Above all, it is the logical solution to a very real human problem. By making better use of the resources we devote to training, we will instill hope in Canadian men and women who ask nothing more than to live a life of dignity. But it would be naive to imagine we have solved all our income security problems simply because the roles of the federal and provincial governments in the area of skills training have been clarified. We have to define and put into practice a better, more coherent and effective policy on income security. We can no longer afford to close our eyes to the anomalies and anachronisms that ultimately penalize the beneficiaries of our programs.
Governments allocate enormous resources for social programs.
And it is true that for many years we have had one of the best social service systems in the world. Yet we are still incapable of meeting the needs of tens of thousands of Canadian families. Right here in Montreal, there are more people without jobs than in all the Maritime provinces combined. And in many cases, unfortunately, Montrealers are chronically unemployed because they have not had the opportunity to be trained for the types of jobs available. As Canadian citizens, we benefit from a system of social programs that is second to none.