An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (improvement of the employment insurance system)

This bill was last introduced in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session, which ended in March 2011.

This bill was previously introduced in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session.

Sponsor

Yves Lessard  Bloc

Introduced as a private member’s bill. (These don’t often become law.)

Status

In committee (House), as of Nov. 4, 2009
(This bill did not become law.)

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament often publishes better independent summaries.

This enactment makes a number of amendments to the Employment Insurance Act. Specifically, it
(a) reduces the qualifying period to a minimum of 360 hours of work, regardless of the regional rate of unemployment;
(b) increases the benefit period;
(c) increases the rate of weekly benefits to 60%;
(d) eliminates the distinctions between a new entrant and a re-entrant to the labour force;
(e) eliminates the presumption that persons related to each other do not deal with each other at arm’s length;
(f) increases the maximum yearly insurable earnings to $42,500 and introduces an indexing formula; and
(g) adds a new Part VIII.01 to the Act relating to self-employed persons.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from the Library of Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Votes

Sept. 29, 2010 Failed That Bill C-308, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (improvement of the employment insurance system), be concurred in at report stage.
Nov. 4, 2009 Passed That the Bill be now read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities Committee, on March 17, 2010

  • Pierre Céré, Spokesperson, Conseil national des chômeurs et chômeuses
  • François Lamoureux, Assistant to the Executive Committee, Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN)
  • Danie Harvey, Executive Member, Conseil national des chômeurs et chômeuses

Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities Committee, on April 26, 2010

  • Barbara Byers, Executive Vice-President, Canadian Labour Congress
  • Sylvain Schetagne, Senior Economist, Social and Economic Policy Department, Canadian Labour Congress
  • Chantal Collin, Committee Researcher
  • John Farrell, Executive Director, Federally Regulated Employers - Transportation and Communications (FETCO)

Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities Committee, on May 3, 2010