House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 1997, with 56% of the vote.
Employment February 24th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, with all due respect to the hon. member I think he has been attacked by a slight case of schizophrenia.
Yesterday he was in the House of Commons in high dudgeon speaking about the need to cut government expenditures, to get all the expenditures down, which would put thousands and thousands more Canadians in the unemployment ranks. Now he is asking us how we are going to put people back to work. He cannot have it both ways.
Employment February 24th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, there are two answers for the hon. member. The real target for members of the government is to put into place job creation programs, such as reducing UI premiums
that will create over 60,000 jobs; an infrastructure program that will create over 65,000 jobs; a youth corps that will create over 15,000 jobs; an apprenticeship program that will create 15,000 or 20,000 jobs. The government is in the job creation business.
If the member wants the targets I suggest he read the budget papers because the information is in the budget papers. Maybe he should learn to read before he asks questions.
Employment February 24th, 1994
Mr. Speaker, I would like to respond to the hon. member for Calgary Southwest by pointing out that one of the reasons the premier of Quebec is able to target a reduction of 1 per cent unemployment per year is that there is a federal government in Ottawa providing great assistance in job creation right across Canada and helping Quebec, Alberta, British Columbia, and every other province to reduce the number of unemployed.
The Estimates February 23rd, 1994
Mr. Speaker, as part of our new literacy program we are going to recommend that members opposite start reading the budget more carefully because they clearly have not read the full details.
In the budget is an $800 million special fund to work with the provinces to develop a program to get the chronically unemployed back to work, $800 million to help the people most in need to get them back to work and back in the workforce.
It is about time that members of the opposition began to recognize it is time for a real change so we can get Canadians back to work.
The Budget February 23rd, 1994
Mr. Speaker, I remind the hon. member of what she said on January 19 in the House of Commons when she was very upset about the fact that unemployment insurance premiums were too high. She said at that time: "Don't raise them". We have gone one better, we have brought them down.
I would say to the hon. member that not only did we bring them down for the next two years, but if we continue on this path of reform we will bring them down even further and create even more jobs for Canadians.
The Budget February 23rd, 1994
Mr. Speaker, I just want to give my friend a rest.
I would be very happy to answer the hon. member because I think the logic is very clear. We have announced in the budget a clear stimulant for job creation. By reducing the premiums on the unemployment insurance rate we will be putting in place the creation and maintenance of over 40,000 jobs in the country. That is what we were elected to do. It is the beginning of a real changeover as to how we can go from a system which would rather have people on UI than have people in jobs.
I ask the hon. member to now commit himself, the party and all Canadians to help redesign the programs of unemployment insurance, the Canada assistance plan, employment, training and education so that the start we made yesterday can be continued throughout the next year and we can have a brand new system of employment and social security so that we can get hundreds of thousands of Canadians back to work.
Employment February 22nd, 1994
Mr. Speaker, frankly the hon. member asks the question out of ignorance. That is not what the report states.
The report says that in key areas such as workplace training, skills training and literacy training this kind of expenditure provides enormous service and opportunity for many Canadians to upgrade their abilities. It provides a new investment in human resources to give this country the kind of hope for the productivity it needs.
I would say to the hon. member that to make that kind of blanket criticism and condemnation without knowing what he is talking about is doing a disservice to the many people presently involved in the training programs.
Employment February 22nd, 1994
Mr. Speaker, as I said last week, that information has always been available if the hon. member would avail himself of
it. There is nothing secret or hidden. We would be glad to table any evaluation that has been given.
I want to point out that the training programs are part of the general review we have undertaken in this Parliament. There is more than enough opportunity within the parliamentary committee and in discussions with the provinces to take a look at how we can apply training.
I would only make this small caution to the hon. member. I do not think he should use a small segment of a media report to make a general condemnation of a training program that has provided opportunities for hundreds of thousands of Canadians.
Income Security February 21st, 1994
Mr. Speaker, I say in response to the hon. member that may have been the agenda of the previous government. She could ask the leader of her own party about that because he was a member of that government.
However, that is certainly not the agenda of this government. Our agenda is to provide a more fair, just and equitable way to allow Canadians to get back to work, to have the opportunity to be properly supported and to make sure there is an up to date system, one that gives Canadians a real platform to fully participate in the life of this country.
Income Security February 21st, 1994
Mr. Speaker, I have far more confidence in the abilities of members of Parliament and the committee than the hon. member seems to have.
The hon member should not underestimate the capacity of this Parliament to provide an open forum for Canadians to be heard, making sure there is broad consultation and to perform the valuable task of ensuring that a range of opinions from one coast to the other is clearly brought forward as the first stage in consultation. Then the committee can get on with a longer review of an action plan so there can be something specific.
The attempt by the hon. member to try to subvert or short change the work of this committee does not do much credit to her role as opposition critic. It is very important that Parliament get down to work and give Canadians an opportunity to be heard so that we can come together with the reform all Canadians want.