moved for leave to introduce Bill C-351, an act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (no interest payable by claimants on benefit repayments or penalties).
Mr. Speaker, this second bill is entitled an act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (no interest payable by claimants on benefit repayments or penalties). Claimants may not be charged interest or any other penalty for the late payment of benefit repayments or of penalties assessed for violations of the act.
The reason behind this bill is that in 2001 the government passed a bill that imposed interest. Now, people who are EI claimants do not have the means to pay interest as well as the penalty or fine. It seems that the debt keeps growing and people can no longer pay it. That is why this will be a good bill.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)