Federal Pre-budget Submission 2026

2026 - 06 - 2

Context

 

 In its 2026 Spring Economic Update, the federal government announced plans for strategic investments that will improve productivity, economic growth and position Canada for long-term prosperity. Of note are Team Canada Strong and the Defence Industrial Strategy, two key initiatives which will have significant impacts on the Canadian labour market if they are successful. We are pleased to see the federal government centre workers in its economic strategy, as labour will increasingly be important to meet our urgent priorities, such as diversifying trade, building better infrastructure and homes, and creating stronger communities. As the largest Official Language Minority Community (OLMC) with 1.25 million English speakers in the second-largest provincial economy in Canada, our community has a key role to play in supporting these federal initiatives. Yet key socio-economic indicators suggest the full contribution of this segment of the labour force is not being realized.

The Provincial Employment Roundtable (PERT) is working to build a better employment and economic future for the ESCQ in alignment with the federal government’s long-term vision for a stronger labour force and economy. We are a provincial leader in employment research and programming, and we understand how local employment support and interventions can drive significant economic contributions and productivity gains. When these interventions are combined with multisectoral collaboration and strong policy advocacy, they drive measurable progress – not only for our communities, but for a more inclusive and productive economy overall.

Recommendations

  1. That the federal government adopt a holistic and intersectional approach to employability programming for the ESCQ, acknowledging the importance of tailored programming that is responsive to the needs of both the population and labour market in question.
  2. That the federal government enhance coordination with the Government of Québec to ensure the delivery of English-language employment services, skills training and French-language training within a for-us-by-us framework for English-speaking Quebecers.
  3. The federal government scale up direct investments through various programming streams for provincially funded ESCQ employment organizations in Québec and utilize the amendment and renewal cycles of the LMDA to negotiate stipulations that ensure the money can flow directly without being blocked by M-30.
  4. That the federal government allocate funding to improve the availability and quality of linguistic labour market data through the Labour Force Survey and Job Vacancy and Wage Survey, with a particular focus on underrepresented communities between census years.
  5. That the federal government allocate $2 million to increase community-based research capacity among organizations serving English-speaking Quebecers to identify and respond to regional labour market needs.