Introduction

The Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) wishes to submit a dissenting report to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA) report entitled “Employability in Canada”.

The mandate of the committee was to review the matter of employability in Canada and recommend to the government ways in which to provide an effective pan-Canadian employability strategy that will meet the labour market needs of employers and the skills training and other employment needs of all Canadians. 

As members of the Conservative Party of Canada we fundamentally believe in the general thrust of this study.  We believe that the best social program is a good job with a good salary.  We recognize that the federal government has an important role to play in ensuring that all Canadians have the tools they need to succeed. 

In fact, we have laid out our Advantage Canada plan that seeks to ensure that we have the best educated, most skilled and most flexible workforce in the entire world.  The demands of a 21^st century global economy and the challenges of growing labour shortages across the country demand nothing less from the greatest nation on earth.  We believe that the Prime Minister, the Minister of Human Resources and the Minister of Finance have laid that groundwork over the course of the past two years. 

Although this is a dissenting report, we recognize the committee’s hard work in completing this report.  That being said, there are fundamental differences between all major parties on how to best achieve these goals.  As such, the intent of this dissenting report is to complement the recommendations made rather than oppose the study in its entirety.

Many of the recommendations put forward in the report go well beyond those relating to employability in Canada and include broad program changes that span the spectrum of federal and provincial jurisdiction.  Many of these proposed recommendations remain uncosted, untested and unsupported by our provincial and territorial partners. 

Unlike members of the opposition who can make recommendations and not worry about the long term consequences of what they say we, as members of the government, must be more cautious with our words.  We cannot support recommendations that will have billions of dollars in costs to the public purse with little or no evidence to suggest that these changes will be effective in giving unemployed Canadians the skills they need to succeed.  We cannot support the many recommendations that infringe upon the jurisdictional and constitutional rights of our provincial and territorial partners when they have not been consulted. 

Ultimately, we can not wholeheartedly support recommendations under the guise of an employability study that have little or nothing to do with helping Canadians gain and keep meaningful jobs and we cannot support the implementation of drastic steps that run counter to programs this government has recently announced and put into operation.

Investments in Learning

The committee agreed that significant investments must be made in education and training if we are to compete in a new economy.  What the committee failed to do was recognize the significant investments that this government has already taken to support post secondary education and training. 

Budget 2008 made significant investments in students by creating a new Canada Student Grant Program that will support Canadian students in need with $350-million investment in 2009-10, rising to $430 million by 2012-13.  This new needs-based grant system, a system that student groups have been calling for, will help 100,000 additional students receive higher education as compared to the previous Liberal system. 

This government has also made significant investments in post secondary education in Budget 2008 by investing $3.2 billion through the Canada Social Transfer.  This is a 40% increase over the previous government’s funding levels.  After a $25 billion cut to the CST by the previous government, this investment comes as a breath of fresh air to Canadian students and parents. 

All told, this government is investing $8.4 billion this fiscal year to support post secondary education and students through transfers to provinces, direct spending and tax measures. 

Older Workers

This government continues to have faith in the abilities of older workers and we know that many of them want to continue their important contributions to their employers and their communities.  In Budget 2008, we are building on the success of proven programs to help older workers affected by layoffs in vulnerable communities by investing an additional $90 million over three years in the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers program.  These funds raise the total investment in the TIOW program to $160 million over five years. 

Chapter 4 – Beyond Our Borders – Skilled Immigrants and Temporary Foreign Workers

Canada must tap into the resources of skilled immigrants and temporary foreign workers if we are to continue the economic growth of recent years.  That is why this government has worked to ensure that Canada's immigration policies are more closely aligned with the needs of the labour market by providing $85 million over the next two years to support the enhancement of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.  This program will make it easier and faster for employers to fill skill shortages and jobs for which qualified Canadians cannot be found.

This government has also begun to facilitate the transition to permanent residence for temporary foreign workers and Canadian-educated foreign students who have demonstrated their ability to succeed and a desire to remain in their new home.

We have also recently established the Foreign Credential Referral Office to provide prospective immigrants overseas and new arrivals in Canada with information about the Canadian labour market and foreign credential assessment and recognition requirements.  To that end, this government has provided a total of $73 million over a six year period to allow the program to further strengthen foreign credential assessment and recognition processes in both regulated and non-regulated occupations.

Conclusion

These are just a few areas where we feel the committee has ignored the actions of the government and proceeded to make recommendations that will negatively affect programs that are already providing real results. 

This study was meant to be about employability, about lessening the potential problems of a looming labour market shortage and about providing a better future for all Canadians.  Instead, it has been subverted in some instances to propose a wide array of changes having very little to do with the original goals of the study.  The actions of the government have largely been ignored during the course of this two year study and we cannot support recommendations that have not taken into account the significant investments this government has already made in the areas of employability and job creation.

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