An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (improvement of the employment insurance system)

This bill is from the 39th Parliament, 1st session, which ended in October 2007.

Sponsor

Johanne Deschamps  Bloc

Introduced as a private member’s bill. (These don’t often become law.)

Status

Third reading (House), as of May 9, 2007
(This bill did not become law.)

Similar bills

C-308 (40th Parliament, 3rd session) An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (improvement of the employment insurance system)
C-308 (40th Parliament, 2nd session) An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (improvement of the employment insurance system)
C-269 (39th Parliament, 2nd session) An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (improvement of the employment insurance system)
C-278 (38th Parliament, 1st session) An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (improvement of the employment insurance system)

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Bill numbers are reused for different bills each new session. Perhaps you were looking for one of these other C-269s:

C-269 (2022) An Act to amend the Telecommunications Act (suicide prevention)
C-269 (2021) An Act to amend the Fisheries Act (prohibition — deposit of raw sewage)
C-269 (2016) An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (sentencing) and to make consequential amendments to another Act
C-269 (2013) An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (community service group membership dues)

Votes

May 9, 2007 Passed That Bill C-269, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (improvement of the employment insurance system), as amended, be concurred in at report stage.
Nov. 8, 2006 Passed That the Bill be now read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

Speaker's RulingEmployment Insurance ActPrivate Members' Business

November 6th, 2006 / 11 a.m.

The Speaker Peter Milliken

I am now prepared to rule on the point of order raised by the hon. Government House Leader on Thursday, September 21, 2006, concerning the requirement for a royal recommendation for Bill C-269, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (improvement of the employment insurance system), standing in the name of the hon. member for Laurentides—Labelle.

I would like to thank the hon. government House leader for having drawn this important matter to the attention of the House. I would also like to thank the hon. member for Winnipeg Centre, the hon. member for Mississauga South, the hon. member for Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean, and the hon. member for Acadie—Bathurst for their contributions on this point.

In raising his point of order, the hon. Government House Leader listed five grounds on which Bill C-269 infringes the financial initiative of the Crown: it reduces the qualifying period for benefits; it increases the weekly benefit rate; it repeals the waiting period for benefits; it increases the yearly maximum insurable earnings and it extends coverage of the Employment Insurance Plan to the self-employed.

The Chair has examined the bill carefully and I have concluded that all of these elements would indeed require expenditures from the EI Account which are not currently authorized. I note as well that the summary of the bill lists three further ends which, at first glance, appear to me to involve other increases to expenditures.

Such increased spending is not covered by the terms of any existing appropriation. Funds may only be appropriated by Parliament for purposes covered by a royal recommendation, as explicitly stated in Standing Order 79(1). New purposes must be accompanied by a new royal recommendation.

I would like to address a second question raised by the hon. members for Winnipeg Centre, Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean and Acadie—Bathurst concerning the employment insurance account. In their interventions, they asserted that the funds in the account are paid by workers and employers and do not constitute government funds.

As Speaker, I of course remain strictly neutral on matters of public policy. I would however like to remind the House of the current status of the Employment Insurance Account. As I stated in a ruling on June 13, 2005 at p. 6990 of the Debates:

Sections 71 to 77 of the Employment Insurance Act establish the operation of the Employment Insurance Account as part of the Consolidated Revenue Fund. Amounts are paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund and charged to the Account—

As Bill C-269 envisages the expenditure of funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, I must rule that, on the grounds just enumerated, Bill C-269 requires a royal recommendation. I will decline to put the question on third reading of this bill in its present form unless a royal recommendation is received.

Today's debate, however, is on the motion for second reading, and this motion shall be put to a vote at the close of the current debate.

It being 11:05 a.m., the House will now proceed to the consideration of private members' business.

Resuming debate, the hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs.

The House resumed from November 6 consideration of the motion that Bill C-269, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (improvement of the employment insurance system), be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Employment Insurance ActPrivate Members' Business

November 8th, 2006 / 6:30 p.m.

The Acting Speaker Andrew Scheer

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at second reading stage of Bill C-269 under private members' business.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #63

Employment Insurance ActPrivate Members' Business

November 8th, 2006 / 6:40 p.m.

The Acting Speaker Andrew Scheer

I declare the motion carried.

Consequently, the bill is referred to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

(Bill read the second time and referred to a committee)

It being 6:42 p.m., the House will now proceed to the consideration of private members' business as listed on today's order paper.