Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be sharing my time with my colleague from Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, and I would be happy to respond to the motion by the member for Trois-Rivières.
To start, I would like to state that the government shares the concerns about workers adversely affected by current changes currently sweeping through certain sectors of our economy. We share the concerns of our colleagues opposite, but our situation is quite different. The Bloc is in a position to point out problems; as the government, we are in a position to solve them and that is what we are doing.
Although the economy and employment in Canada are experiencing vigorous growth, it is clear that certain sectors, the forestry sector in particular, are under a great deal of pressure.
Last year, 422,000 jobs were created in Canada, with 89,000 in Quebec. However, for various reasons, this is not the trend in the forestry sector. External factors, especially the rapid appreciation of the Canadian dollar on international money markets, rising energy costs, pest infestations and increased overseas competition, have greatly harmed this sector.
Workers in this sector are directly affected by these changes. The Government of Canada is aware of the difficulties faced by workers in the Quebec forestry sector and, of course, throughout Canada, and wants to help these individuals adapt to the upheaval. The throne speech expresses our commitment in this regard.
The government has undertaken to defend the interests of traditional industries in crisis. We have taken concrete measures to follow through on this commitment. For example, the 2006 budget set aside $400 million for the forestry industry to help it deal with difficult situations. We are particularly aware of the plight of workers who have lost their jobs in this sector.
Our contribution to labour adjustment includes, among other things, assistance enabling laid-off workers to acquire skills and find jobs in other sectors, particularly in construction and mining, where there is strong demand in various regions throughout the country and in Quebec.
We are also investing significant resources in order to provide support to laid-off workers, through the employment insurance program, parts 1 and 2, and the targeted initiative for older workers, which was recently put in place.
In all, $350 million will be paid out in regular benefits to Canadian workers who have lost jobs in the forest industry. Close to $60 million go to older workers who have lost their jobs in this particular sector.
The government is also making sure that unemployed workers are being treated fairly as far as income support is concerned. We do, however, also wish to ensure that these people have the opportunity to receive support and assistance in order to remain in the workforce when they lose their jobs. This is particularly the case for older workers who lose their jobs. The knowledge and experience they have accumulated over the years are immeasurable assets.
Despite all they have to offer, older workers run into particular obstacles when they try to find a new job. Some lack the training required to adapt to today's workforce; some have skills that are not a good fit with the new jobs available; employers may be reluctant to hire people who are nearing retirement age.
For these reasons, we have created the targeted initiative for older workers. The federal government has announced a contribution of $70 million, through this initiative, to support the cost-shared programs put in place in conjunction with the provinces and territories in order to help older workers hard hit by this reality to adapt to the new requirements of the job market.
To date, as part of the targeted initiative for older workers, the Government of Canada has signed agreements with nine provinces and territories. Moreover, the funds have now been disbursed in support of new projects. Some 40 cost-shared projects have been approved so far, 20 of those in Quebec.
Out of the current $8.9 million envelope available to Quebec under the targeted initiative for older workers, the equivalent of $7.1 million has been earmarked for the forestry and forest products sectors. In all, approximately 1,400 older unemployed workers are receiving an income supplement through this initiative. They are also entitled to training and other forms of assistance in order to remain productive. We have also struck a group of experts on older workers with a view to assessing what measures the older laid-off worker requires, focusing particularly on improvements to training and income support.
It is evident, therefore, that the government is already providing the unemployed with the type of support the opposition motion addresses. I would stress that we will continue to work in conjunction with our counterparts in the provinces and territories within the targeted initiative for older workers with a view to ensuring the creation of other projects in sectors that are experiencing these difficulties.
We are also contributing to other activities that help workers adjust to changing economic circumstances and new market conditions. The Sector Council Program of Canada is a good example of that. Last month in Jonquière, Quebec, my colleague, the Minister of Labour, announced an investment of over $250,000 to help set up a forestry sector council. As is the case for the other sector councils, this project brings together leaders within the sector to address their human resources issues.
The Minister of Human Resources and Social Development has spoken with members of the mining industry's sector council. The mining industry is growing and is in great need of skilled workers. This council sector recently launched a new project to communicate with the declining sectors, in order to assess the interest the mining industry might generate among workers whose employment is uncertain.
The forestry industry is a good example of a sector where workers might have transferable skills. Our government is well aware of the problems facing workers affected by the changes happening in the global economy. We are working on resolving these problems in a tangible way.
In closing, I believe that our current approach is putting us on the right path to help workers. That is why I will not support the motion of the hon. member for Trois-Rivières.
