Finance committee  In fact, I would simply like to mention that inflation does not affect all Canadians equally. So it's important that any assistance strategies that the committee puts forward target particularly vulnerable groups. I mentioned young people, but there are certainly others. To have one-size-fits-all strategies that don't take into account those particularities doesn't help the most disadvantaged people in the country.

Finance committee  Thank you, sir, for giving me the opportunity to talk more about this recommendation. In fact, there are several ways to deal with inflation. It can be dealt with directly, for example, by controlling the policy rate. But there are many other factors that affect the cost of living and the purchasing power of Canadians, and climate change is one of them.

Finance committee  In fact, this is a request related to the Quebec shelter allowance program. It is highly desirable that assistance be provided for young families. However, we realize that single people who live without children face significant financial barriers, as they have no one to share the cost of rent with.

Finance committee  It's really primordial. The way the grants work, some student expenses are allowed. We know that these expenses have increased, particularly in terms of food, transport and accommodation. Therefore, it is important that the Canadian scholarships granted to students take into account the increase in the cost of living and that the exceptional assistance granted in the context of the pandemic be renewed until further notice or, at the very least, as long as inflation remains this high.

Finance committee  I agree with the other speakers that there has to be both a private sector and a government solution. We believe that the government could create incentives for entrepreneurs to build more social housing. For example, it could be established as a condition that certain projects must include a certain percentage of social housing, or simply put in place financial measures that would help contractors build affordable housing.

Finance committee  It will be my pleasure. Fortunately, when it comes to salary, Canadian law does not allow discrimination against a person based on their date of hire. This is a legislative change that was made in 2018 in the Canada Labour Code. However, it is still possible to grant less advantageous ancillary working conditions to some workers, simply because of their date of hire.

Finance committee  That's exactly right. We got the numbers from Statistics Canada. What you need to know is that the annual figures for 2021 were not yet available, so we took the average for each month to come up with an annual average. The actual final numbers may vary somewhat. We do, however, have one unequivocal observation: Young people's purchasing power has significantly declined, more than other Canadians.

Finance committee  Yes, absolutely. It's interesting, sir, because you just gave another example of a measure that's available, but in reality it's not very effective and it doesn't work on the ground. People often get tax credits for buying their first property, but they only get them once they file their tax return.

Finance committee  Yes, since the beginning of the pandemic, we've seen young people working in more vulnerable sectors, including the restaurant industry, which shut down across Canada during the pandemic. Many youth are also working in the tourism sector or in seasonal jobs. These sectors are always likely to shut down when we go through a crisis like this.

Finance committee  With respect to access to property ownership, of course, we're talking about financial measures. All kinds of general measures could be beneficial to everyone, including young people. One of them would be to control foreign speculation on real estate. Vacancy rates can be a concern too.

Finance committee  Thanks so much for your question. We absolutely believe that the government should provide additional assistance to young people so that they can purchase their first home. While we are on the topic, if I may I will provide a little more detail than I did in my presentation. We're seeing that current programs to foster access to property ownership are not necessarily adapted to young people's reality.

Finance committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Members of the committee, it's a pleasure for me to be here with you today. First, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Simon Telles. I am a nonprofit lawyer, but I am here today as president of Force Jeunesse. Force Jeunesse is a nonprofit organization made up of young volunteers from all walks of life.