Leaders skeptical on job plan
Federal government asked for action on dangerous goods movement, investment
TORONTO Canada’s premiers urged the federal government to start using evidence in support of policies to create jobs, throwing new criticism at a proposed national plan that they fear will not work.
“The way it is designed right now, it is not an inclusive program,” said Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, concluding a one-day meeting of provincial and territorial premiers that covered a range of topics including a “chill” in foreign investment and concerns over the transportation of dangerous goods.
P.E.I. Premier Robert Ghiz said that a recent review found that the existing jobs training programs in the provinces were succeeding in finding jobs for 86 per cent of participants, but that the federal government now wants to claw back money from premiers to create a new plan without doing any research.
“So the part that is the most disturbing is the federal government is actually taking a program that’s working and they’re saying: ‘Even though it works, we don’t care,’” Ghiz said at a joint news conference alongside the other premiers.
“It doesn’t fit with us ideologically. So guess what? We’re going to take that money away from you and we’re going to introduce this Canada Jobs Grant, and no we haven’t done any research on it and we’re just going to make it happen. Give us your money now.”
Ghiz, who said the federal and provincial governments should work as equal partners in the federation, added that the proposed federal plan might have some success, but that it wouldn’t be helpful to disband the existing programs.
The premiers said they were particularly concerned that the new federal program wouldn’t help unemployed Canadians with pressing needs or in vulnerable situations such as young people, the disabled, Aboriginals, new immigrants, older workers and people on social assistance.
The premiers also expressed concerns about unilateral federal government decisions on a range of issues, suggesting that recent news it may soon balance its books, indicates the return of a “fiscal imbalance” in the federation in which provinces and territories have increasing services to deliver without an adequate share of the central government’s tax revenues.
Alberta Premier Alison Redford said that the premiers also had concerns the economy was at risk because of uncertainty about foreign investment rules. They proposed that the federal government meet with provincial and territorial finance ministers to work out a plan to get investments back on track in each of their jurisdictions.
“What we have seen is a chill with respect to interest in foreign investment and this isn’t just about stateowned enterprises in China,” Redford said. “Unfortunately, many of us who were looking to equity firms in different parts of the world have heard commentary that there’s so much uncertainty with respect to the rules in Canada that it is giving them pause in terms of how they move ahead.”
Redford said concerns were also coming from investors accustomed to seeing “some give and take” in foreign investment rules. She said those rules had been “changing so quickly and unilaterally in Canada for far too long.”
Quebec Premier Pauline Marois was unable to stay for the closing news conference after the meeting, but earned praise from Redford for showing leadership on efforts to tackle safety concerns related to the transportation of dangerous goods.
“While the federal government has taken some steps which we welcome we think that it needs to be part of a fuller conversation with respect to regulation, management of dangerous goods and also follow up in the event of disasters,” the Alberta premier said.
Redford added that Canada could get more productive results in terms of addressing concerns such as improving safety inspections and information about dangerous materials going through communities by working together, as opposed to “declaratory positions from the federal government.”
“Premier Marois has been very important on that leadership and we appreciated that around the table today,” Redford said.
The fall meeting of premiers is their second large gathering of the year, following a summer retreat, hosted last July in Niagara-on-theLake, Ont.