Madam Speaker, philanthropy is an important matter. For the next 10 minutes, I will have the opportunity to speak about the contribution of philanthropy in the past, present and especially the future.
This is a very important issue for me because I was raised by a grandmother who was extremely committed and devoted everything—her knowledge, time and money—to her community. Today, I have the great pleasure of standing here, among my colleagues, to discuss the spirit of philanthropy.
I hope that everyone agrees to share my philosophy of life and to make our country, and also humanity, their top priority. Each one of us should try to improve the lot of our fellow human beings in many ways, without thought of personal gain. In fact, philanthropy should be a way of life, and it should be based on direct participation. Philanthropy can be an act of giving or an act of love for humanity. In other words, philanthropy is the act of giving of oneself by making a donation of money or time. We are currently projecting that philanthropy is moving in a direction where knowledge, expertise and cultural talent are increasingly vital.
Philanthropy in Canada today is changing faster than ever. More people are engaging in it and are using new media and new technologies to tackle old problems with new strategies. They have new opportunities. We have to rethink our approaches to funding and social investment. Our actions, our practices, our programs and our perspectives are all being constantly challenged. Philanthropy in the future has to present new outlooks and new horizons.
According to statistics on philanthropy in Canada, on the people who volunteer their time and knowledge, Canada’s non-profit and voluntary sector is the second largest in the world. That of the Netherlands is the largest in the world and that of the United States is the fifth largest. There are an estimated 160,000 non-profits and charities in Canada, over half—54%—of which are run entirely by volunteers. Some 2 million people are employed by these organizations, or 11.1% of the economically active population. The sector accounts for $79.1 billion or 7.8% of the GDP, which is larger than the automotive or manufacturing industries. Smaller provinces have a higher number of these organizations relative to their populations. The top 1% of these organizations command 60% of all revenues in the sector.
Let us look at some past crises in Quebec.
In January 1998, an ice storm hit Quebec. Thousands of homes were without light or heat for over a month. The economy and the environment suffered from this meteorological crisis and the people living in the affected regions still have bad memories of that time. Some $11 million in donations were collected during the ice storm. That is a lot. Where was the government? That is the question. It is always there after the fact and after a considerable amount of time. Yet, the people had mobilized once again. They have a sense of philanthropy. The organizations are always there for their communities and they always act quickly.
In 1996, the Saguenay region was hit hard by flooding. Centraide, the United Way, quickly came to the assistance of community organizations affected by the disaster. Thanks to the generosity of United Way donors across Quebec and Canada, the organization also saw a considerable increase in the number of new applications to the funding allocation committee. Twenty-seven million dollars was raised during the 1996 Saguenay floods. Once again, where was the government? It took an inordinately long time to respond, and once again, volunteers and community organizations were the ones who mobilized, bringing their philanthropic spirit, as well as their knowledge and expertise, to help the people of Saguenay.
Montérégie also experienced flooding recently, when the Lake Champlain basin and the Richelieu River flooded. In 2011, flooding of the Lake Champlain basin caused water levels to rise substantially between late April and the end of June, right after the flooding of the Richelieu River in Canada and Lake Champlain into the United States. On the Quebec side, the floods affected approximately 3,000 residences in Montérégie. Here is yet another example of philanthropy: the Syndicat des cols bleus regroupés de Montréal mobilized, and over 800 blue collar volunteers came to the assistance of the flood victims. Once again, people came together spontaneously. Where were the provincial and federal governments? Their response time was appalling. The people were suffering, but once again, the philanthropic spirit brought people and organizations together to help.
Even the cultural community mobilized. From June 7 to 13, 2011, comedians from the region joined forces to help the victims of the Richelieu River floods. The youth of the Jeune Chambre de commerce du Haut-Richelieu organized this wonderful initiative in order to raise money as quickly as possible in order to help the flood victims. This is just one more example of what philanthropy means.
The purpose of my speech is clear. I want to talk about the current status of philanthropy. As a young, newly elected MP, I look at how things work in government right now, and I see the trust between the people and the government. Voter turnout is declining, people are demonstrating more and more, and it seems that people are becoming more aware of the situation. Unfortunately, that is not because of any decisions the government is making. Instead, it is because of citizen participation and the fact that new media have enabled them to create a social network. It is easier for them to communicate, get organized and talk about various problems. Most importantly, it is easier for them to find solutions. Confidence in organizations, philanthropy, volunteers and ordinary citizens is growing.
We need to be humble as we consider the future of philanthropy and figure out where we want to be. We have to ask a lot of questions that deserve answers. It does not make sense for a government to ignore the people and not connect with them when organizations, for their part, regularly reach out. They know how to use the tools available to them. They have practically no money, but they still achieve real results quickly. Does it make sense that people are giving more and more money to organizations but are becoming less and less willing to give money to the government? I think so.
A self-respecting government that acts in accordance with its beliefs should listen to the people and connect with those who already play an active role.
I am greatly concerned about the approach taken by this government in the current budget. It is becoming decentralized and disorganized. The Conservatives are doing away with agencies that, for generations, have provided important information and made important contributions to our society. The partnership with these agencies made it possible for the government to adapt, to connect with Canadians and to always be aware of their needs, which is key. But now, the government is targeting these agencies and doing away with them rather than going to see them and telling them that perhaps their information is not up to date and that they should adapt. It is a partnership, a listening relationship. The government could take stock of the situation, but it does not.
I sincerely believe that the Conservatives are really starting to fear philanthropy, despite the fact that they claim to be philanthropists. They have begun selecting and sequestering agencies by sidelining them and cutting their funding. Many agencies were not taking a stand before, but they are doing so now. They are coming to tell us that something is not working. Their funding has been cut without notice on flimsy pretexts. Yet, these agencies provide services to people at the national and international level and they get results.
The idea I am trying to convey is that there are huge issues that need to be raised here in the House and that Canadians need to consider. Philanthropy Day is essential but it is only a start. We must go farther than that. We must have a vision. We must implement concrete measures. We may even need to go so far as to create a new department that will have a direct link with all the agencies and deal with the issue of philanthropy, not just in Canada, but globally. We need to become a leader and show that we can have an ongoing connection with all citizens in all circumstances.
Today, I hope that my grandmother, who is no longer with us but who was a great philanthropist, is listening to me and that she is very proud of the message that I have presented to the House today.