Employment Insurance Act  The member is trying to mix apples and oranges. This bill is a major restructuring of UI to EI. It moves away from the kind of tactics of the past, a little patch here and a little patch there, in which we would raise premiums one time, shorten weeks another and move to some other provisions that usually ended up hurting workers.

Employment Insurance  Speaker, when we first announced that we were going to change directions dramatically from where the Tories were in their previous terms in government, we said that we were going to make sure that there was a surplus in the EI account. We knew, as all other Canadians know, it is not a time to increase premiums when the economy is in a downturn. If people do not accept that we should plan for a day when we might have a little more difficulty with the economy than we have today, they obviously should not be on this side of the House.

Employment Insurance  I will say, though, that I find it somewhat humorous that a minister of the Mulroney government who jacked premiums to over $3 is now giving us lectures on why we have not reduced them lower than $2.80. I can assure the House that with the EI fund we will do what is best for the workers, best in the long run for Canadians.

Employment Insurance Act  It is a reality that many people work while they are collecting insurance benefits. Over a period of time claimants on EI may collect half of what they are entitled to because they may have earnings from part time work or small jobs. Under the initial bill, if a claimant collects 50 per cent of what the claimant is entitled to collect while on EI for 24 weeks, the entire 24 weeks would count when the intensity rule is applied to this person's future claim.

The Budget  The last thing we want is what previous governments have done and not build up a surplus in the EI fund. When you are in a recession you have to increase premiums in order to cover the unemployment insurance benefit payments and as a result you start to kill the economy. It is very important to build up a surplus in the EI fund.

Supply  Speaker, you will recall because you were here-I am sure some of these members that were not here would not have read the Hansard as closely as they should have-that premiums had to be increased significantly during the last recession because there was no surplus in the EI account. It is our intention not to let that happen this time. There is no interest or legal capability of the government to take that money and pay off its deficit.

Income Tax Act  This legislation is about tax fairness and further broadening the tax base. For example, the full value of employer paid life insurance premiums will now become taxable. This will remove the advantage that people with corporate plans enjoy over self-employed Canadians or those whose employers do not offer insurance benefits.

Budgetary Policy  That strategy would have lower interest rates, raise the average growth rate of real GDP to 5 per cent per year over the next five years. A nominal freeze on program spending would be imposed in 1995 and 1996 and would be followed by moderate real growth in 1997 to 1999. There would be no increase in the global effective tax rate". For the largest part the paper exposes the analytical and empirical foundations of this proposed combination of accelerated growth and fiscal discipline.

The Budget  What it means is that the small business men and women of my riding who go out and hire somebody new in 1997 are not going to have to pay any increase in their EI premiums. This is a specific measure designed to help stimulate job creation all across Canada, particularly in a riding like mine which is so dependent on the small business sector. That is an excellent program and it will be of significant benefit to an area like Parry Sound-Muskoka.

The Budget  As we reduce payroll contributions we could entice employers to hire. That is clearly stated in the budget. As I mentioned in my presentation in 1993, EI deductions were $3.30 per $100. They are down to $2.90. They are going down to $2.80. As our economy grows our intentions are to reduce those premiums. Hopefully that will motivate employers to hire.

Criminal Code  The new hires program introduced by the government will provide a tax holiday on new hires for EI premiums. We have seen a move to quarterly remittances instead of monthly remittances. These are all attempts to streamline regulations. I urge the Minister of Industry to continue the government's initiative to support small business both across Canada and in my riding of Parry Sound-Muskoka.

Budget Implementation Act  I am proud to be part of a government that had the courage in the budget to meet the problem head on. We also heard the reduction in the unemployment insurance premium cost would be a very important benefit to small and medium sized business persons. Many of them have said a reduction in that cost would spur them on to making decisions that would put people back to work.

Taxation  At the same time it is the reason that one of the essences of the unemployment insurance reform being undertaken by the Minister of Human Resources Development was in fact not only a freeze of the anticipated increase in unemployment insurance premiums brought in by the previous government but an actual rollback next January 1. The leader of the Reform Party referred to an intervention by a Hong Kong banker.

The Budget  According to a recent survey conducted by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, a freeze or reduction in government payroll taxes was one of the most important conditions necessary for small business owners to hire more employees. We have listened. By rolling back unemployment insurance premiums for small business, we are providing these firms with incentives necessary to increase both investment and job creation.

Borrowing Authority Act, 1994-95  Over the next three years more than $3 billion will be cut in government operational spendings over and above the cuts of the 1993 budget. The salary freeze for public servants will be extended for two years and applies to all politicians. Budgets for ministers' offices have been reduced by $13 million annually. There will also be a review of every government appointed agency, board and commission.