moved for leave to introduce Bill C-521, An Act to provide for the transfer of the surplus in the Employment Insurance Account.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table in the House a private members' bill.
In his budget presentation on February 26, 2008, the Minister of Finance referred to the creation of the Canada employment insurance financing board, which is to be an independent Crown corporation responsible for implementing a new mechanism for setting employment insurance premium rates and for maintaining a cash reserve provided by the government.
The purpose of this bill is to have the government return to the employment insurance fund, which is to become independent, the $54 billion it has taken out over the past 18 years or so, since 1990.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)