Human Resources committee  It would be as simple as amending the deeming provision in section 25 to say that if you are taking training, it doesn't disentitle you from the extended benefits, or from the extended benefits section, which I understand to be subsection 12(3).

Human Resources committee  The five weeks that came with the budget?

Human Resources committee  Yes, we supported that. You know, we're a lot of things, but we're not ingrates. If someone gives us something that does something good for our members, we generally say thank you and we don't try to kick anybody who's done us a favour. So we were happy.

Human Resources committee  Yes. The training provisions we found to be useful. I'd be a fibber if I didn't say, “Look, we want more in that respect. We'd like better support for our apprentices. We'd like better support for people on EI for retraining.” But what has come to us we're grateful for.

Human Resources committee  The short answer is yes. In terms of EI in the elimination period, essentially, people getting it right away, yes, people are pleased with that. And in terms of the general support for apprentices, through both the apprenticeship incentive grant and the completion bonuses, yes.

Human Resources committee  It treats apprentices more like the secondary school students they are. At one time, the only people who got any support from the Government of Canada or any other government were people who went to university. Our people don't go to university, but they contribute as much to soc

Human Resources committee  No, sir, not even close. There are some provinces that suffer very significantly from this economic malaise. There are other provinces, Saskatchewan and Alberta, where people have been fat, dumb, and sassy for the last eight or ten years, and will continue to be for the foreseeab

Human Resources committee  Mr. Godin, the difficulty is this. I agree that they don't have to look for work. Section 25 of the act deems people who are in the in-school portion to be unemployed and available for work. They don't have to look. They are deemed to be available for the benefit. They are not en

Human Resources committee  Honestly, it isn't what we want, but there are so many workers in our business and in other businesses who will benefit that I would ask you to vote for it.

Human Resources committee  I think we should get the most for the most on this thing that we can, and if there is an unintended consequence that could act against people who are taking training, then the unintended consequence should be ruled out by an amendment to the bill.

Human Resources committee  I will. I think I can do so briefly. I will speak in English, because my French is not good. We are involved in Quebec. We are 28% of the Quebec construction industry. We represent those international unions that are found in Quebec, together with the FTQ, CSD, the Syndicat qué

Human Resources committee  Sir, it doesn't.

Human Resources committee  I will. Our Quebec section does not belong to the FTQ. We stand apart from the FTQ, and we're a competitor of FTQ. In Quebec, the international construction unions stand with the position I put forth.

Human Resources committee  Short answer: I wish I could give you the number, but I don't know. In the spring we lobbied really hard at our legislative conference and beyond for some reforms to the system. Clearly that's not going to happen, so you're left with asking, do you say to your members who could b

Human Resources committee  EI used to have $55 billion in it. It disappeared, and I guess it was the discretionary spending of the last three governments of Canada. Where should the money come from? Maybe if the money went there, the money should come back.