
Hon. members may know that the Minister for Status of Women recently announced the membership of the advisory council. We are talking about such distinguished individuals as Isabelle Hudon, president of Sun Life Financial, Quebec; Arlene Dickinson, owner and CEO of Venture Communications and an entrepreneur and host of Dragons' Den; John Ferguson, chair of the board of Suncor; Murray Edwards, president and owner of Edco Financial Holdings Ltd.; as well as Janet Ecker, former finance minister for the province of Ontario.
These are only some of the who’s who of women and men with a wide range of experience in our country’s boardrooms.
The advisory council will come back with recommendations by the fall of 2013. This is an important measure to help support increasing women's representation in leadership roles. In fact, there are countless qualified and ambitious women in Canada who want to contribute to our economic success. Promoting the increased representation of women in all occupations, including skilled trades and other non-traditional occupations, will allow women to participate fully in a stronger Canadian economy.
The government is moving forward with a three-point plan to address challenges in connecting Canadians with available jobs. The focus is to equip Canadians with the skills and training they require to obtain high-quality, well-paying jobs.
First, economic action plan 2013 announced that the government will transform skills training in Canada through the introduction of the Canada job grant as part of the renewal of the labour market agreements in 2014-15. Upon full implementation of the Canada job grant, nearly 130,000 Canadians each year are expected to have access to the training they need to fill available jobs. The government would also renegotiate the labour market development agreements to reorient training toward labour market demand.
Second, economic action plan 2013 proposes to reallocate $4 million over three years to reduce barriers to the accreditation of apprentices. The government would work with provinces and territories to harmonize requirements for apprentices and to examine the use of practical tests as a method of assessment in targeted skilled trades. This work would ensure that more apprentices complete their training, and it would encourage mobility, as well. Economic action plan 2013 also proposes to support the use of apprentices through federal procurement, the investment in affordable housing, and as part of the new building Canada plan for infrastructure.
Third, economic action plan 2013 supports under-represented groups. Aboriginal women, for example, are generally less likely to be part of the paid workforce. They experience lower income levels and have less education than their non-aboriginal counterparts. This situation is likely to increase their vulnerability to violence and abuse.
Economic action plan 2013 proposes $241 million over five years to improve the on-reserve income assistance program to help ensure that first nations youth can access the skills and training they need to secure employment. The government will continue, with first nations across Canada, on the development of a first nation education act. It is committing to sharing this draft legislation with first nation communities for their input.
Economic action plan 2013 also proposes $10 million over two years that would provide post-secondary scholarships and bursaries for first nation and Inuit students.
Immigrant women also often face gender-based obstacles to employment, including challenges in foreign credential recognition, resulting in their greater vulnerability to economic insecurity.
Compared with immigrant men, immigrant women in 2009 had lower employment rates, no matter how long they had been in Canada.
Economic action plan 2013 announced the government's commitment to improving foreign credential recognition for additional target occupations under the pan-Canadian framework for the assessment and recognition of foreign qualifications.
Our actions to increase women's economic prosperity and security do not end there. As members know, Canada's economy is one of the most stable in the world. This provides rich opportunities for the largely untapped potential of women as a well-trained and highly educated sector of Canada's workforce. Canadian women entrepreneurs and small business owners will benefit from the following action. Budget 2013 will expand and extend the temporary hiring credit for small business available to a significant portion of women small business owners. This will encourage small business job-creation and reduce small business costs.
The government further proposes to provide $60 million over five years to help outstanding and high potential incubator and accelerator organizations in Canada expand their services to entrepreneurs. We also propose making available a further $100 million through the Business Development Bank of Canada to invest in firms graduating from business accelerators.
Budget 2013 proposes to provide $20 million over three years to help small and medium-sized enterprises access research and business development services at universities, colleges and other non-profit research institutions of their choice.
This will be done through a new pilot program to be delivered through the National Research Council’s industrial research assistance program, which will provide women entrepreneurs with greater access to valuable support.
Rather than relying on one method, as the bill in question proposes, our government has been taking a multifaceted approach to increasing the participation of under-represented groups in the workforce. It is an approach that supports opportunities for every under-represented group in the workforce and that reflects Canada's linguistic and regional diversity.