Claude Drouin

[Canada Pension Plan, October 22nd, 2002]

moved that Bill C-3, an act to amend the Canada Pension Plan and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board Act, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

[Pulp and Paper, October 9th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, there are 2,000 jobs to be filled in the pulp and paper sector, and there is a lack of training.

The announcement I made in Trois-Rivières yesterday on behalf of the government concerning a $23.5 million investment will fill this gap. Thus, the centre will become the leading francophone pulp and paper centre in North America, and this was done in partnership with industry.

This is excellent news for La Mauricie, for Quebec, and for all of Canada.

[Quebec Marine Regions Development, June 18th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question.

It was over four years ago that Canada Economic Development identified marine sciences and technologies as a strategic development pole for Quebec maritime regions. A total of $22.6 million is allocated to this sector.

We have established Technopole Maritime du Québec and contributed to the creation of Maritime Innovation, a centre for applied research in maritime technology.

These achievements reflect the federal government's longstanding commitment to Quebec's maritime regions.

[Regional Development, June 14th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, through all the actions that we have taken and that we are continuing to take, we are working on developing potential projects to help Murdochville's recovery. We will continue to do so, and we on this side of the House care about this issue. Instead of criticizing, members opposite should propose initiatives to help Murdochville's recovery.

[Regional Development, June 14th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, it must be remembered that following the closure of the mine, in 1999, there were already rumours that the smelter might shut down.

In view of this, we took action and we have since invested $500,000 to help Murdochville's recovery.

We created a $35 million special program for the Gaspé and we set up a regional branch in the region with a staff of 13 to help Murdochville's recovery.

[Viandes du Breton, May 21st, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I can tell the member of the Bloc Quebecois that we have been in contact with Vincent Breton, one of the owners of Les Viandes du Breton, whose 450 employees have been hit by this tragedy, and have assured him of our complete co-operation.

I have, moreover, been in touch with the mayor to inform him of our readiness to co-operate, but this was not done publicly. We are working with them and will be there to support them through this tragedy.

[Supply, May 7th, 2002]

Madam Speaker, the hon. member, like his colleague from Jonquière, says that he is listening, but he does not understand.

The employment insurance program responds to 80% of the people making a claim. My riding is hit by the softwood lumber situation and people are entitled to employment insurance benefits.

However that is not what we wish. We do not necessarily want them to get employment insurance; we would rather have them working. That is why the Government of Canada is negotiating in good faith and is getting processes under way in order to defend the rights of all Canadian workers.

[Supply, May 7th, 2002]

Madam Speaker, unlike the official opposition, we might not get all in an uproar, but we are very aware of what the workers are living. It is not because we publicize part of what the Canadian government intends to do on behalf of workers that we should not be believed.

I would remind the member that apart from saying that we are insensitive, he does not have many solutions to propose. We are doing things. The Canadian government has been working at it for weeks. We are listening to the needs of the people and we will find solutions in due course, as we have always done as government on this side of the House.

[Supply, May 7th, 2002]

Madam Speaker, I can see that the member listened to my speech but she did not understand what I said. It is unfortunate because I mentioned the measures that we have taken. We said that, as the Canadian government, we are sensitive to the situation facing workers in the softwood lumber industry. There are measures already in place and, as time goes on, we will see if adjustments are needed. As the Canadian government and as the Liberal Party, we have always been very open and we will continue to help people.

[Supply, May 7th, 2002]

Madam Speaker, I wish to thank you for giving me this opportunity to discuss the impact on Canadian workers of the tariffs being put on lumber by the United States.

These tariffs will definitely have serious effects on the lumber industry workers throughout Canada. With layoffs and uncertain economic times looming, these workers wonder how the tariffs will affect their daily lives and those of their families.

Again, workers affected by this difficult situation can rest assured that measures are in place to help them. These measures include the employment insurance system, a major program assisting members of the workforce.

From the very first day of its mandate, this government endeavoured to help Canadian workers adapt to a demanding and rapidly changing labour market.

