I represent the Bloc Québécois in Quebec. The Bloc Québécois introduced a bill calling for a program linked with employment insurance. It is an income support program for older workers. I don't know how the interpreter will translate this in English. It is exactly what you need. The Conservatives replied to us in the House of Commons that at the age of 55, a person is not finished and should continue working. That is not at all the issue, They probably do not understand the POWA system. The POWA is for people who lose their job, who want to retrain and who need some temporary financial assistance before they can start a second, third or fourth career. Today's youth will have three, four or five careers in their lifetime.
The POWA is also for those who are not capable of retraining. You cannot ask a person who has only a grade 3 or 4 to become a surgeon within six months. That would be absurd. We are trying to have a bill passed in order to help the knowledge generation, that of people aged 50, 60 and 65. You are our library. You are the people who have built countries, cities, provinces, etc., and we owe you some respect. I believe that the POWA program offers the people who want to retire and who cannot afford it the opportunity to do so with dignity, before they become eligible to the benefits of the Régime des rentes du Québec and to their pension, at the age of 60. I hope that the message has been understood.