Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Harris, for coming to the committee this afternoon. As I understand it, the thrust of your bill is the issue of fairness. Of course I agree with you: there is no reason why convicted felons should receive greater latitude in their EI benefits as compared with law-abiding Canadians. As you mentioned, they have a choice, of course. They have a choice to play by the rules or break the rules and go to jail.
Now, very often I like to call my constituents of Calgary Northeast the hardest working in Canada. While I believe that's true, Mr. Harris, I also know that there are many other constituencies with hard-working constituents in this country. So it makes me wonder, what would the average Canadian think if they were told that criminals—people who disturb the peace, refuse to play by the rules, and harm their fellow citizens—were being given special consideration, while serving behind bars, for their EI claims? I think I know the answer from my constituents. Of course they would say it is not fair.
Can you tell me what reactions you found from your constituents and also across the board?