Former Minister Blais warns Chantal Rouleau about Objective Employment

Photo: Jacques Boissinot archives The Canadian Press Former Minister François Blais, March 14, 2018 in Quebec City

Isabelle Porter in Quebec City

Posted at 5:24 p.m.

• Quebec

Minister Chantal Rouleau’s desire to expand access to Objectif emploi could have simply delighted the father of this program, former Liberal minister François Blais. However, he warns that such a measure risks having mixed results.

“We simply have to be careful with our expectations,” says Mr. Blais, a former minister and professor of political science at Université Laval, in a brief. The success of Objectif emploi, he says, stems in large part from the fact that it is aimed at young people and new welfare recipients.

The latter are “easier to mobilize than all other providers,” he writes, adding that we cannot expect “the same results” with the others.

Objectif Emploi is a mandatory work reintegration program for people who register on welfare. In exchange for a more advantageous benefit, participants must commit to undertaking training or a study program. Those who refuse see their check reduced.

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Significant costs

Launched in controversy in 2015 by former minister Sam Hamad, it was subsequently revised and deployed by Mr. Blais, who succeeded him at Solidarité sociale. The program has since seen some success, with 60% of participants returning to the workforce.

A success that convinced the Minister responsible for Social Solidarity and Community Action, Chantal Rouleau, to expand access to people who return to social assistance.

During his appearance before the parliamentary committee, Mr. Blais specified that despite his reservations, he considers the expansion to be a “very good idea.” However, he believes that it “will entail significant costs.” With more uncooperative participants, he says, a way will have to be found to “revoke” the bonuses offered to them along the way.

Objectif emploi has 7,354 participants according to statistics as of December 2023.

Women's groups half-reassured

On Thursday morning, Minister Rouleau also sought to reassure women's groups about the impact of the reform on abused women. The Fédération des maisons d'hébergement pour femmes and the Regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale were concerned that transforming the bonuses for “employment constraints” into bonuses for “health constraints” would force women in shelters to obtain a doctor's opinion in order to obtain help.

However, Minister Rouleau was categorical. “That's out of the question,” she said, emphasizing that equivalent assistance would be granted to them under a regulation that will be presented later.

In addition, the women affected could have access to the $161 bonus for longer, she indicated. These bonuses are given to people who are recognized as being unable to work.

According to the minister, the shift toward “health constraints” is necessary to better take into account the psychosocial problems that prevent them from having a job. She also suggests that this will allow them to have access to reintegration programs.

Groups defending women victims of violence are, however, half-reassured, because their rights will be less well protected by regulation than by law. “We see this as a regression,” declared the spokesperson for the Federation, Julie St-Pierre-Gaudreault.