So I think we will keep up the good work.
Lost his last election, in 2006, with 38% of the vote.
Millennium Fund February 24th, 1998
So I think we will keep up the good work.
Millennium Fund February 24th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, I think the member has not yet heard the Minister of Finance's budget speech. She is jumping to conclusions when she says that the millennium fund duplicates what is being done by the Government of Quebec.
What I can tell you is that, as the Prime Minister pointed out, there will be no duplication with what the Government of Quebec is already doing. I am very happy that the opposition is giving us the opportunity to remind listeners that, since 1964, the Quebec student loans program has been largely funded by the Government of Canada.
Youth February 23rd, 1998
Mr. Speaker, I can demonstrate very well that our youth employment strategy and our youth service Canada have been doing wonders for many of the youth who deserve a second chance. Our record is very good as far as that is concerned.
I would like to tell the Tory leader that there are a lot of students out there who find it very difficult to continue their studies precisely because they have a hard time financing their studies. If we can help them, we will do our very best. That is the priority for this government.
Education February 23rd, 1998
Mr. Speaker, we have said time and again that student debt is a major problem. We have been working hard at it. Tomorrow our budget might be interesting.
I find the millennium fund absolutely extraordinary. I was in London last weekend at the G-7 meeting. I listened to the debate on how to celebrate the millennium. They are building a very expensive dome that will cost millions of pounds while this Prime Minister is choosing to invest in the great brains of our young. That is what he is doing and that is a good thing.
Child Poverty February 23rd, 1998
Mr. Speaker, we have been working along with our partners in the provinces on the issue of child poverty.
We are already committed to having $850 million added to the Canada child tax credit as of July 1, 1998. As a government we are committed to having another $850 million added during the course of this mandate. That is very important to alleviating child poverty.
We in this place believe that every child in the land needs to have a good start in life. That is why my colleague in the department of health has great programs like CAPC, for which financing has been restored and even enhanced.
Education February 23rd, 1998
Mr. Speaker, student loans are an important issue in Canada. Tomorrow's budget will contain, I hope, important improvements to the student loans system.
The Government of Quebec, which has chosen to opt out of the Canadian program, will be fully compensated for all the improvements we will be making to the permanent structure for student loans, except that the millennium fund is coming out of this year's money. It is a dividend we are able to give this year and is not part of the permanent structure of government funding—
Youth February 23rd, 1998
Mr. Speaker, we have done something extremely significant in recent years with the youth employment strategy, and the Conservative leader ought to show a little more interest in it.
I can tell you that, at this time, the number one problem for young people is tomorrow's economy. We must ensure that they can stay in school as long as possible, because young people with insufficient education are the ones with the greatest difficulty in the job market.
As a government, we are going to do all we can to ensure that young people are not tempted to leave school too soon because of their financial situation.
Youth February 23rd, 1998
Mr. Speaker, like the leader of the Tory party I expect to hear the Minister of Finance read his budget tomorrow.
What I can already say is that since the month of November our two departments have worked very closely together, as well as the Minister of Finance and myself to address the situation of students in Canada following a November stakeholders conference that my department organized here in Ottawa. Students, the lenders and the provinces were there. We reached a consensus which I hope has been very useful for the Minister of Finance in preparing his budget.
Questions On The Order Paper February 20th, 1998
The Atlantic Groudfish Stategy, TAGS, was announced on April 19, 1994 as a transitional measure to assist east coast and Quebec fishers and fishplant workers, who lost their jobs due to the closure of the Atlantic groudfish fishery.
Some 40,000 individuals qualified for TAGS. Originally, each TAGS recipient received a letter which confirmed their eligibility and duration on TAGS. The letter also indicated that in order to maintain one's continuing entitlement to TAGS, clients were required to actively participate in adjustment interventions such as counselling and career planning and to have in place an agreed upon action plan. A minimum duration of two years was given to all TAGS recipients.
Since this initial letter, there have been a number of changes to the TAGS program including changes to duration and active measures. At each change clients have been kept informed by letter.
All TAGS recipients were offered the opportunity to participate in a variety of adjustment measures to assist them to adjust out of the groundfish fishery. TAGS clients participated in approximately 16,500 interventions.
The administration of TAGS is dependent on funds being appropriated by Parliament. In order to maintain income support benefits at current levels, and to remain withing the original $1.9 billion budget, it was announced in July 1996 that TAGS would end earlier than expected. This was anticipated to be in May 1998.
On December 16, 1997, the Minister of Human Resources Development Canada announced that the Government of Canada will continue paying income support until the end of August 1998, when it is now expected that funds will be exhausted.
In May 1998 approximately 27,000 clients would remain eligible for TAGS. Of these, some 18,000 or 67% would have remained eligible until May 1999. Based on current projections, to continue TAGS from May 1998 to its original end date of May 1999 would require another $170 million to $200 million in additional funding over and above the $1.9 billion budgeted for the program.
Literacy February 19th, 1998
Mr. Speaker, we will continue to work with our partners to ensure that Canadians have the highest possible literacy skills.
My department is supporting the international adult literacy survey.
While Canadians have some very strong literacy skills, we must ensure that all Canadians can succeed in an advanced economy.
The 1997 budget increased funding to the national literacy secretariat to $29 million.
I will also be meeting today with representatives of literacy organizations and Senator Joyce Fairbairn, whom I would like to thank very much for her leadership on this issue.