Thank you for this opportunity to speak with you today.
My comments today will touch on four key areas: employment insurance, infrastructure investment, health care, and early childhood education and care.
The recent economic downturn in Alberta succinctly showcases a major problem with the employment insurance system—the regional variation. Regional variation disadvantages certain provinces and urban areas, and by extension, those workers, their communities, and their families.
The regional variation is unnecessary and divisive, and treats Canadians differently based on where they live. Where you live has little impact on your personal experience of losing a job. The EI system already has rules and time limits for individuals accessing those benefits. In recent months, in Alberta, we have also seen that the regional variation cannot respond fast enough to keep up with market economy changes. The government should eliminate the regional variation and create a uniform entry requirement of 360 hours for all EI benefits, with a qualifying period.
We applaud this government for recognizing the positive impact that infrastructure investment can have on the broader economy. We ask the government to make the rules around procurement of these investments advantageous to Canadian businesses and workers. Responsible investment in infrastructure can be an important tool for supporting and strengthening our economy. Not only do these projects improve lives for future generations, they also provide valuable jobs to the workers now.
Still, infrastructure spending and procurement must be done right in order for these benefits to be realized. Across North America, we are seeing more sustainable and ethical procurement practices that focus not just on the bid price, but also on the quality of employment offered to workers, opportunities for training and apprenticeship for future workers, and how the projects fit into a just transition strategy for workers moving to more green jobs.
We ask that this government follow through on its promise of infrastructure investment to create quality jobs and stimulate the economy, but we also want to stress the importance of the rules within the procurement agreements to ensure that Canadians benefit not only from jobs of the installation process, but also those in manufacturing and maintenance.
Well-resourced and fully integrated early childhood education programming benefits society by reducing inequality and poverty, and providing children with the foundation and skills to succeed in productive and participatory lives. A national child care program makes good economic sense for workers, families, and communities. Now is the time for the federal government to spearhead a national, public, centre-based, regulated child care program, and ensure that child care jobs are good quality jobs with secure retirement options to retain the workforce.
The Canada health accord is an agreement outlining the Canada health transfer. Funds from the Canada health transfer must be used according to the criteria in the Canada Health Act. In order to deliver quality health care, the provinces require predictable and stable funding. Therefore, we ask the federal government to commit to funding at least 25% of health care costs through the health care transfers under a new Canada health accord.
Pharmaceuticals are a growing cost to the Canadian health care system, to employers through extended benefit costs, and to Canadians who require care. Canada is the only developed country to have a universal health care system without including pharmaceuticals outside of those being used in the hospital settings. Currently, prescription drugs are financed through a patchwork of private and public funding. There's no debate that pharmaceuticals are medically necessary, and pharmaceuticals administered outside the hospital are just as medically necessary as those administered inside the hospital. A publicly funded drug plan is the only reasonable way of controlling drug costs and promoting universal access across Canada.
We are living through unprecedented times in terms of globalization and economic issues. We cannot respond to these issues as we have in the past, with deep cuts and tightening our belts. Rather, we should focus on investing in the future, investing in social goods, such as public infrastructure, pharmacare, child care, and quality safety nets for people going through tough times.
Although these investments may seem like an array of different issues, they are united by a simple fact. Good investments in these areas create quality jobs and quality programs that help people through their lives. These investments are good for workers, families, and Canadian communities across the country.
Thank you.