Strengthening Organization, Partnership and Education (Calgary Chamber of Commerce Aboriginal Workforce Symposium)

Speaking Notes
for
The Honourable Chuck Strahl, PC, MP
Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-status Indians

Strengthening Organization, Partnership and Education (Calgary Chamber of Commerce Aboriginal Workforce Symposium)

Calgary, Alberta
March 26, 2009

Check against delivery

Thank you for your very kind introduction. It’s great to be back in Calgary and with you here at the Chamber….

The last time I was here with you, last April, my Vancouver Canucks were out of the playoffs and the Flames were battling for the Stanley Cup. This year both teams are doing quite well! Calgary was slightly ahead of Vancouver this morning… but I am pretty sure that was just a typo in the Herald.

(pause)

More seriously, as you all know in this room, the economic landscape is much different from April 2008. Last spring I was talking about a number of measures our Conservative government was taking to support Canada’s economy in the face of uncertain times ahead—a period of uncertainty resulting from the economic slowdown in the U.S. and the financial turbulence that was growing around the world.

In the quick, almost 12 months since then, that economic slowdown and financial turbulence has graduated to a full-fledged international recession. The reason behind the downturn is now obvious – in hindsight. The collapse of the sub-prime mortgage market and inflated real-estate bubble in the United States triggered a synchronized global recession …. a made-in-the-US slump - a domino effect… from which no industrialized country has been immune.

Here in Canada, we’ve felt the effects of this downturn through increased cost and reduced availability of financing; through declining demand for Canadian exports; and through reduced profits and incomes due to the sharp drop in commodity prices. Mind you—the recent recovery in oil prices was good news, but it’s still early to tell if that’s a sign of things to come. Albertans are known for their fierce entrepreneurial spirit. But even that’s taken a beating in this tough economic storm. According to the latest projections made by the provincial government, Alberta’s economy will decrease by over two percent this year, and the rate of unemployment will rise to an average of 5.8 percent in 2009.

(look at crowd)

On the positive side ladies and gentlemen, there is a way out. There is a way to make sure we don’t face the full brunt of the storm. To make sure we emerge from the storm as quickly as possible. And when we do, to be ready to move forward with force and conviction.

The Calgary Chamber’s competitiveness plan points the way. In it, you call on your provincial government to take six steps. You call on them to reduce taxes; to restrain long-term spending; to build infrastructure; to ensure the oilpatch remains competitive; to invest in advanced, environmentally sustainable technologies; and to help the people in this province get the education and skills training they need and deserve.

I can assure you that the Stephen Harper government is taking exactly those steps at the national level. In fact, your six-point competitiveness plan mirrors many of the measures outlined in our government‘s strong and effective Economic Action Plan.

You want your governments to build infrastructure to create jobs—right now. So do we.

That’s why the federal government is making available almost $12 billion over two years, enabling Canadian engineers, builders and workers to create a more modern infrastructure for our country.

You want your governments to invest in the technologies of the future. So do we. That’s why we’re allotting $1 billion over five years to develop ‘green’ infrastructure projects.

You want your governments to stimulate the economy by lowering taxes. So do we. That’s why we’ve been cutting taxes ever since we came to power—corporate tax, sales tax, personal income tax. And we’re going to keep cutting them whenever and wherever we can.

You want your governments to ensure the oilpatch remains competitive. So do we. That’s why we’re extending the 50-percent straight-line accelerated CCA rate on the purchase of manufacturing and processing machinery and equipment for two more years. That’s why we’re permanently eliminating tariffs on a range of imported machinery and equipment.

You want your governments to restrain spending over the long haul. So do we. That’s why the new spending measures we’ve introduced this year will be phased out when the economy recovers, enabling our country to avoid long-term structural deficits.

You also want your governments to invest in the workers of tomorrow. So do we. That’s why we’re taking action to support and improve EI and non-EI training programs, to expand apprenticeships, to help graduate scholars, to retrain older workers, and to fund a new pan-Canadian method to recognize foreign credentials.

In fact, these are just some of the unprecedented steps our government has taken to stimulate the Canadian economy and combat the global recession. And in the eight weeks since we introduced our Economic Action Plan, our government has not only cut red tape, we have taken many extraordinary measures to ensure these crucial investments are not delayed.

As a result, by April 1—a week from now— Canada’s Economic Action Plan will enable us to start investing $20 billion directly into the economy, representing close to 90 percent of the stimulus for 2009-2010 under the action plan. This timetable puts us months ahead of schedule when compared to the stimulus measures of past budgets by previous governments.

While we’re taking action on the economy, we also recognize that Canadians want to see for themselves that their elected representatives are doing so in a responsible manner. To give Canadians the detailed information they need to hold governments and public officials accountable for their actions on the economy, we’ve created a comprehensive new website. The website enables Canadians to examine the details of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, link to specific information on initiatives and projects as they are announced, and gauge our country’s performance compared to other industrialized nations.

I encourage everyone to take a look – ActionPlan.GC.CA  - examine our record and track our progress. You’ll see that Canada is better positioned than many countries to weather the global financial turbulence and worldwide recession.

But don’t take my word for it. The International Monetary Fund feels the same way I do. The IMF praises our approach and the moves we’ve made. Here’s part of what that organization had to say just the other day: “The IMF supports the strong fiscal package announced in January, which was large, timely and well targeted. It will buoy demand during the downturn.”

In its statement, the IMF also highlighted the strength of our banking system, and the importance of cutting taxes, investing in infrastructure and increasing the amount of funding for education and training.

