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Results: 16 - 30 of 342
Simon Telles
View Simon Telles Profile
Simon Telles
2021-05-18 15:10
I thank you for the question. I will respond to it briefly.
With respect to the massive investments that have been made in post-secondary education, these are welcome and impactful dollars. You may know that in Quebec we have a student financial assistance program. The money is transferred to Quebec and then they distribute it. These are important amounts for us. The federal government must continue, in our opinion, to invest in students.
On the other hand, these investments only affect students. We're concerned about what's happening with young workers between the ages of 18 and 35, who aren't necessarily in school anymore. The budget kind of forgot about that segment of young people, or at least devoted fewer measures to them.
You talked about job creation, which is one of the main concerns of these young people. There is a new generation coming out of universities, trained and ready to contribute to society. However, these young people are not necessarily able to find a job in line with their skills or their fields of interest. So, this is a particular concern to monitor.
View Gabriel Ste-Marie Profile
BQ (QC)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to begin by congratulating you on your masterful chairmanship of the committee.
Ms. Hnatiw, Ms. Grynol, and Mr. Telles, I welcome you and thank you for your presence and your presentations. You have addressed extremely important topics and critical issues.
My questions are for Mr. Telles.
What is the situation among young people? Since we've been in a pandemic for over a year, how is their morale and what are their economic challenges? You were talking about mental health, for example. How are things on the ground, for young people?
Simon Telles
View Simon Telles Profile
Simon Telles
2021-05-18 15:12
Thank you, Mr. Ste-Marie.
That is an important question. I can tell you that things are better than they used to be. The Canada Emergency Response Benefit and the Canada Student Emergency Benefit are among the things that greatly improved the situation for youth, of course, and provided direct financial assistance to young people and students in need. As I mentioned in my opening remarks, young people are often employed in particularly precarious fields, such as the service, restaurant and tourism industries. Young people have lost their jobs at a higher rate than the rest of the population, and needed this emergency federal assistance. This mattered a great deal in the lives of young people.
Vaccination prospects also make a big difference. For perfectly normal reasons, established by public health departments, young people are often among the last groups to get vaccinated. They are beginning to regain some hope for a return to normal life. On the other hand, the crisis has done significant damage.
There are two specific topics that I talked about in my speech where there is still work to be done: housing and mental health.
Already, under the mental health aspect, there was a sense on the ground that there was a lack of investment, long waiting lists, and a complicated process to access psychotherapy; only a small portion of the population had access. Now the demand is even greater. The pandemic has brought out problems, has brought out new, quite significant stress related to personal life, work, prospects, employment, the projects of young people, which have had to be put aside. So they need some extra help.
Housing is not just a one-time issue; it is a very pressing concern. Young people sometimes have to move from one area to another in order to get housing. Often, housing is going to make up more than half of a young person's total budget. It's too much. It prevents them from meeting their other basic needs.
There is still a lot of work to do. There are some positive things in the new budget, but we shouldn't stop to analyze the programs and measures that are being proposed and wonder how they will affect young people. They will certainly still need to be supported as they emerge from this crisis, to make sure they have all the tools they need.
View Gabriel Ste-Marie Profile
BQ (QC)
Indeed, the housing situation is appalling, given the explosion in prices. For a young person who needs to find housing or wants to buy a condo or a house, it's appalling. Many economists will say that what is needed is to build more housing, but in your presentation you named measures that could be targeted to help young people. Can you repeat those for us, with more explanations, please?
I think I have two minutes left, so you can take them to respond.
Simon Telles
View Simon Telles Profile
Simon Telles
2021-05-18 15:15
Thank you very much. I will be happy to respond.
