Monday October 27, 2025 | OTTAWA, ON | Reporting from VICTORIA, BC [Posted at 11:50 am PT | Updated 5:38 pm]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu delivered a preview of the upcoming federal budget regarding supports for workers.
During an announcement in Ottawa today, Hajdu said that the upcoming federal budget will include:
- $75 million over the next three years to boost the Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP) focused on the building trades; helping Red Seal apprentices get access to training is part of the package. “Jobs will be created as well as pathways to meaningful long term careers that will really build Canada strong, the minister stated,” said Hajdu.
- A tax credit that can save personal support workers (PSWs) up to $1,100 a year (up to 5% of eligible earnings) in provinces that don’t already have sectoral wage supplement agreements with the federal government; there are about 380,000 personal support workers in Canada. This is backed by $1.5 billion over five years. “Care can’t wait,” said Hajdu, noting that the care sector is essential to the economy.
- Proposed amendments to the Canada Labour Code to limit the use of non-compete agreements in federally regulated sectors, to strengthen fairness in the labour market and build one Canadian economy by promoting mobility, innovation and opportunity across the country.
This comes ahead of Budget 2025 which will be made public on November 4.
Hajdu’s press conference today was attended by health-care aides and personal support workers of the SEIU who showered her with accolades for ‘having their back’ in their appeal to the federal government for meaningful support.
There are about 400,000 PSWs in Canada.
It was pointed out by one of the speakers that PSW’s are among the lowest paid workers in the health-care system that for the most part can’t run without them.
Controlling what we can:
“We can control how we invest in our people,” said Hajdu today, harkening to the theme that Prime Minister Mark Carney has been articulating in recent weeks as to focusing on making change in areas that Canada can control amidst a more chaotic economic situation more broadly.
Hadju says Budget 2025 “will be about investing in people, spending less on things that are not giving us the results we want and and focusing our efforts on building a stronger and more independent Canada”.
That includes “protecting the people and the values that define us and empowering every worker to lead in tomorrow’s world”
“Together we are building Canada strong,” she concluded in her remarks at the podium.
She told media that “everyone around the world is seeing the fracture in global trading and Canada has been in the middle of trying to negotiate better deals with the United States in a number of very hard hit sectors”.
Not new work:
“All the things announced today are things that members and stakeholders have advocated for”, saying that’s “another hallmark of a good government — a government that works with partners”.
“This is not new work. This is is work that started in 2023. Three provinces (BC, Newfoundland and the Northwest Territories) signed on for wage increases in 2023 through an investment spend to better compensate personal support workers but we did not arrive at agreements with the remaining provinces.”
Health care workers in Canada’s economy:
Universal health care is only as strong as the workers on its front lines. When health-care support workers are using food banks or sleeping in their cars, or retiring into poverty, this is not helpful to the stability of Canada’s society.
HAjdu pointed out that the kind of care people receive in long-term care and home care contributes to the outcomes for people’s loved ones. “Without that quality care it makes it really hard for the family members to go to work with peace of mind that the people that they love the most are being cared for,” said Hajdu.
“People don’t understand the level of emotion that you carry. The stories of loss and loneliness that you listen to. The way that you make every single person you touch feel like they matter. I can’t think of anything more important in these days and ages to make people feel like they matter and that they’re seen,” said Hajdu in thanking the personal support workers.
A former federal Health Minister, She pointed out that the universal health care system in Canada distinguishes this country from others. “The need for health care should trump the ability to pay,” she stated. She also reiterated the importance of child care as a key component for a strong economy so that parents can participate in the workforce.
Hajdu claims that the federal government “works really hard to protect that system, to protect what it represents for all of us”
She describes Canada as “a country that fundamentally despite regional differences — despite political differences — that truly believes that we ought to take care of each other and that we are a country that is committed to doing so.”
Uncertainty and change:
“This is a time of deep global uncertainty and change. The United States has fundamentally changed its approach to trade and as a result we have to transform our economic strategy here in Canada. At the same time we are seeing rapid technological change which is actually changing the very foundation of the world of work,” said Hajdu today.
“Americans are using tariffs as a way to change the landscape of trade for their country,” said Hajdu.
“We can control how we are going to invest in our country and invest in the capacity of our country to diversify our trade, to build major projects, to train skilled workers for areas where there are workforce shortages, and to ensure that people are compensated fairly and stay attached to the workforce in a way that helps families reach their full potential,” the Minister of Jobs and Families said today.
Acting with purpose:
“Our government is acting with urgency and with purpose, and we’ve already begun that work. Recently the PM announced a number of workforce measures that will help workers and the industries affect by global trade disruptions, adapt to new opportunities, and have the supports to do so.”
That includes a reskilling package and temporary changes to Employment Insurance and “work sharing programs for enhanced income supports and the protection of jobs despite economic uncertainty”.
“A strong economy protects people and a strong people protect our country.”
Skilled workers from other countries will be facilitated with entry to work in Canada, Hajdu outlined.
===== RELATED:
National School Food Program celebrated by Jobs & Families Minister Hajdu in Saanich (October 10, 2025)
NEWS SECTIONS: JOBS & EMPLOYMENT | 45th PARLIAMENT of CANADA | HEALTH CARE | JOB TRAINING & RETRAINING | BUDGET 2025