Minister meets with provincial and territorial colleagues in Quebec

Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment, Joan Burke, joined her provincial and territorial counterparts this week in Quebec for a special meeting: Labour Market in Tune with Families. Discussions focused on work and family balance and the challenges employers, employees and families often face in striving to achieve a balance.

"This was an excellent opportunity for me to meet my colleagues from across the country, share valuable information and gain insight into the current status of this issue in other jurisdictions and how it is being approached in other areas," said Minister Burke. In addition to their own discussions, the provincial and territorial ministers heard from nationally and internationally recognized speakers such as Willem Adema of the Social Policy Division of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on innovative approaches to balancing work and family.

"I was able to draw on these presentations and discussions on many levels. The information was extremely useful in my role as the minister responsible for employment, labour market development, housing and the Women�s Policy Office. I could also relate this to my own efforts to balance home and family life, as is the case with most working men and women today," said Minister Burke. "I look forward to future discussions with my colleagues on what is necessary to support families while, at the same time, enabling people to remain active in the labour market."

At the conclusion of the meeting and in the spirit of the Council of the Federation, the provincial and territorial ministers committed to discussing with their respective colleagues next steps in the process.

Media contact: Jacquelyn Howard, Communications, (709) 729-4062

2004 08 25                                         1:45 p.m.