Mike Lake at the Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities Committee

On February 28th, 2007. See this statement in context.

February 28th, 2007 / 4:05 p.m.

Conservative

Mike Lake Conservative Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB

Thank you.

Ms. Deschamps, thank you for coming in. I appreciate the opportunity to talk to you about your private member's bill.

I want to address something right from the start. I believe I heard that over half the unemployed don't have access to EI. Numbers I've seen refer more to 83%, I believe, of the unemployed who have paid into the program and had recent job separation and qualified were eligible to receive benefits. So obviously there's a big difference between 50% and 17%.

Can you tell me specifically who fits into that 50% that you're saying don't receive employment insurance?

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