Jane Stewart

[Student Loans, October 29th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the government continues to be preoccupied with the question of access to post-secondary education. As I have said before, it is the provinces that set tuition fees.

However the government has not been slow in responding to the needs of Canadian students. I remind the hon. member that every year 350,000 Canadians receive Canada student loans to the value of $1.6 billion. In 2001-02, 90,000 bursaries worth $285 million were issued through the millennium scholarship fund. Our Canada study grants, particularly for those Canadians with disabilities, have been improved as of the last budget, and there is more.

[Post-Secondary Education, October 22nd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, access to post-secondary education must be a priority for all Canadians. I would remind the hon. member that the setting of tuition fees is strictly a provincial jurisdiction.

Having said that, the Government of Canada has taken significant steps to help Canadians continue on with their education. We have invested over $2 billion in the millennium scholarship program. Every year we provide 350,000 Canadians with Canada student loans. We have also made significant changes to the tax regime to ensure that Canadians can and will have access to higher education.

[Employment Insurance, October 9th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's question gives me a chance to remind her that yesterday $70 million in new money were allocated specifically for workers in the softwood lumber industry. That includes workers in the member's home province.

In addition to that, I have enjoyed working with community groups in the Saguenay along Saint-Jean, with the hon. member who was there, and a number of announcements where community groups identified opportunities to expand the seasons and make sure that Canadians who want to work can work.

[Social Insurance Numbers, October 9th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I am very glad to answer that question because the vast majority of those five million were in fact already flagged as being dormant or deceased. The Auditor General suggested that they be deactivated and they have been deactivated.

The hon. member will also be interested to know that there were close to a million Canadians living outside the country, retired, working or studying, who did have social insurance numbers legally.

[Social Insurance Numbers, October 9th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, as the Auditor General herself pointed out, we were taking action. In that timeframe since 1998 we more than tripled the number of investigations of SIN numbers fraud. We have provided new technology for our workers to use in identifying fraudulent documents and, indeed, we have disallowed the use of baptismal certificates from Quebec and Newfoundland.

[Social Insurance Numbers, October 8th, 2002]

On the contrary, Mr. Speaker. I would point out to the hon. member that the Auditor General does talk about progress. I would remind the hon. member that in 2000 the then Auditor General said the measures that we were undertaking were the right ones.

We agree that today is a different day. As such, we will no longer accept copies of information, only originals. As of today we will deactivate social insurance numbers that have not been used in the last five years. As of today, I have asked for regulatory authority to put an expiry date on those social insurance numbers that are issued to non-permanent residents and non-Canadian citizens. I believe Canadians are ready for these measures today.

[Social Insurance Numbers, October 8th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, let me take this opportunity to say again to the hon. member that today we have taken specific action to improve the integrity of the social insurance numbers. We will no longer take certified copies of identity proof, rather original documents. We will deactivate social insurance numbers that have not been used in the last five years. We will put expiry dates on the 900 series social insurance numbers.

[Employment Insurance, October 8th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, an average of $450 million goes to softwood or forestry workers through the employment insurance system every year.

Recognizing that we need to do more on the fact that we have this trade dispute, the government will do more. The hon. member will see what those initiatives are in the near term.

[Employment Insurance, October 8th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, I can confirm for the hon. member that the employment insurance system is working very well for workers in the softwood industry. I can also confirm that there is more that will be announced in a package in the very near future.

[Social Insurance Numbers, October 8th, 2002]

On the contrary, Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General talks about the progress that we are making. On the contrary, in the year 2000 the then Auditor General recognized that the strategies we were undertaking were the right ones, but today is a different world and as such I have announced new measures that I believe Canadians will accept.