Human Resources Committee on Nov. 24th, 2009

[Corinne Pohlmann]

That's the concept, but there should be a bit of a reserve, considering the existing surplus.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

There was a $2 billion reserve set there. That is a fair principle to start with, would you not say?

[Corinne Pohlmann]

It's a start. However, there is another $55 billion out there that should be—

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

I hear that, and it's gone to wherever it's gone.

The EI premiums have been frozen for two years during this economic uncertainty. That was good policy, I'm sure you'll agree.

[Corinne Pohlmann]

Yes, that was a good policy during a difficult economic time, and it should have been part of the stimulus measures that were put forward by the government.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

We have the mechanics of it. The economy will dictate how the premiums stack up to benefits and what we do to provide benefits. Would you agree?

[Corinne Pohlmann]

Can you repeat the question?

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Whether the economy is doing well or going into recession will impact what we get for revenue.

[Corinne Pohlmann]

Yes, I would agree.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

If the revenue is less than the benefits, eventually that will have to be made up, and this balancing act will have to take place on a year-to-year basis.

[Corinne Pohlmann]

You mean under Bill C-56?

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

I mean for all EI claims and benefits.

[Corinne Pohlmann]

Yes, but on the general account there is some money owed to employers and employees.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Putting that aside, principally it's set up the way you'd like to see it work, right?

[Corinne Pohlmann]

Yes, it is.

[Ed Komarnicki, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Thank you.

I'll pass to Mr. Cannan.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Raymonde Folco]

Mr. Cannan.

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, witnesses, for sharing your experiences and taking time out of your self-employed busy life to offer some words of wisdom about the pleasure of being self-employed and the challenges you face.

I've been married just over 25 years. We had a grocery store and a gas station. I remember my wife worked right up to her delivery date, opened the store, went to the hospital, and had a baby. These are the things people do when they're self-employed. I respect the fact that it's something our country has been founded on—the values of strong families. On the commitment our government has, I'm glad to see we're delivering.

Your testimony was about leveling the playing field, equity, and fairness. Small business is the economic engine that drives the economy. I represent a beautiful part of British Columbia in the Okanagan Valley, and we have a lot of small-business farmers in the agriculture industry. At least 70% work off-farm to keep the home fires burning.

I'd like to wish your Rider team good luck this weekend, an occasion for Rider pride.

As to farmers, do you have any idea from your experience with the farming community whether this legislation will help keep farmers and families on the farm?

[Kristin Ego MacPhail]

I think it's a step in the right direction. Owing to other commitments of mine, I haven't had a chance to fly this by organizations. Our Canadian Young Farmers Forum will meet soon, and this will probably be one of the issues we'll discuss.

The general feeling has been positive. The opportunity is important to us. It will put us on a more level playing field with our colleagues in other professions.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Raymonde Folco]

We've come to the end of the presentation of this panel. I'd like to thank everyone.

Madam Rose, you haven't had a chance to say much. Do you wish to add anything?

[Lynda Rose, As an Individual]

Some 88% of our associate members in the Direct Sellers Association are female. For 81% of the members, this is an important bill. They will have the option to take advantage of this opportunity. For women it's a great opportunity, and we appreciate being a part of it.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Raymonde Folco]

Thank you. And now that we have a budget to send you home, have a happy journey home. Thank you so much.

We'll move to our second panel.

[The Vice-Chair, Liberal, Raymonde Folco]

I'd like to welcome, as the second group of witnesses, from l'Alliance des artistes canadiens du cinéma, de la télévision et de la radio, Madame Ferne Downey and Mr. Stephen Waddell; from the Canadian Auto Workers Union, Madame Laurell Ritchie; from the Canadian Dental Association, Dr. Don Friedlander, president and doctor—that's interesting, president and doctor, and Mr. Andrew Jones, director of corporate and government relations; and from le Congrès du travail du Canada, Madame Barbara Byers, executive vice-president, and Mr. Andrew Jackson, chief economist.

We will begin with the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists. Who will speak? Will both of you share your time?

You have seven minutes altogether. That's why I wanted to get started as quickly as I could.

Madame Downey, please go ahead.

[Ferne Downey, National President, Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists]

Thank you.

Good afternoon. My name is Ferne Downey. I'm a professional actor and the elected national president of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists. I'm joined by my colleague Stephen Waddell, who is ACTRA's national executive director. Thank you for inviting us here today to bring you the concerns of the 21,000 members of ACTRA who live and work in every corner of our country.