As you mentioned, new affordable housing needs to be built. In practical terms, the federal government could subsidize construction projects, along with the provinces and municipalities. Initiatives at all levels of government are being put forward to build housing. This is the case in Quebec and I am sure it is also the case elsewhere in the country. The federal government can play an important role in subsidizing these projects and coordinating with all the players to ensure that the projects are carried out properly, while ensuring that the housing remains affordable. The goal is not to build housing that will be subject to speculation, but to have rents remain affordable for young people and others in need.
With respect to home ownership, there is another idea, which I didn't have time to present. I think we need to start thinking about taxing or putting a tax on the sale of buildings, even those that are used as primary residences. There is still a lot of construction, purchase and renovation going on, and prices are rising so fast that young people are no longer able to buy a first property. So, we think that an interesting solution would be to tax the profit generated when selling a residence, even a principal residence. The money raised could then be reinvested to help young people buy a first property.
I was also talking about grants to people in need. We need to continue to directly target younger people with lower incomes to allow them to adequately house themselves. This can be done through the various programs already in place, but we really need to rethink our programs, like the Home Buyers' Plan. We really need to re-evaluate whether it is an effective tool, how many young people have used it and how it has contributed to home ownership. We need to try to re-evaluate the programs that are in place and ask if we could create new programs that would have a more direct effect.
View Peter Fragiskatos Profile
Lib. (ON)
Thank you, Chair.
I'll have to go back to the record afterwards. I think I heard Ms. Jansen say that she may not be voting in favour of the budget, which stunned me a great deal. I think we're all very surprised by that.
I would also point Ms. Jansen and Conservative colleagues, if they wish to take a look, to the most recent data, which has regularly for the past several weeks put Canada in the very top tier—either first some days, second other days, third other days, but no worse than third—in the G20 for vaccinations per day being administered.
It's really something that I think needs to be corrected here. Yes, we can do better, of course, but we're doing extremely well right now. The effect of that rhetoric, Chair, is that it generates a sense of concern and I would say even fear that is not well placed. If we're going to be seized with issues at this committee, let's focus on the facts rather than contribute to these myths that opposition colleagues have been peddling recently.
It's a different issue altogether, but we've seen what has happened with Bill C-10, concerning which Facebook has been alive and well with conspiracy theories about censorship in recent weeks, and we all know they're not true.
I will, however, focus on the issue at hand here, Chair. I just wanted to put those points of view on the record.
Mr. Telles, thank you very much for representing youth here today. Thank you very much for being an advocate.
Ms. Dzerowicz took my question, unfortunately, which was to ask you about student debt. It was great to see that there were a number of measures put in place in budget 2021 to help students with debt. That matters a lot for me, because prior to taking on the role of a member of Parliament, I taught at Western for a number of years, where I saw students really impacted in such negative ways by student debt.
What I also saw was the mental health challenges that young people faced. I think we all know—we've heard the stories in our own communities—about the way the pandemic has exacerbated that challenge for young people. Could you speak to that? I know the budget provides a very sizable investment for mental health in this country and for improved services.
Simon Telles
View Simon Telles Profile
Simon Telles
2021-05-18 15:33
Thank you so much for the question.
I would like to clarify that the assistance given to students was very welcome. However, the young people in the workforce, fresh out of college, seem to have been forgotten. In our view, this is the blind spot in the budget.
With respect to mental health, there is already a lot of awareness and taboos are being broken more and more, which is very positive. However, when young people ask for help, they are told that the waiting lists are long and access to professionals is difficult. I'm talking about the public system, of course. When they finally get help, their therapy is terminated after a few sessions, even though they still have needs, because the number of sessions is limited. Public access to psychotherapy is truly deficient. Additional support to improve funding for the public system would be more than welcome.
The other concern we have is that access to the private network is limited to young people who have insurance that covers psychotherapy, through their education or employment. We need to find a way to make that care available to all young people, whether they have insurance or not, and that's where provincial and federal governments can play an important role in increasing accessibility to care.
