CANADA House of Commons Debates VOLUME 142 Ï NUMBER 010 Ï 2nd SESSION Ï 39th PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Monday, October 29, 2007 Speaker: The Honourable Peter Milliken CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) Also available on the Parliament of Canada Web Site at the following address: http://www.parl.gc.ca 469 HOUSE OF COMMONS Monday, October 29, 2007 The House met at 11 a.m. That Bill C-284 be amended by restoring clause 1 as follows: “1. The Canada Student Financial Assistance Act is amended by adding the following after section 14: Prayers CANADA ACCESS GRANTS 14.1 (1) The Minister, an appropriate authority or a body authorized by the Minister for a province, may make a Canada access grant to a qualifying student if the student PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS (a) has a permanent disability; CANADA STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ACT (b) meets the criteria set out in subsection 12(1); and The House proceeded to the consideration of Bill C-284, An Act (c) is not denied further student loans under section 15 of the regulations. to amend the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act (Canada (2) To receive a grant under this section, a qualifying student shall provide, with access grants), as reported (with amendment) from the committee. the loan application, proof of their permanent disability in the form of (a) a medical certificate; Ï (1105) (b) a psycho-educational assessment; or [English] (c) documentation proving receipt of federal or provincial disability assistance. SPEAKER'S RULING (3) The amount of all grants made under this section to a qualifying student in a The Speaker: There are three motions in amendment standing on loan year shall not exceed the lesser of the notice paper for the report stage of Bill C-284. Motions Nos. 1 to (a) the qualifying student’s assessed need; and 3 will be grouped for debate and voted upon according to the voting (b) $2,000. pattern available at the table. 14.2 (1) The Minister, an appropriate authority or a body authorized by the [Translation] Minister for a province, may make a Canada access grant to a qualifying student if the student I wish to inform the House that the motions seek to restore the (a) meets the criteria set out in subsection 12(1) original title and provisions of the bill that had been removed in (b) is enrolled as a full-time student in a program of studies of at least two years committee. that leads to a degree, certificate or diploma at a designated educational institution; [English] (c) first enrolled in that program within four years after leaving secondary school; I draw members' attention to the fact that according to our practice (d) has never previously been enrolled in a program of studies; and Motion No. 2 would ordinarily be irreceivable if not accompanied by (e) is a person in respect of whom a national child benefit supplement, or a special a royal recommendation. However, it was selected since it proposes allowance under the Children’s Special Allowances Act, is payable or would be to restore one of the bill's clauses which was deleted in committee. payable if the person was less than eighteen years of age. (2) The amount of a grant made under this section to a qualifying student in a loan That being said, members will recall my ruling of November 9, year shall not exceed the least of 2006, in the Debates at page 4979, if anyone wants to look for it, (a) the qualifying student’s assessed need; identifying Bill C-284 as requiring a royal recommendation. This ruling would remain in effect should Motion No. 2 be adopted to (b) 50% of the student’s tuition; and amend this bill. (c) $3,000. (3) In this section, “national child benefit supplement” means that portion of a I shall now propose Motions Nos. 1 to 3 to the House. child tax benefit determined under the description of C in subsection 122.61(1) of the Income Tax Act. MOTIONS IN AMENDMENT 14.3 (1) The Minister shall pay to the appropriate authority or other body Hon. Geoff Regan (Halifax West, Lib.) moved: authorized by the Minister for a province the amount the authority or other body requires to make Canada access grants to qualifying students for a loan year under Motion No. 1 section 14.1 or 14.2. That Bill C-284 be amended by restoring the title as follows: (2) Each appropriate authority or other body shall provide to the Minister at the “An Act to amend the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act (Canada access end of each loan year, or on request of the Minister during a loan year, an accounting grants)” of all grants made to qualifying students by that appropriate authority or other body Motion No. 2 during that loan year or other period identified by the Minister. 470 COMMONS DEBATES October 29, 2007 Private Members' Business (3) An appropriate authority or other body shall repay to the Minister any money That productivity issue is an important one. We need to make sure provided for a loan year that is not given as grants in accordance with section 14.1 or that no one in our country is left behind. That is why it is so 14.2. The overpayment becomes a debt due to Her Majesty in right of Canada on the day after the last day of that loan year.” important that we invest in our human capital and in education and Motion No. 3 make sure that no one in our country misses out on the chance to go That Bill C-284 be amended by restoring clause 2 as follows: to university or a community college. I hope that members in all “2. Sections 40.01 to 40.03 of the Canada Student Financial Assistance parties agree. Regulations are repealed.” [Translation] He said: Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise in the I hope that all the members in this House will acknowledge that House to debate the report stage of my Bill C-284. Let me recap for a the government should make it a priority to ensure that there are no moment for members the intent of Bill C-284. barriers to education and that people have the opportunity to take The purpose of the bill is to extend to all four years of university advantage of the inherent benefits of Canada's prosperity. This is the Canada access grants for students from low income families and very important. students with disabilities. They now receive these grants in the first year of university. That is the intent of the bill: to make this program In a country with great resources like Canada, it would be helpful available for all four years of university to these students who are in for most Canadians to realize that if a person obtains the necessary need of assistance. grades to attend university, community college or CEGEP, it must be Many members of the House are aware of the demographic possible for them to do so. challenges the country faces, particularly in the coming decade or two. As the members of the House of Commons human resources Ï (1110) committee have heard over the past year or so in their study on employability, and I was a member of that committee last year, many [English] sectors in our country are facing shortages in the coming years in terms of skilled workers. In other words, I think Canadians would agree that in a country Some are already facing those shortages. Certainly members from with our tremendous financial and human resources, if students have Alberta are aware of challenges some employers there already have. the marks to get into university, they get to go. That is the way it I can tell the House that as well there are employers in Nova Scotia should be in this country. If students want to go to university and who are facing challenges in getting the people they need with the they have the marks, they should be able to get in. skills they need. It is a problem all over the country. We heard from industries that Post-secondary education holds the key for us in developing the are facing shortages over the next 10 to 15 years, shortages in the best trained, the most highly skilled and the most innovative order of 100,000 or more people that they will need and do not Canadians. It is very important that we have these people. It is very believe they will have in terms of the numbers of people being important that we maximize the potential of Canadians. It is trained now and what will be needed in the future. imperative that we nurture in this country a culture of education, whether it is by supporting the measures contemplated by the bill or That creates a real problem for our country in terms of whether it is in other ways, by encouraging people to recognize how productivity. If our businesses and organizations do not have the important knowledge is and how important learning is. skilled people they need to perform the jobs that are now being performed, they are going to have a real problem being as effective and as efficient as they are today, let alone that they need to be in the We all remember what it was like when we were kids. Sometimes, future. That productivity challenge is one that is closely connected to unfortunately, among children, the kids who do the most to pursue the human resources challenge, the human capital challenge, we face knowledge, who are sometimes the best students, are treated in the country in terms of demographics.