Ms. Diane St-Jacques (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources Development, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, we are taking the situation in the beef industry very seriously, and workers can count on the employment insurance plan if they lose their jobs.

Moreover, if the situation warrants, those in charge of employment insurance can sign a worksharing agreement. The Government of Canada is there for Canadian workers and is working very hard to find solutions to this difficult situation.

Ms. Diane St-Jacques (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources Development, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, we are taking the risk of job loss in the beef industry very seriously, and the department will continue to monitor the situation very closely.

If there are layoffs in meat packing plants or in related areas of the beef industry, workers will be eligible for employment insurance and can count on it.

Ms. Diane St-Jacques (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources Development, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague said, we are already transferring $600 million to the Province of Quebec to help those who have lost their jobs. In addition, the Department of Human Resources Development is making available to the workers its full range of programs, including employment benefits, support measures, the Youth Employment Strategy and initiatives under a pilot project for older workers.

Ms. Diane St-Jacques (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources Development, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by thanking my colleague for this question, because this year is the 35th anniversary of the “Hire a Student” program and the creation of human resource centres of Canada for students.

Last year, with the cooperation and active involvement of employers and the remarkable work done by summer employment officers, we helped Canadian employers fill more than 189,000 positions and provided employment assistance services to more than 280,000 young Canadians so that they could gain experience and ease their integration into the labour market.

Ms. Diane St-Jacques (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources Development, Lib.)

Mr. Speaker, as I explained earlier, workers can count on the government's help. That is why we are transferring $600 million to the provinces under this agreement, in order to help workers find jobs.

What workers want is work; they do not necessarily want to rely on EI benefits.