MP Gallant: Province Ignores Unemployed Older Workers

November 23, 2007

Ottawa, Ontario - Cheryl Gallant, MP, Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, during debate recently in the House of Commons, questioned why the Province of Ontario refuses to commit to a federal program designed to help unemployed older workers.

Hansard, November 22, 2007.
“I know that members of my party, for example, have raised the issue of older workers, an issue that is not confined to one province, but to many regions of the country, including my province of Ontario. I am pleased to confirm that in response to our concern for older workers, the new Conservative government responded by announcing a Targeted Initiative for Older Workers, a national program intended to benefit all Canadians. 

I mention the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers as this 70 million dollar program is directed to individuals who are either not eligible or have exhausted Employment benefits or other support measures that would be available through E.I. It is targeted to smaller communities, like Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, like Roberval- Lac St. Jean, and my Riding of Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, if it were available. 

For reasons that I have not been made aware, the province of Ontario, unlike nearly every other province in Canada, including Quebec, Ontario refuses to commit that it will participate. This leads constituents in my Riding of Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke who would benefit from this initiative, to assume that Ontario does not care.

This two year program was announced last October. It is a year later and no action. The liberals in Toronto are indifferent to the plight of older workers.

To-date 40 projects have been approved, including 13 in Nova Scotia and 20 in Quebec, projects that are expected to assist over 1,400 unemployed workers. The benefit of programs developed by the federal government is that they are national in scope.  This benefit is lost when certain other agendas are put forward ahead of Canadian workers.”

On October 17th, 2006, Cheryl Gallant confirmed, on behalf of the Government of Canada, that $70 million was announced for the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers (TIOW). This two year initiative was intended to help unemployed older workers, particularly in the age 55 to 64 category, in smaller communities, acquire the skills upgrading or any other skills activities to improve employability and otherwise assist in finding new employment. The Province of Ontario refuses to commit yes or no to participate in this program to assist unemployed older workers.