Human Resources Committee on Nov. 26th, 2009

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Chair, just for my own information.... I have four packages, four sets of amendments. I wonder whether we could, just technically, spend three minutes to put it all together under your supervision, so that I know what I have in front of me. They came in at different times and in different languages, and I'm not too sure which is which.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Okay. I'll point out that the package they're handing out now is the one.

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

I would just like something.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

The one they're handing out now has Bill C-56 on the front. It says G-1 in the right corner and talks about “committee stage”, and it should have a “number 1” written on the bottom of the page.

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

We'll make sure we go over each one when we get there.

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Excuse me, I have something else called “C-56, NDP-1”. Is that part of the package?

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

That will be part of the package as well.

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Okay. And I'm sorry to be a nuisance, but I also have something else.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Do you have “Bloc-1” as well?

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

No. I have something called “Government Amendments...clause 11”.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Don't worry about those. Just take the two packages that have been given out right now. There's the one with “NDP-1” on it, and then the one with “G-1” on it.

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Okay.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Go ahead, Mr. Savage.

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Chair, if I could, I want to get the attention of the parliamentary secretary for a second.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Mr. Komarnicki?

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Just before we do clause-by-clause, I have a motion that I haven't circulated and that I have with me in both official languages. I am wondering whether, in the spirit of cooperation we've been hoping for, I might have unanimous consent to bring forward this motion.

I'll read it first, in case the government thinks we're playing tricks.

How would it be if I read it in English?

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Go ahead.

[Raymonde Folco, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Read it in French, please.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Just wait until the translator gets it.

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

The motion is:

That in the opinion of the committee, the government has acknowledged that the voluntary employment insurance system for self-employed persons will not be self-financing, and the resulting imbalance will cause increases in premiums both for employees and employers who are not voluntary participants in the program, and the government should commit to funding out of general revenues the amount by which benefits to the self-employed exceed premiums paid by the self-employed, so that Bill C-56 will not result in a premium increase for employees and employers.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Do you wish to speak to that?

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Yes.

We were told that this was going to be self-financing. When the minister spoke to this before, she indicated that it would be self-financing. When we asked questions about this, it turned out, and we got written information, that the cost of this is going to be some $78 million per year once we reach 2014, I think it is.

While we support EI for the self-employed, we don't think it should be a further burden on the EI fund, which is already under significant duress. So we think it makes sense that the government should commit, if there is a cost to this, that it not come out of the EI fund but come out of general revenues.

If the government is okay with that.... If they're not, then—

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Since we're in clause-by-clause right now, we would need 48 hours for this motion, Mr. Savage. So we can put it on notice and maybe have a look at it at a later time.

[Michael Savage, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Okay.