Madam Speaker, I would like to remind the hon. member that he does not have the right to point out a member's presence or absence in the House.
House of Commons photoLost her last election, in 2015, with 20% of the vote.
Pooled Registered Pension Plans Act June 7th, 2012
Madam Speaker, I would like to remind the hon. member that he does not have the right to point out a member's presence or absence in the House.
Pooled Registered Pension Plans Act June 7th, 2012
Madam Speaker, this morning is all about time allocation. The Conservatives have told us to be silent 24 times. However, it is important for us to be able to speak on various issues.
There are tax-free savings accounts for the richest members of this society, and the government plans to increase the maximum amount that can be deposited into such accounts to $10,000 per year. There are RRSPs for people who are able to save and who choose to go that route. And we are familiar with the public pension funds that are already protecting all Canadians—the Quebec pension plan and the Canada pension plan.
Why take risks? There was a white collar crime scandal not too long ago that jeopardized some people's savings. These people were putting money away every day from their net income—not their gross income—to try to have a pension. They lost $10,000, $20,000 and sometimes even more. Why risk Canadians' savings by investing their pension funds in the stock market?
Employment Insurance June 6th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, that is pretty pathetic.
The consultations that the minister was talking about as recently as last week were actually discussions that took place in cabinet. They were not public consultations. If she wants public consultations, she should go to the Atlantic provinces or talk to people in her Conservative colleague's riding of Kootenay—Columbia. These changes to employment insurance will affect millions of Canadians. Why insult them? Why not consult them?
Employment Insurance June 6th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Human Resources is finally being honest. There will be no consultations with Canadians about the massive cuts that the Conservatives are planning to make to the employment insurance program. There will be no consultations about changes that will leave thousands of unemployed workers empty-handed. There will be no consultations about changes that will force even more young people to leave their communities and that will deal a harsh blow to seasonal businesses.
Why is the minister afraid to consult people about these changes?
Business of Supply June 5th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, what impact does the hon. member think the Conservatives' research and development policy will have on our country's future?
Employment Insurance May 31st, 2012
Mr. Speaker, the government seems to have set a goal of dismantling as many institutions and social programs as possible. Environmental monitoring, old age security and, of course, employment insurance are being put through the ringer. The Conservatives are playing with the employment insurance fund as though it belongs to them. I have some news for them: this fund belongs to the workers and employees who have paid into it over the years to weather the storms that may come.
Does the minister understand that the employment insurance fund does not belong to her?
Business of Supply May 31st, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his speech, even though I do not share his point of view.
What he calls reasonable I call contempt for the workers who have contributed their entire lives in order to have employment insurance when they need it.
Why is the government creating three categories of recipients: frequent claimants, long-tenured workers and occasional claimants? That is no way to divide up the unemployed.
Business of Supply May 31st, 2012
Madam Speaker, this will have a significant impact.
Construction workers are seasonal employees who are accustomed to doing certain work. If specific training is not provided to help them get other employment, they will have to deal with changes that they might not be able to handle mentally, let alone financially.
Business of Supply May 31st, 2012
Madam Speaker, that is a fact, and it has a huge impact on single-parent families and women, among others.
It is not possible under the current system. In Quebec, mayors of small municipalities are saying that it is not really a good thing. I will also talk about business owners' associations because that is something I believe the members opposite will understand. For decades, these associations have been condemning the way employment insurance has been hijacked to provide seasonal workers with incomes greater than social assistance during idle times, or the so-called seasonal gap.
This will have a huge impact on seasonal workers and on a portion of the GDP.
Business of Supply May 31st, 2012
Madam Speaker, that is quite a strange argument. I have heard that argument twice this morning. We are MPs, and when we are no longer members of this House, we would be better off to accept a job that pays 40% of our salary. It does not work like that. People want to find a job where they are paid roughly the same amount for doing similar work.
If I were a psychologist and I were offered a job that paid 70% of my salary, I would try to find a job that paid the full amount. Furthermore, we are telling society that it is acceptable to pay people up to 70% of their wages once they have been unemployed for six weeks. The government says that it is better for workers to be paid 70% than 55%. Workers would be impoverished. The next time, they would again have to accept 70% of their new wages.
Where will it stop? At minimum wage?