We are English-speaking workers and artists whose performances entertain, educate, and inform Canadians and global audiences through every medium—film, television, radio, and digital media. Canadian culture stimulates our economy, contributing more than $85 billion. That's 7.4% of Canada's real gross domestic product and more than 1.1 million jobs. Our Canadian film and television production industry puts $776 million in salaries and benefits directly into the pockets of Canadian workers and added $5.2 billion to our economy last year.

However, as is the case with many cultural workers who are self-employed, our ability to access benefits available to other salaried Canadians is very limited. The majority of ACTRA's members are among the 2.6 million Canadians who are self-employed and therefore have not been entitled to basic benefits provided through employment insurance. ACTRA has been fighting for many decades to get governments at all levels to recognize that our members, like all self-employed Canadians, deserve the same rights and access to benefits as other workers.

Allow me to describe for you for a minute what happens when our members fall outside this important social safety net. Women stunt performers often stop working once they show signs of pregnancy, which in many cases is well before the three-month mark. Their loss of income for the duration of the pregnancy can cause great financial hardship for their family. In other physically demanding professions such as being a police officer or a firefighter, you just get a desk job while you're pregnant, but no such option exists for stunt performers.

No access to sick leave means actors stay working on a TV series, concealing health problems and putting their health at risk, rather than take time without income; or an actor with a 30-year career finds himself in treatment for cancer, an undeniably stressful situation, with no income.

No compassionate leave means that caring for loved ones, especially at the end of their days, is simply not possible.

For actors, a long run in a series can be followed by a dry spell of equal length. Actors whose names are revered in the world of television and film may continue to supplement their incomes by equally lucrative careers...as caterers.

Living close to the edge year in and year out takes its toll. Truth be told, if it weren't for those incredible moments that occasionally grace the life of an artist, there would be no artists at all.

All we ask for today is to be given a footing equal to other Canadian workers.

I now turn to ACTRA's national executive director, Stephen Waddell, for some details on how one could improve Canada's EI system.

[Stephen Waddell, National Executive Director, Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists]

On November 3 we were pleased to see the human resources minister, the Honourable Diane Finley, table a bill to extend various EI benefits to self-employed Canadians. If passed, Bill C-56, the Fairness for the Self-Employed Act, would extend special EI benefits, including maternity, parental, sickness, and compassionate care benefits to the self-employed. Our members, like millions of other self-employed Canadians, have to date been denied access to these benefits.

Let me be clear. ACTRA believes this is a positive first step by the federal government, but it is simply that, a first step. Although the proposed changes are not as robust as the benefits currently available to Canadians eligible for EI, ACTRA is calling on all parties to support the extension of special EI benefits to self-employed Canadians. We also urge MPs from all parties to take other suggestions we'll present here today into consideration to ensure that all Canadian artists are able to fully contribute to and benefit from the Canadian economy.

According to the new legislation, self-employed Canadians who opt into the EI program would be eligible to receive the same special benefits currently available to salaried employees, but there are differences in eligibility that deserve further consideration. Under Bill C-56, access to these special EI benefits will be voluntary. Participants must have earned at least $6,000 in self-employed earnings and must opt in for one year before making a claim. This differs from the current EI program, which provides benefits if claimants meet the equivalent of 17 weeks of full-time work, or 600 hours.

Furthermore, the cost of these special benefits will be borne by the participants themselves rather than a joint employer-employee contribution, as is the case with the regular EI program. To ensure the viability and strength of the plan in the future for self-employed workers, we believe producers should also contribute. Other models exist in Canada that demonstrate how to provide these benefits to self-employed workers in an equitable manner. The Quebec government has already set up the parental insurance plan, which provides maternity and parental benefits for self-employed new parents in that province. The Quebec program differs from the federal EI program in that benefits are higher, maximum insurable earnings are higher, there is no waiting period, and participation is mandatory.

We urge the committee to further study the Quebec model to garner ideas about how both self-employed and salaried workers can obtain stronger benefits. We also urge the committee to further help Canadian artists balance career and family life by extending regular EI benefits to self-employed Canadians, regular EI benefits or payments received when a worker loses his or her job. We recommend that once Bill C-56 is passed, a panel of experts should be established to study how to improve both the special benefits afforded by the legislation and move toward self-employed Canadians' eligibility for regular EI benefits.