Jane Stewart

[Guaranteed Income Supplement, April 23rd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, this is completely false. My colleagues opposite are making completely inappropriate comments and seem to enjoy spreading misinformation to Quebec seniors.

Perhaps the hon. member would be interested to know that 16,000 of the 23,500 seniors who recently received our simplified form for application for the guaranteed income supplement have returned their forms and will be receiving the supplement shortly.

Our outreach continues because for us every senior who is eligible for the supplement should have access to it.

[Grants and Contributions, April 23rd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, let me explain to the hon. member what that $5 million is going to do. First and foremost, it will allow the whole industry access to training modules online, and guess what, the industry has done such a good job that it is selling these modules worldwide. In addition to that, the industry is going to create Career Tex, an online system that will encourage young Canadians to consider the textile industry as an option. Finally, we are providing money to support the administration of the sector council.

Canadians appreciate that we are taking this approach and I wish the hon. member would take the time to understand it before he asks such silly questions.

[Grants and Contributions, April 23rd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, what I am pleased to explain to the hon. member is the concept of sector councils, an almost uniquely Canadian solution to looking at the human resources planning requirements in the Canadian economy.

The hon. member might be interested to know that the textile industry has been very much a part of the Canadian economy for years. Very often it finds itself in difficult circumstances, but today, with a strong sector council, members of the industry, unions and others, we have plans in place to assure the human resources, the people that are required for this very important piece of the Canadian economy.

[Softwood Lumber, April 23rd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, what the hon. member conveniently forgets is that it is this government that repealed the intensity rule. It is this government that made considerable changes to the employment insurance program for the benefit of seasonal workers. At the very same time, the hon. member forgets that he and his party voted against all those changes in Bill C-2.

[Softwood Lumber, April 23rd, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, let me first remind the hon. member that the employment insurance system is responsive to changing levels of unemployment, region by region.

Let me also remind him that my department is working with the industry on a pan-Canadian basis, and its unions. At the local level, officials in my department are following, with individual employers, the unions and individuals, the circumstances that they are faced with as a result of this trade dispute. We are increasing our monitoring of individual employment insurance cases because for us the most important people are those who are laid off in the face of this dispute.

[Guaranteed Income Supplement, April 18th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is right that there has always been a provision for retroactivity in the guaranteed income supplement. If the hon. member is so interested and concerned about retroactivity, is he talking to his colleagues in the government of Quebec and asking them why there is no retroactive provision in social assistance for that province, for example, and for this very important housing benefit?

[Guaranteed Income Supplement, April 18th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said before, making sure that seniors have access to benefits to which they are eligible is a priority for the government. That is why recently we have been increasing our outreach in community groups. We have been advertising in local newspapers. Indeed, we are very glad that members of parliament too are reminding their citizens of the important guaranteed income supplement.

It is an important piece of a pension structure that really has improved the circumstances for Canadian seniors and we want to ensure that all seniors who are eligible have access to the benefit.

[Softwood Lumber, April 12th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, let me remind the hon. member that the employment insurance system is very comprehensive. There are a number of tools that are there for us to use at this particular time.

The hon. member will be interested to know that close to $300 million is transferred every year to the province of British Columbia for specific use in support of laid off workers. She will also know that we have work-sharing programs. The income support benefits are there.

We are working closely with the governments in the affected provinces as well as the industry. We will continue to do that. We are watching this file extremely closely and we will respond as--

[Employment insurance, April 12th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, for 30 years the Government of Canada has been supporting Canadian parents through maternity benefits and for the last 10 years with parental benefits. I would remind the hon. member that we have doubled those benefits and we have improved the system in an ongoing fashion.

As we have always said, if a province chooses to add to our strong platform it is welcome to do so and we encourage it do to so.

[Employment Insurance, April 12th, 2002]

Mr. Speaker, the government is very proud of its record in supporting Canadians who lose their jobs with a strong employment insurance system.

When it comes to women in particular, I would remind the hon. member, that it is this government that has doubled parental leave for Canadian families so that parents can be at home in that very important first year of a child's life.

I would also remind the hon. member that through the family supplement Canadians of low income receive 80% of their earnings as opposed to 50% and this primarily benefits women heading families.