Bill C-314 (Historical)

An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (qualifying period)

This enactment amends the Employment Insurance Act to extend the qualifying period when a person has received special benefits during the fifty-two weeks before the interruption of earnings.

Employment Insurance Act

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-314, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (qualifying period).

Mr. Speaker, if they lose their jobs, mothers who took maternity or parental leave do not have a sufficient number of hours accumulated upon their return to work to be eligible for employment insurance benefits, and because the Quebec plan is more generous and works so well, more Quebec mothers fail to qualify for employment insurance.

It is shameful that women who lose their jobs are left without a cent simply because they gave birth. This constitutes indirect discrimination against women, and the government has an obligation to take action and intervene. That is why, today, the Bloc Québécois is introducing a bill to put an end to this prejudice.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Gord Brown, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties and if you were to seek it, I think you would find consent to adopt the following motion. I move:

That, at the conclusion of today's debate on the opposition motion in the name of the Member for Battlefords—Lloydminster, all questions necessary to dispose of the motion be deemed put and a recorded division deemed requested and deferred until Tuesday, October 18, 2016, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions.

[The Speaker, Geoff Regan]

Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House to move the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

No.