Jane Stewart

[Question No. 247, October 20th, 2003]

The Government of Canada is committed to making Canadians aware of what federal programs are available and how to access them. For 2002-03, there was one campaign focused on the national child benefit, NCB. This campaign was aimed at raising awareness of programs and services supporting children and families and at providing details on where to get more information on these services. The campaign highlighted the national child benefit, NCB program for low income families as there was low awareness of the NCB among the Canadian public. The NCB is a federal/provincial/territorial initiative to which the Government of Canada contributes by increasing the Canada child tax benefit, CCTB, for low income families with children.

As with all federal government advertising campaigns, the campaign was focus-tested for integrity and efficacy to help ensure that it would meet its stated objectives. Post-testing confirmed that the campaign had, indeed, achieved its objectives.

The Government has an obligation to inform Canadians about its services. In order to reach Canadians, the campaign included advertisements in

· over 100 national, local, ethnic and aboriginal TV stations,

· over 100 national and local radio stations,

· about 1,500 daily, weekly, ethnic and aboriginal newspapers, and

· several family targeted monthly magazines.

The cost of this campaign was $6.5 million.

[Employment Insurance, October 9th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that we have extended the transitional period for employment insurance in the economic regions by one year. This is the case in the Madawaska-Charlotte region of New Brunswick and the Lower St. Lawrence and North Shore regions of Quebec.

We understand that seasonal work forms an important part of the social and economic fabric of Canada, which is why I am pleased that the Prime Minister will be establishing a task force on seasonal work that will examine the range of issues that affect the industries, the workforce and the communities that are dependent on these activities.

[Employment Insurance, October 7th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I can tell the hon. member that when hours of work are restricted by federal or provincial statute, the Employment Insurance Act considers full time employees to have 35 insurable hours per week. There is currently no statute that limits work weeks of flight attendants in this way.

We have advised the airlines, however, that they should count not only flight time but also ground time. The employers are currently remodelling their reporting systems, but we have a system in place so these employees can receive benefits.

[Guaranteed Income Supplement, October 3rd, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, the government is anxious to ensure that seniors have access to the programs that we have in place to support them. That includes the guaranteed income supplement.

The hon. member will know we have increased our connections, our contacts with Canadian seniors so they are aware of this program. We have made the applications much easier because indeed, we want those citizens to have access to these important supporting programs.

[Aboriginal Affairs, October 3rd, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, indeed in Canada today we have a concerning paradox. On the one hand we anticipate a shortage of up to a million skilled workers by the year 2010. On the other hand we know that many aboriginal workers are not fully integrated into the labour force.

The gap here is skills. That is why today I am pleased to announce the aboriginal employment and skills partnership, an $85 million program that will assist aboriginal people in gaining the skills that they need to participate in the economic development and activities in communities in and around where they live.

We hope through partnership to build 7,000 jobs for aboriginal people so that they can make a vital contribution to the Canadian economy.

[Labour Market, September 24th, 2003]

Absolutely not, Mr. Speaker. We have good working relationships with the majority of provinces when it comes to labour market agreements.

I continue to work with a forum of labour market ministers to look at how better to improve these agreements for the benefit of all Canadians.

[Grants and Contributions, September 24th, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I am sorry I was not paying as close attention as I might have been to the hon. member's question. However I can certainly say in the context of my department when we look at the investments that we make, and itemized in the estimates, they include the national homelessness initiative, the temporary fisheries program, the Voisey's Bay project to ensure that aboriginal people in Newfoundland and Labrador are part of that program and additional money to help us with our SARS strategy.

[Government Contracts, September 23rd, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is right, this file was referred to the RCMP. I again state that if the hon. member has questions, it would be best for her to put them to the RCMP for response.

[Government Contracts, September 23rd, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, it is unclear to which file the hon. member is making reference. However, it certainly would be up to the RCMP to advise her if it has answers to her questions.

[Human Resources Development, September 23rd, 2003]

Mr. Speaker, I prefer the hon. member depoliticize his questions and listen to the facts here.

Again, this is an issue of individual wrongdoing. We have already acted up to and including firing. The hon. member can go on the website and look at all the grants and contributions made by the Department of Human Resources Development Canada in his riding and in the ridings of all members of the House.