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.