Thank you, Madam Chair.
The problem with EI did not start yesterday. Mr. Céré, you said that this started in 1986 when the Auditor General recommended that the EI fund be transferred to the consolidated revenue fund. That has become a cash cow. We know the rest.
I don't want to point the finger at the Liberals because they are in the opposition. However, this is part of the history of employment insurance. The Liberals tried to make everyone believe that they now want to save the day, but, in reality, after the Mulroney government tried to slash the program, the Liberals made drastic cuts.
If I recall correctly, it was in 1996, because I was elected in 1997. At that time the Minister of Human Resources lost his job and I beat him. Doug Young had imposed budget cuts, I remember well. At the time, the argument was that people would stay home, that the program would undermine employment and that the unemployment rate would increase if EI benefits were not cut.
Today, are we not experiencing the worst economic crisis? Will we blame the employment insurance system for having caused it, despite all the cuts? It is not because they cut EI that they prevented the economic crisis. Are there jobs or not?
At the time, Jean Chrétien sent a letter to a group of unemployed women in Rivière-du-Loup. He said that unemployment was not the most important problem and that the worst problem was the economy and that it had to be fixed. Our people are hardworking. Do you agree with me?
I want to mention something else. Are you not concerned when the Liberals say that they want the adoption of the 360-hour standard to be temporary, during the economic crisis? Do you agree that it should be temporary or would you like it to be permanent?