Thank you, Chair.
I just want to indicate that the NDP will be supporting clauses 73 to 80, which deal with the compassionate care benefits. We're once again pleased the Conservatives have adopted our proposal to extend the EI compassionate care benefits from six weeks to up to 28 weeks or about six months, so Canadians have enough time to care for critically ill loved ones.
I'm sure a lot of us were lobbied heavily on this. I know I was by seniors' organizations and health care organizations. It's something we've been working on for years. My own concern with this, frankly, is the serious narrowing of the eligibility criteria by the Conservatives. As I understand it, only if a doctor provides a certificate that a loved one is going to die within 26 weeks or six months will they be eligible. We think that's much too restrictive. We think other critically ill patients should be covered as well.
But having said that, it's a step in the right direction and we congratulate them for following the NDP's lead.