Premiers say federal job plan must go back to drawing board
Consultation with Ottawa in the works
NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ONT. — Canada’s 13 provincial and territorial premiers unanimously rejected Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s new job training plan Thursday, arguing that its design flaws could damage their existing efforts to help people find jobs.
Speaking during a break from talks at an annual retreat of the premiers, Ontario’s Kathleen Wynne, who is chairing the meeting, said the Canada Job Grant program would remove some existing federal transfers and require $600 million in new provincial and territorial government spending.
“There really was a strong feeling that the program as it exists won’t work,” said Wynne.
“We all agreed that there hadn’t been enough consultation. We all agreed that there would be damage to programs in our communities, in our provinces and territories and that there needed to be a reengagement.”
The federal government estimated the provinces and territories would need to spend about $300 million for the new grant program that has been promoted in recent advertising campaigns.
She added that there were also concerns about implementing the proposed fed- eral program in the business sector.
Federal Employment and Social Development Minister Jason Kenney said he wanted to meet with his provincial and territorial colleagues in the fall to move forward with the job training plan.
Kenney’s office noted that several industry groups supported new investments in jobs training programs.
The premiers have asked British Columbia’s Christy Clark and New Brunswick’s David Alward to continue researching the issue and report back to the premiers in the fall.
They hoped to subsequently have a summit with the federal government to fix the prob- lems. “If we’re going to make it happen in any province across the country, it needs to be fixed,” said Clark.
Alward also said that the federal government was cutting some funding for jobs programs, and introducing a new program without consulting those who deliver the jobs training and skills development services.
“By pulling all the money out and putting it into something they call the Canada Job Grant may sound good, but I don’t believe there was a whole policy work that was done,” Alward said.
“So let’s take a step back and let’s do it right this time,” he continued.
Quebec Premier Pauline Marois added that all premiers agreed with her position that her government should be allowed to withdraw from the program, with full compensation, if Harper’s government doesn’t reverse course.
“We’re always stronger … when we have a unanimous position,” Marois said. “I am happy for the support my positions received from all the premiers of the provinces of Canada.”
Premiers also released a progress report on efforts to develop a national energy strategy, supported by all, except for Quebec and British Columbia.
Alberta Premier Alison Redford who spearheaded the discussions on energy last year said she was encouraged that all premiers participated and suggested they shared the values outlined in their report, such as collaboration, energy stability and security, transparency, social and environmental responsibility.
“I’m very proud of the fact that we got tremendous consensus with respect to that,” said Redford.
“From my perspective this is a very good common platform, for us to be able to share with Canadians and to share with people around the world that these are the values we have with respect to energy and the environment.”
Redford and the other premiers said they were disappointed the federal government had immediately rejected their calls from Wednesday for a full public inquiry into missing indigenous women in Canada.
Clark noted that her own province held its own inquiry about the issue at a cost of about $10 million, leading to dozens of recommendations that are being implemented to address the problem.
Premiers also discussed the need for the federal government to improve efforts to make strategic investments in infrastructure over the long term to reduce environmental impacts, promote sustainability and adapt to climate change.
B.C.’s premier also was hoping to convince her colleagues to follow her province’s example in lowering its trade restrictions on wine from other provinces, starting discussions with Wynne that she said would continue.