Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Just with respect to general comments on the Department of Human Resources. It was when we were sitting with the Minister in the briefings that we tried to convey from the Regular Members’ side that we had some grave concerns over some of the plans for proposed cost reductions. Particularly for me, I come from one of the regional ridings and am conveying that if there are going to be cost reductions that they be proportional to the regions.
One of the things is that because I’ve got a small riding of people in my community, I thought and I still feel to this day that my riding suffers a lot more reductions proportionately. That’s something we tried to convey to the HR Minister as something to watch for. That is a concern.
As well, some of the other things that we discussed in our committee is the Affirmative Action Policy and that it really makes sense, Mr. Chairman, where if we are going to lay off and reduce from our workforce that it not be disproportionate as well, meaning that people that have jobs in their communities and regions should not be the first ones to suffer loss because they are there. They are in their home field, they’ve taken the time to get their training, to get their education, to get a good job to serve their people, and they should not be the first ones to be gone, because they are, I can tell you for sure, the biggest contributor to their community, to their region, to their families and provide lots of assistance and volunteerism to help all their communities run. That’s something that should be first and foremost in HR’s mind. We tried to convey that to them.
I think another important aspect, particularly at this time of year: we have a lot of northern students returning North and looking for work and that those jobs not be cut or reduced as well. Those students and part-time positions, Mr. Chairman, often don’t show up in the Draft Mains — I don’t know how they’re accounted for — but they’re a big component of the support system we have for our youth, for our adult learners, for our students that did take the time and effort to go out of the communities to learn and come back. We all know that providing them jobs in their communities or working for our government is a good way for our government to commend them, to give them a pat on the back and say, “Look, you’re doing good, and
we’ll support you wherever we can; we’ll provide you employment for the summer to make money for the lean winter months,” when students have to strive their darnedest.
It’s just about supporting our expanding and growing workforce, Mr. Chairman. That’s something that we as Regular Members have been continually stressing to the Department of Human Resources and really look forward to knowing that they heard us in this case. I’ll just close my opening comments with that.