Human Resources committee  It's ensuring that individuals and families who are looking for work and have work have sufficient dollars to be able to conduct that employment search that's necessary, so it's dollars through that. Then also looking at each of those key supports, I would say, would be a good way of looking at it, and then looking at the programs and services to ensure that those are provided.

Human Resources committee  I'm sorry, can I add one thing to the question you asked earlier?

Human Resources committee  I would say instead that we should adopt a policy that every door is the right door. As an example of what I mean, Victoria has 13 different municipalities; when we concentrate all the services in one place, it presents a huge transportation dilemma for people. Instead, I'd like to see a way to integrate services, so that when somebody comes to my office with a question about housing, I can also refer them to employment services.

Human Resources committee  It's time. It's money. There's one extra piece. It's actually really difficult to do advocacy work or to be seen to be doing advocacy work when you are also applying for contracts from that government, and that is one of the pieces we hear quite frequently. Front-line service delivery organizations feel that they will be penalized for doing what they consider to be advocacy.

Human Resources committee  We are rooted in the community and we're engaging with all sectors, and we have the time to be able to be a point of contact for the governments--to be able to say, here are some of the issues. We can identify the key issues, and then the government can take those up into policy.

Human Resources committee  I don't know if anybody else has something to add. From my perspective, we're bringing a number of players together. It's preventing duplication. It's ensuring a continuity of service. We're able to discuss policy together. We're able to bridge some of the sectoral gaps, look at all three levels that have had a horizontal and vertical approach to policy development and service delivery.

Human Resources committee  We also are primarily funded by community organizations, foundations.

Human Resources committee  The specific example I was thinking of was a phone. In Victoria, on basic income assistance you receive $510 a month. I know that's a provincial issue, but this touches on the importance of national welfare standards. The average cost of a bachelor suite is $515 a month, so before you even get to paying for transportation, clothing, and food, you are already in the hole.

Human Resources committee  I completely agree with what Shyla said. What I'm advocating for are some minimum standards across the country and great flexibility in local and regional program delivery. The urban development agreements are a prime example of it.

Human Resources committee  Yes, that is something that would support lifelong learning. Yes, workplace literacy issues and funding for that are enormously important, but I think there's more in terms of having a community that supports lifelong learning, which Norma touched on.

Human Resources committee  I think that B.C. is a unique province, but I don't think that issue is unique to B.C. From my perspective and from my organization's perspective, I would say that the federal government delivers dollars to the provinces and then leaves the provinces the choice of how to spend those dollars.

Human Resources committee  Additionally, there are people who, in falling through the cracks, are now not even on the radar screen for service provision. These are people who are completely out of the system, who are engaged in sex trade work, or who often are without phones. And because they don't have phone access, they're not necessarily being counted among the numbers of unemployed.

Human Resources committee  Certainly I think that's exactly the kind of thing the federal government has the capacity to do. It wasn't just that the dollars were coming in from the federal government. The way the urban development agreement was happening, it was leveraging enormous dollars, including from the province, which otherwise would likely not have been at the table.

Human Resources committee  You are more familiar with the federal policy, perhaps, in this area than I am. My understanding is that the federal government could in fact impose standards. It would be a substantial shift. In fact, if that were possible, I would suggest that the federal government give money through the Canada social transfer and ask the provinces to deliver it.

Human Resources committee  Yes. I really want to emphasize one of the substantial issues. The community council is part of a national poverty reduction strategy, and the variants across the country for welfare standards and welfare delivery are a substantial problem.