I don't see anything in this report that says it's going to reduce wait times. But that being said, based on the fact that this bill was read December 1, how can you reconcile to the people of Huron--Bruce that voting against the budget, which would have added five weeks, voting against Bill C-50, which would have added 20 weeks for long-tenured workers--there's over $2 billion right there--work sharing, freezing of EI rates, older workers, retraining, dollars invested in the Building Canada fund and the infrastructure stimulus fund, all these things that deal with unemployment and create jobs...? You and your party voted against all of them. Yet you bring this here, read on December 1, and you say you want two weeks.
How do I reconcile that with the people here in Bruce? We've offered billions of dollars for job creation. Bill C-50, 190,000 people--that's 600 per riding. Yet we're supposed to come here today and accept two weeks when we know one piece of the puzzle was to add five weeks at the end. That alone I would have a tough time defending to the people here in Bruce and saying two weeks is better than five. I've never heard that.
Mr. Ouellet, you voted against everything, yet you're offering this. Help me.