Mr. Speaker, what we will do is find a reconciliation of this issue for the small minority of women in Quebec. It is important that they have access to the benefits and that their children benefit from them as well.
House of Commons photoWon her last election, in 2000, with 56% of the vote.
Employment Insurance February 28th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, what we will do is find a reconciliation of this issue for the small minority of women in Quebec. It is important that they have access to the benefits and that their children benefit from them as well.
Employment Insurance February 28th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member will know that this issue affects a small minority of women in Quebec. We are very concerned about the impact on these women.
The hon. member has referenced the fact that I have been in correspondence with the critic on this and he has been satisfied with the approach we are taking. We are working with the Government of Quebec to deal with this issue. I expect a resolution in the near term.
Guaranteed Income Supplement February 27th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, working together to make sure that all of our constituents have the information they need to participate in the guaranteed income supplement is very important to us all.
The hon. member for Frontenac--Mégantic in his S. O. 31 talked about things that he is specifically doing in his riding to touch his constituents. I would hope the hon. member would take note of that and do the same.
Guaranteed Income Supplement February 27th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, they deserve our support. That is why I am very glad to tell the House of the things we have done to ensure that Canadians have the information they need to participate in this program.
We sent out recently 4.5 million information inserts in old age security and tax forms. We have touched 250,000 people by providing them with information about the program. We have posters distributed in nursing homes, seniors organizations and with anti-poverty groups.
The hon. member himself congratulated me yesterday for simplifying the forms and making sure that Canadians have the information they need to participate in the program.
Guaranteed Income Supplement February 27th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member will know that as part of the guaranteed income supplement, there has always been a provision for retroactivity. The supplement is determined and based on annual income.
I would also note that this particular retroactive principle is the same as that which is used in the Quebec family allowance.
Guaranteed Income Supplement February 26th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows that as part of the guaranteed income supplement program there is already retroactivity built into the structure. He might also be interested to know that, particularly with regard to Quebec, we have contacted directly over 600,000 clients to explain both the old age security and the guaranteed income supplement. We have contacted 2,000 service providers and seniors groups to help us with our endeavours here.
Guaranteed Income Supplement February 26th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times in the House, the government's primary objective is to ensure that those who are eligible for the guaranteed income supplement actually receive it. As the hon. member points out in that regard, we are sending seniors a simplified application form to make it easier for them to apply. This will touch about 100,000 seniors.
We are also extending our communication and outreach efforts to reach vulnerable groups. In this regard, the role of members of parliament is tremendously important and I would like to congratulate the member for Frontenac--Mégantic for his particular style of outreach in his community. He knows his cities well and is ensuring that seniors get their benefits.
Post-Secondary Education February 19th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, through the Canada education savings grant the Government of Canada matches contributions up to $400 a year to help families save for their children's future education.
Yesterday in St. John's, Newfoundland I had the pleasure of meeting the Porter family, whose daughter Kristina received the billionth dollar of Government of Canada investment in her CESG account.
This $1 billion is matched by $5 billion saved by Canadian families. Now one in five Canadian children has a Canada education savings grant.
The Economy February 8th, 2002
Indeed, Mr. Speaker, I am happy to inform the House that in January total employment in Canada grew by 76,000 jobs. This is the biggest monthly increase in jobs, in total employment, since 1994. Our unemployment rate is back on the decline, dropping to 7.9% in January.
What is most important about this is that it is the first time since August that there have been gains in full time employment as well as part time.
Guaranteed Income Supplement February 8th, 2002
Mr. Speaker, I applaud and recognize the hon. member's interest in this very important Canadian program. The guaranteed income supplement is there to help low income seniors with resource issues that they may be facing.
In support of ensuring that those who are eligible for the program indeed have access to it, starting in February we will begin a direct mailing campaign to seniors and will supply them with pre-filled application forms. It is expected that the majority of these seniors will simply have to sign and return the form to get the guaranteed income supplement.