Commission on the Reform of Ontario's Public Services

Several labour-market agreements expire after 2013–14, presenting an opportunity for reform.
The current patchwork of labour-market agreements for persons with disabilities, older
workers, EI or non-EI recipients should be replaced with a flexible per-capita transfer that is
wholly funded outside of the EI program, with streamlined reporting requirements and that
includes the further devolution of residual training programs for youth and persons with
disabilities. Greater flexibility for Ontario would allow the province to continue adapting the
full suite of labour-market programs to keep pace with the changing needs of its labour force.
See Chapter 9, Employment and Training Services, for the full recommendation.
Immigration Settlement and Integration Services
Given the importance of immigration to the growth of Ontario’s labour force and economy,
it is crucial that newcomers are effectively integrated into the community and the labour
force so they can fully realize their potential.
Both the federal and Ontario governments provide immigration settlement services. Although
both governments share the same values and desired outcomes, significant overlap in
services and administration exists, which creates inefficiencies and reduces co-ordination.
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“The Manitoba and BC experiences provide evidence that devolution can provide the space for innovation and adaptation to changing
circumstances and the needs and views of the settlement sector.”
F. Leslie Seidle, “The Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement.”
“Even countries with traditions of highly centralized government, such as the United Kingdom, are now experimenting with new
devolutionary, decentralized arrangements.”
Myer Siemiatycki and Phil Triadfilopoulos, “International Perspectives on Immigrant Service Provision.”
Experts agree that responsibility for integrating newcomers should lie with regional or
local authorities, which can design programs that best meet regional needs. Ontario could
also integrate federal settlement services into its existing suite of settlement programs
(see Table 20.6), in addition to programs for education, training and social services.
Settlement programs have been devolved to provincial governments in British Columbia,
Manitoba and Quebec, but the federal government has not agreed to do the same for Ontario.