That last item—expanding the supply of skilled labour through improved education and training—was what brought me here last year. At that time, we examined the persistent shortage of labour that prevents us from realizing our full economic potential both in this province and the country as a whole. We also discussed a point that seemed to run counter to this situation: while the labour shortage intensifies, many Aboriginal people in Alberta struggle to find stable, meaningful work.

One year later, the dilemma remains: the labour shortage persists; too many Aboriginal people in Alberta and across our country struggle to find and keep fulfilling jobs.

But we are making progress. We are strengthening organization, partnership and education. Your Aboriginal Workforce Initiative, your new research report and this symposium attest to our progress.

I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your great work. The Chamber’s Aboriginal Workforce Initiative is unmistakable evidence of organization, partnership and education in action. You’re putting in place a solid organization to research the problem. You’re working with partners to come up with possible solutions. And you’re sponsoring educational gatherings such as this one – where we can share our work, our experiences and learn new strategies to engage the next wave of talent.

I want to challenge you to not only continue your current efforts, but to also do even more. Let’s put to work what we learn at this symposium. Let’s follow through on the commitments we make today. Let’s use this gathering and the excitement and spirit of partnership that has been created here as a springboard to even greater collaboration and action.

On behalf of our Conservative government, I can assure you that we’ll be with you every step of the way. We stand ready to partner, to address the labour shortage and help Aboriginal people across our country find stable, meaningful work.

In fact, I’m delighted to report that, since I last stood before you, we’ve taken great strides toward a solution. Three areas deserve special mention: our investments in skills training for Aboriginal men and women, our work with the National Aboriginal Economic Development Board and the engagement of an Aboriginal economic-development framework.

The framework will be a set of clear principles and guidelines that will inform all of the federal government’s policies and programs in Aboriginal economic development. To build this framework, we have consulted a range of Aboriginal people and many others—both experts and laypeople. We have heard their views and gathered their advice. Indeed, we have welcomed the contributions of all Canadians who have shared their ideas with us.

Many of these contributions delved into the important questions we’re dealing with today: What are the most effective ways to increase the number of Aboriginal people who participate in the economy? How can we help Aboriginal people to gain the skills they need to fill current and emerging gaps in the labour market? How do we create an inclusive workplace so we can retain Aboriginal workers? How do we nurture an even greater level of Aboriginal entrepreneurship?

The National Aboriginal Economic Development Board has played an indispensable role in our collective efforts to answer those questions. Chaired by a trailblazing business and civic leader—Chief Clarence Louie—the Board provides a vital link between the public and private sectors, and between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal business and community leaders. Perhaps most importantly, the Board shares the government’s conviction—and I’m sure the conviction of everyone in this room—that the best way for Aboriginal people to enjoy stable jobs, higher incomes and fulfilling careers is for these people to take their economic future into their own hands.

As the important framework takes shape, the federal government continues to create education, skills training and employment opportunities for Aboriginal people. We have allocated an additional $100 million over three years to the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership or ASEP. We invested $75 million over two years in the Aboriginal Skills and Training Strategic Investment Fund. And we are funding the Strategic Initiative for Northern Economic Development and establishing a stand-alone economic-development agency for Canada’s North.

These spending commitments generate education, training and business opportunities for Aboriginal people, and help thousands of Inuit, Métis and members of First Nation communities to qualify for and secure good jobs. At the same time, this funding builds on the existing Aboriginal Business Canada program which was expanded to enable more Aboriginal businesses to access funding opportunities, and has increased its contribution limits to individual Aboriginal entrepreneurs and community-owned businesses.

Along with these actions, the Government of Canada implemented legislation that will smooth the process of commercial and industrial development on reserves. And earlier this year, we re-introduced in the House of Commons a bill (C-5) that will enable the 130 First Nation communities in our country that develop—or have the potential to develop—oil and natural gas resources on their lands to manage these resources with the most modern regulatory, audit and oversight tools available.

Equipped with these valuable tools, First Nation communities will be ideally positioned to realize the economic potential of their resources—in their own way, on their own terms. Now I know that’s something the people in this room can really appreciate.

Those measures are all great news. All prime examples of how organization, partnership and education are being used to solve the labour shortage and help Aboriginal people across our country find stable, meaningful work.

But we all know Aboriginal economic development doesn’t occur in a vacuum. Robust growth is dependent on thriving communities that enjoy quality healthcare services, clean drinking water and safe homes.

Through Canada's Economic Action Plan , our government has committed $400 million over the next two years to support on-reserve housing. Funds are dedicated to new social housing projects, remediation of existing social housing stock and to complementary housing activities through programming from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada.

Just last month, I announced the government would provide approximately $50 million to increase the supply of quality homes in First Nation communities in British Columbia. Approximately $65 million will be made available to First Nations in Ontario to address on-reserve housing issues in that province.

I’d like to take this opportunity to announce that we will invest $50 million to help First Nation communities right here in Alberta increase the number of safe homes on reserves and help these communities make a smoother transition to market-based housing on reserves.

At the same time, this investment will directly stimulate the economies of several communities in the province—both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities—by generating jobs, creating small Aboriginal-owned businesses and enabling workers to put their skilled trades to work.

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s this kind of prudent, practical, carefully targeted investment that’s going to help build strong First Nation communities; that’s going to help ensure Aboriginal men and women receive the education and skills training they need to fill the secure, high-paying jobs that are out there waiting for them; that’s going to build a larger, more diversified workforce that can drive prosperity and economic development for years to come.

It’s this kind of carefully targeted investment that’s going to help all of us weather the current economic storm and emerge from it stronger than ever before.

Thank you.