View Peter Fragiskatos Profile
Lib. (ON)
I also saw that for my community in London—and I know we're at a distance, Mr. Telles—there is an investment that will secure placements and workplace opportunities for young people. I know university associations and other youth advocacy groups have been calling for this for a long time.
I have just 30 seconds with you, but could you put on the record your thoughts on that?
Simon Telles
View Simon Telles Profile
Simon Telles
2021-05-18 15:35
Certainly.
We're very pleased with this investment. In the past, this sector has sometimes been forgotten. It's true that we need to create employment opportunities for young people. This isn't only about regaining opportunities lost during the pandemic, but also about creating new ones. We welcome this measure in the budget. We hope that there will be more of these measures in the future.
View Peter Julian Profile
NDP (BC)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My questions are for Mr. Telles.
Thank you for your very eloquent testimony.
For the first time in our history, in the middle of a crisis, the government is encouraging excessive profits. Billionaires have made over $80 billion during this crisis. The banking system and the major Canadian banks received $750 billion in liquidity support measures, while the banks made over $40 billion in profits. These are huge amounts of money.
You're talking about extremely important issues that should be considered emergencies, such as housing and mental health. We should put youth first. Unfortunately, our government is doing the opposite. It's putting billionaires and banks ahead of youth.
Given the needs that should be met, do you find that young people are receiving crumbs?
Would you like to see a shift in the government's approach to helping young people thrive in our society?
Simon Telles
View Simon Telles Profile
Simon Telles
2021-05-18 15:40
Thank you for the question.
While significant investments have been made in youth, these amount to a small portion of the overall budget. We can see and recognize the specific impact of the pandemic on youth. We appreciate what has been done, but we believe that it's possible to do even better.
Of course, taxing billionaires and companies more is one way to better redistribute wealth. However, we must try to target young people more in our strategies. My comment about intergenerational equity at the start of my presentation touched on this.
At this time, we assess the intergenerational equity of the various measures in the budget by specifying whether the measures affect youth or seniors. For us, this goes much further. We should be able to determine that a recurring investment made over several years is more robust, in terms of intergenerational equity, than a one-time investment made over one year. We believe that, by developing this type of tool and by further assessing the impact of the measures on intergenerational equity, the government could better target its investments in youth. In our view, this would be the real change in approach needed.
View Gabriel Ste-Marie Profile
BQ (QC)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to congratulate Mr. Fraser on his vaccination. We're on the right track.
Mr. Telles, a number of economists and analysts say that the economic recovery and the end of the crisis will be a K-shaped process. Some will come out ahead or will benefit from it, while others will have difficulty recovering or will take longer to do so. One example is the industry that Ms. Grynol represents, where it will take longer to get back to full employment levels. We need to provide all the support needed for this industry, because we can't do without such important industries.
Mr. Telles, it seems that many young people aren't part of the group that will emerge from the crisis the fastest. What are your thoughts on this?
Simon Telles
View Simon Telles Profile
Simon Telles
2021-05-18 15:55
Thank you for the question.
I share your thoughts. I know of few, if any, young people who have improved their living conditions during the pandemic. Instead, we've seen young people who had to study remotely throughout the year; young people who lost their jobs; young people who had to temporarily put their life plans on hold, such as buying a house, starting a family and travelling; young people who lost job opportunities; young people who are struggling to find housing now; and young people who have mental health issues. That's the reality. Young people haven't benefited from the pandemic. On the contrary, the pandemic has exacerbated all the vulnerabilities that come with their life situation, where they're at a bit of a crossroads, facing many opportunities. All this has worsened over the past year.
So, no, the situation of young people hasn't improved. That's why we're asking for a particular focus on them and a targeted strategy to help them in all the programs implemented by the federal government.
Sean Smith
View Sean Smith Profile
Sean Smith
2021-05-10 15:52
Mr. Chair, vice-chairs, honourable members, good afternoon.
