Finance committee  I will turn the microphone over to my colleague Norma Kozhaya, the CPQ's Director of Research and Chief Economist.

Finance committee  In fact, we have not conducted a complete assessment. That might be something we could do. Nevertheless, our analysis of Canada's economic situation very clearly suggests that we must attract more private investment. During the recession, governments invested massively to ensure

Finance committee  First of all, there is a question of principle. When the government implemented an action plan to address the economic situation, it did point out that its measures would be temporary. We believe that temporary programs should remain temporary. Once they have helped achieve the e

Finance committee  Thank you. In fact, I suppose that one of the intents behind that project is to address the concerns of foreign investors who find the Canadian system a bit complex. The Canadian financial sector has an excellent reputation. I do not think we need to wage a campaign to convince

Finance committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. We are pleased to be able to share our recommendations with you. I will present a very brief overview of our concerns and suggestions for the next budget. The Conseil du patronat du Québec represents employer associations from all Quebec industry sectors a

Human Resources committee  I will let my colleague speak more specifically about the program for older workers. What we are trying to do together, with our Quebec partners, is to arrive at a better analysis of labour requirements. We also want to determine how to create a balance between labour demand an

Human Resources committee  Mr. Chair, youth have been more affected because, as we explained earlier, they are the last to arrive on the job market. Consequently, they have accumulated fewer hours of work and have less seniority.

Human Resources committee  I would also add the fact that young people work in certain specific sectors. So, in Quebec, the tourism sector, which was hard hit, springs to mind. A lot of young people worked in this sector, usually in temporary jobs. So, yes, more young people have been affected.

Human Resources committee  I agree.

Human Resources committee  As I said earlier, the employment insurance program covers various aspects, and we have to take that into consideration. It is not just about benefits. Prior to the current recession, expenditures were more or less divided as follows: 50% for benefits and 50% for parental leave i

Human Resources committee  Are you referring to vocational retraining? Yes, I would say that if there is one measure that all the players in Quebec would agree on wholeheartedly—I mentioned this a little earlier when I spoke about the Commission des partenaires du marché du travail—it is this one. This i

Human Resources committee  No, it is the employees who have lost their jobs. But employees work for companies. Of course, people in Quebec are probably going to benefit from it, but to go as far as to say... We represent employers. We notice that the contributors will be the ones to pay, and employers are

Human Resources committee  In all honesty, I would not be able to tell you which measure is best. We have not had an opportunity to study it and obtain all the information. This is one more piece that is added to another piece, with no thought for the overall picture. It is difficult for us to look at the

Human Resources committee  Thank you for your question. Ultimately, there is only one tax payer. Unfortunately, in discussions with parliamentarians or government representatives, certain clients, certain groups, and so on, receive more attention. However, we like to keep a global perspective because, ult

Human Resources committee  At least the bill will only be valid for a limited period of time, but we still maintain that the funding should not come out of the employment insurance fund.