Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I very much appreciate the Parliamentary Secretary's question because she is saying exactly the same as we are. This slush fund has become the government's slush fund. We are about to legalize the theft of $57 billion. They want to hear no more about it. The Parliamentary Secretary has clearly said that the time has come to stop talking about it. On paper, we have accumulated a surplus of $57 billion in the employment insurance account, but we are told that they want to hear no more about it. Yet when the Auditor General looked at the figures, she said that it could be put into general revenue but that Canadians must always know how much is in the account. So, we still have the $57 billion, and, by creating a Crown corporation, we are now legitimizing the theft committed by the Liberals in 1996. That is exactly what they did.
Over the last two weeks, I have spoken with workers in my constituency. Not once did they tell me that they wanted regional rules. They did not even mention them, in fact. But they did say that they wanted to be able to qualify for employment insurance benefits. The only thing I know is that the workers told me that they want 360 hours, and that would affect 40 million workers in Canada.
The Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec and The New Brunswick Federation of Labour as well as other federations across the country have taken a stand on this. At all the meetings I have attended, workers' representatives and workers themselves have always said that the number of hours must be reduced so that people can qualify. This slush fund has become the government's slush fund.
With all respect, Mr. Lake, the government tells us that there must be balance. In the budget, we are going to cut taxes for big corporations by $14 billion, but we are giving $1 billion to compensate for the shutdown of the forest and manufacturing industries. A billion dollars to try to fix all the economic problems in Canada, especially in the northeast. For example, UPM in Miramichi has closed its doors, as has Smurfit-Stone in Bathurst, AbitibiBowater in Dalhousie et Smurfit-Stone in New Richmond. Those were all good jobs that were lost.
We have been told that we need balance to fix our economic problems. So we are giving $14 billion to profitable companies like the Alberta oil industry and the banks. The others normally do not benefit from tax cuts when they make no profits. The companies that have benefited the most are the ones in the west. So, when we talk about balancing things, let us not take too much time listening to Mr. Lake. With all respect, I know where he comes from.
You see it as simple: if we can keep the Atlantic provinces in a black hole, the people will all have to move to Alberta. That is how we treat people who work in the forestry and the fishery, people who work hard from morning to night. We are not going to let them to stay at home, they are going to have to move, like it or not, because we want balance. Your idea of balance is to have everyone over near the Pacific so that the world tilts to that side.
The Conservatives say that they do not like social programs. You are opposed to things like that. But one day, it will be up to Canadians to decide your fate. You have not often been elected in Canadian history, and when Canadians wake up, you will not be elected again for a good long time.
Thank you.