My name is Sean Smith. I served in the Canadian Forces primary reserve as an armoured crewman, with the British Columbia Dragoons and the South Alberta Light Horse, from 1986 to 2001. Thirteen of my 15 years of service were full-time, including tours of duty with the United Nations in Cyprus and NATO in Germany.
I am the ninth generation of my family to serve Crown and country, dating back to Sergeant Robert Perry, a Loyalist who served with Jessup’s Loyal Rangers during the American Revolution. My family has been involved in almost every Canadian conflict, foreign and domestic, from the War of 1812 to the end of the Cold War. For me and my family, remembrance is not a day or a month in the year, it is every day.
It is with this history in mind that I have the honour of presenting my suggestions on how we, as a nation, can better remember those who have served and sacrificed for Canada, while continuing to recognize the ongoing service of those who proudly wear the uniform of our country today.
Veterans, serving or retired, are living history of our nation in war and peace. Unlike memorials of stone or steel, they have the ability to share the experiences of wars fought and peacetime duties done. Growing up, I listened to my father telling me stories of service in the UN in the Belgian Congo in 1963-64, and I read my great-grandfather’s memoirs of serving with Sam Steele in South Africa during the Boer War. It is these stories that connect me to remembrance. While well-known stories of valour and sacrifice of some of our nation’s heroes are important, they are not stories that directly connect the majority of our youth—the carriers of our memory—to our collective history.
I am sure MP Brassard can attest to the difference between a child simply seeing a firefighter and a child who has a chance to talk to a firefighter or watch them work. I am sure that member of MP Samson can attest to the difference between a child learning something from a book and a child learning something from an experience in person. Making those connections embeds a memory with meaning.
Throughout our country, there are people and organizations that have committed themselves to creating living memories. Al Cameron, of Veterans Voices of Canada, has been recording veterans and their stories for years, so they do not get lost in time. The Memory Project, an initiative of Historica Canada, works to connect veterans to schools and organizations, allowing veterans to tell their stories and experiences first-hand. They are people who are passionate about ensuring these memories never get lost or forgotten. I strongly believe that connecting these organizations to the government resources, archives and support, aiding them in furthering their efforts and supporting their passion, will help ensure that so many of these stories will be shared and recorded and not lost to the ages.
As a person who works with youth, I can tell you with certainty that to engage our youth in remembrance, we need to make a greater effort to connect them to that remembrance. We need to challenge and aid our youth to discover their own connections to the history of war and peace in our country. A youth who looks at a photo of the Vimy Ridge memorial might remember it. A youth who looks at a photo of Vimy Ridge and says that his great-great-grandfather fought at Vimy Ridge, that will most definitely be remembered.
In closing, I would like to stress my belief that the future of remembrance does not lie in the hands of you and me. While vital to remembrance, memorials and markers are only physical touchpoints to the people and places of our past. To create real remembrance, we must work harder to connect our youth and citizens to those who are the living memory of our history, as well as connecting them to their own family’s part in that history.
Thank you.
View John Brassard Profile
CPC (ON)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to all the witnesses today for their extremely compelling and powerful testimony.
Sean, it's okay to cry, man, because I cry all the time. This is an emotional thing for all of us sitting on this committee.
I want to pick up on Ms. Blaney's theme about youth. I was critic for Veterans Affairs during Vimy 100. I went there. I also went to Beaumont-Hamel. It's unbelievable the sacrifices that the Royal Newfoundlanders made. Of course, with regard to Vimy, we all know the story there.
It really was a life-altering experience; there's no other way to describe it. Many people who were on that trip as part of the delegation felt the same way. I said in the House at the time that, just as many pilgrimage sites exist for religious or other circumstances, whether it's the Taj Mahal or the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, I think Vimy should be Canada's pilgrimage site for young students.
I know there's a lot of engagement within high schools across the country. There were thousands and thousands of students were there. I ask, “How can we do that better?” because I think it's that important.
Results: 16 - 30 of 342 | Page: 2 of 23

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