House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 1993, with 66% of the vote.
Unemployment Insurance October 2nd, 1996
Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that, whenever the hon. member shows up in this House, he speaks quite boldly. Today, he dared to come and tell us about the unemployment rate and the rates of premiums paid by workers and employees. When he was in government, when his party formed the government, these rates were higher than they are today. The unemployment rate was higher than it is today.
The longer he stays at home, the better off we will all be.
Youth Employment October 1st, 1996
Mr. Speaker, I have already advised hon. members that the budget that was allocated for youth employment had a couple of components to it. One was directed specifically to students who are still in academic institutions or returning to them in the fall. We did that over the summer, doubling the amount of money that was available.
With respect to the amount the hon. member is referring to, the $45 million, when this money was allocated in the spring we were aware that a lot of young people in this country are not in academic institutions. They require a different kind of assistance in order to find jobs in a very difficult environment.
We understand the member's commitment to youth employment. I hope he will understand that we wanted to make sure we were doing the right thing for those students who do not fit into the traditional strategies of the past where we were simply looking at them during the summer.
That money will be allocated and it will be spent well and on young people looking for jobs in this country.
Air Transportation October 1st, 1996
He knows what he is talking about.
Air Transportation October 1st, 1996
Oh, oh!
Canada Pension Plan September 27th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, at the meeting of social services ministers in Victoria almost two weeks ago, we all agreed that one of the major problems facing the systems that manage the workers' compensation boards, the private insurance companies, as well as the government of Canada, through the Canada Pension Plan, had to do with disability.
It is extremely difficult to define this whole question in absolute terms. There are many situations that are extremely complex from a medical point of view. But we undertook to try to work together, the private sector, the provincial governments-because they too have major problems with this-and the Government of Canada.
I hope that we will find solutions, but in the meantime we will continue to be effective and to protect the rights of the disabled.
Canada Pension Plan September 27th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, we are aware of the auditor general's comments. I had an opportunity to meet with Mr. Desautels and to discuss his report.
Obviously, I and my departmental officials have a great deal of respect for the work that has been done on this issue. It is very complex. We undertook, in our response to the comments of the auditor general, to take the necessary action in order to try to be as effective as possible.
With all due respect to the auditor general, I wish to assure my hon. colleague that, when all is said and done, we are still very interested in ensuring that, where an error has been made, and errors are still made, we come down in favour of those applying for disability benefits, rather than taking a more stringent approach.
Job Creation For Young People September 24th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, we never know what to expect from one week to the next. The hon. member and his colleagues often rise in this House to tell us we should not get involved in job creation or spend money on training and in other areas. What we are doing is honouring our commitment not to meddle in areas of provincial jurisdiction.
I have no doubt-and I reiterate to my hon. colleague-that all the money set aside for creating jobs for young people will be spent in due course and I hope that young people will not be as frustrated as my friend is.
Job Creation For Young People September 24th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, I will leave any question about charm to the hon. young member. But regarding the funding still available to create jobs for young Canadians, the plan was originally, in the spring, to set funds aside to create jobs during the summer for those young Canadians who are in school.
We realized, however, that many unemployed people did not fall in the category of students going back to school in the fall. That is why I plan to work with my colleague, the Minister of Industry, Science and Technology, with the Minister of Canadian Heritage and with other stakeholders, including the private sector, to find appropriate ways of spending these funds. I can assure you, however, that every penny earmarked for creating jobs for young Canadians will be spent.
Youth Unemployment September 18th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, if we seriously want to help young Quebecers and young Canadians across the country to find jobs, we must create a climate of stability within our economy.
If anyone is aware of the problems facing young people in the Montreal region, for instance, where we know the unemployment rate is very high, it is certainly the hon. member opposite. But we must all be aware of our responsibilities. If we want the private sector to play its role, which should always be to create jobs, we should provide the right kind of economic climate, and we should listen to young people like Mario Dumont, who know what has to be done in this country.
Youth Unemployment September 18th, 1996
Mr. Speaker, no one will ever be satisfied with the situation of the unemployed in this country, whether we are talking about the young or not so young, as long as anyone remains unemployed.
The hon. member surely recognizes the efforts deployed, not only by the Government of Canada but by other levels of government and the private sector. This summer, for instance, about 60,000 young people across the country were hired thanks to the efforts of the Government of Canada. Furthermore, and I think this is worthy of mention, when we consider the efforts deployed by the private sector in partnership with governments and youth organizations, I think we will realize that although this is a major challenge, some progress has already been made, and even young people have admitted as much.
Of course, much remains to be done, but we are not the only country where youth unemployment is a major problem.
In fact, the hon. member is probably aware that this week here in Ottawa, we organized a conference on all aspects of the problems facing young people in Canada.