Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would first like to congratulate my colleague and tell her that it has been an honour for me to work with her on preparing this bill.
Obviously, this bill is complicated for all of us here today. It is complicated because an enormous amount of work is needed to correct the employment insurance system. While this might at first seem like a lot of measures, it is clear after a closer look that they are all necessary, given the needs of unemployed Canadians. I would like to give full credit to my colleague.
As my colleague pointed out, and rightly so, in the early and mid 1990s, the Liberal government took steps to balance the employment insurance fund. Those measures were probably needed at that time. Perhaps we would have made different choices. Those measures were so draconian that, over the years, they have generated surpluses that have accumulated on the backs of unemployed Canadians. These measures have not been justified since 1996 and 1997.
What pleases me today, and has pleased me over the past few days, is listening to members of the Liberal Party also acknowledge that we must take action to change this. Our colleague, Mr. Savage, did so earlier. I think this gives us reason to hope that the situation can be corrected. I should also be pleased that some of the 28 recommendations that were made are backed by the Conservative government. I should not get excited too soon, however, since the Conservatives have been known to flip-flop. I will wait and see.
I have a question for my colleague. In addition to her excellent work in the House of Commons, I know she is also doing exceptional work in her riding. I would like her to tell us a little bit more about the impact of EI cuts on families. What happens to these people when they run out of employment insurance and run out of money?