These past few years, the Government of Canada helped workers increase their skills and their employability so they could get good jobs and keep them.

We have provided employment counselling and information to help them learn where to find jobs and how to land them. We have provided unemployed workers with temporary income support to meet the essential needs that they and their families have while they are looking for a new job.

On many occasions, the employment insurance program has helped Canadian workers and their families at a time when they needed it. They may need it when they lose a job because the economy has suffered, or because one particular sector has lagged, or when they are too ill to work, or when they leave work to provide care for a newborn child, or when they re-enter the workforce after having looked after their family.

All of this reassures Canadians greatly during uncertain times. This program is designed to respond quickly and automatically to local job market needs.

For example, the eligibility requirements and the length of the benefit period are adjusted in every region of Canada every four weeks, based on the most recent figures on regional unemployment.

A change as small as 1% or less in the unemployment rate can trigger a review to lower the eligibility requirements for workers and an increase in the number of weeks of benefits.

And yet, while the employment insurance program is flexible enough to respond to unemployment fluctuations, it has also evolved to take into consideration the needs of Canadian workers and their families.

For example, based on changes in the job market, we have adopted adjustments based on the small weeks projects to encourage workers to accept any work without being penalized. We have reviewed the program to make it better help Canadians who collect benefits more frequently, such as seasonal workers.

We have improved the program's ability to help clients balance their professional and family responsibilities by extending maternity and parental leave, by changing the rules that apply to parents returning to the workforce, and by exempting Canadians who stay at home to look after their newborn children.

We have strengthened the program's ability to respond quickly and effectively to the particular situations with which workers in some industries are confronted.

For example, following the massive layoffs in the airline industry, HRDC worked closely with unions and employers to provide career counselling services, help process applications and find ways to keep people in the labour market. Every chance it could, Human Resources Development Canada also concluded work sharing agreements with employers and unions thus ensuring that many jobs would be kept.

We met the challenge with strong action. It included consulting the Council of Forestry Industries and helping it to support its members throughout the country. We went to the employers' sites to help employees complete their claims for employment insurance and ensure that they were then processed as quickly as possible. We used automated programs enabling employers to send pay data electronically and helping local offices to deal with the massive layoffs.

Our aim continues to be to help workers return to work as quickly as possible. The Electronic Labour Exchange, the National Job Bank and the documentation centres located in the Human Resources Canada centres help workers across the country find a job that suits their needs, their skills and their training.

We also support other programs and services through labour market development agreements with our partners in the provincial and territorial governments. Accordingly, under the program with British Columbia, Human Resources Development Canada provides nearly $290 million to help people there find and keep work.

It involves, for example, helping clients find new jobs through job search clubs, helping them draft a resume, helping with job search skills, career guidance and job interview preparation, helping clients without jobs find work through career assessments, providing guidance services and directing people to other programs and services, providing financial help to individuals to cover some of the cost of their skills training and related expenses and, finally, providing workshops and advice to clients starting their own business.

Following a transfer agreement signed in 1997, the province of Quebec is now responsible for developing and implementing its own active employment measures.

The Government of Canada has increased its funding to Quebec from $450 million in 1997 to close to $600 million for the current year. These concrete measures were taken to provide assistance to workers throughout Canada.

Let me also point out that employment insurance is only one of the many programs helping the unemployed adapt to economic change. To meet the special needs of older workers, we have launched pilot projects to find new ways to help them make the transition to the new economy.

Besides employment insurance, the Government of Canada spends over $3.5 billion every year to prepare our young people for the labour force. Many other programs focus on the special employment and upgrading needs of first nations and handicapped Canadians.

In conclusion I would like to thank the hon. member for his concern about the well-being of the softwood lumber industry workers, a concern our government and I share. I would also urge my colleague and all the members to cooperate with the government so that workers in the softwood lumber industry and throughout Canada can get the help they need to adapt to economic change.

Only through cooperation will we be able to provide Canadians with the services they expect.