Pierre Pettigrew

[Poverty, December 9th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, the system that we have implemented is a system which, far from being condemned all over the world as being inefficient and damaging to the economy, is now a system which, on the contrary, helps people return to the labour market.

We have increased to $2.7 billion the funding for initiatives to help people return to the labour market. What the people are requesting are not only passive measures and initiatives to support income. What people want are jobs, and this is what the government wants to give them.

[Seasonal Workers, December 8th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, as you know, we are very concerned by the plight of seasonal workers. We are monitoring our reform very closely. In fact, we have asked that, one year into this reform, we have an opportunity to assess its impact on workers. This assessment will take place in January, after I have received the report.

I must add that we are committed to helping seasonal workers find work. The transitional job fund was established to create jobs, and we have active employment measures to help these workers participate in the labour market—because that is what they want—year round.

[Employment Insurance, December 8th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I cannot understand why members of the Bloc Quebecois are objecting to what we are doing to help low-income families with children.

I hope that Quebeckers are paying attention today, because these people are not promoting the interests of poor Quebeckers in the country right now.

I am astounded that this question comes to me from a female MP. If anyone needs the system to be improved, it is women working part time. We have changed the system from one based on weeks to one based on hours in order to help women working part time, who are now covered by the system.

[Employment Insurance, December 8th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I want to tell the hon. member for Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques that his predecessor, Maurice Duplessis, was opposed to unemployment insurance and felt we had no business in this area. Such were the orthodox and dogmatic ideologies of those people.

I looked at the employment insurance figures.

I also note that, in recent years, unemployment has dropped from 11.4% to 9%. This is how we measure the system's efficiency.

I can also tell you that we are closely monitoring our bold and modern reform. We will talk again about all this in January.

[Employment Insurance, December 8th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, the issue of poverty must be tackled by all levels of government. It should not be strictly a matter of provincial jurisdiction, as the hon. member claims.

As for employment insurance, our government did what it had to do by adjusting a system which was detrimental to a large number of workers, and which had to better reflect modern labour market conditions. As you know, our legislation provides for a follow-up report on the impact of the reform. This report should be submitted by the end of the month, or in January.

[Child Poverty, December 8th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, people really have to be paranoid not to understand what we are trying to do in this country, because with the ministerial council of the provinces and of the Government of Canada, it is a partnership, a partnership approved by Quebeckers and by the other provinces in support of children in low income families.

The Conservative leader was asking a bit earlier when there would be mechanisms allowing for joint decision making and joint management in this country. So I invite the opposition to show some interest in what is happening at the ministerial council, which is a large collaborative forum between the provinces, and we have done this in support of poor children and the disabled in this country.

[Child Poverty, December 8th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, it is obvious that our colleagues from the Bloc are not very familiar with what is going on on the social issue.

There are absolutely no conditions related to the Canadian child benefit. This is a system designed to help children in this country and it is precisely a partnership between the provinces and the Government of Canada, in which we are investing, through the Canadian tax credit, $850 million. The provinces have chosen to reallocate this money, according to the flexibility they have in implementing programs and services, to targeting children in low income families.

[Child Poverty, December 5th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question on the very important topic of child poverty.

Ensuring that children have a strong start in life is critical to Canada's future. The national child benefit is and remains a top priority for our government. The 1997 budget targeted and reflected our commitment with an $850 million down payment for poor children in Canada. There is another $850 million to come in this Parliament.

With our provincial partners we are creating more than a program but a comprehensive strategy to improve the well-being of Canadian children, which is supported by Campaign 2000. It is a proven method.

[Human Resources Development, December 5th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, a full investigation has already been made. It was made by the province and by the Department of Human Resources Development. The process was quite transparent.

[Human Resources Development, December 5th, 1997]

Mr. Speaker, the project to which the hon. member is referring was assessed by the provincial government, as well as by Department of Human Resources Development officials. They deemed that it would be very helpful for the population in that area. It was done through a competitive process as well.