Thank you for the question; it is a very good one.
We do need to think about that. Workers have been paying premiums for many years, and they all pay the same amount. However, as soon as a problem arises, it is no longer the same coverage. That doesn't happen with other types of insurance. It's like saying that, after a collision, your auto insurance company only pays for a portion of the costs by picking and choosing which ones they cover. It's as absurd as that. Although everyone pays the same premiums, some may be told that they will only be paid for 15 weeks and may even end up in poverty after that. It's really a question of fairness or discrimination.
Why shouldn't people who have paid the same contributions be entitled to the same coverage so that they can then resume their place as active citizens? This is a very important point. It's also a matter of trust.
Since 2009, I have collected 620,000 signatures, 500,000 of which are on paper. I don't understand why the government is ignoring this and pretending that nothing is wrong. Before the Liberals were in power, I had worked extensively with Denis Coderre. At that time, everyone was in favour of this bill, which went a long way by proposing 52 weeks of benefits.
I think the public trust is very important. In December 2019, in a private meeting I had with Prime Minister Trudeau and Minister Qualtrough, it was clearly agreed that 26 weeks was inadequate, that they would go back and do their homework and come back with a better proposal. Again, it was a matter of trust.
Finally, let's talk about COVID-19. All those who will be dealing with the aftermath of COVID-19 and its complications for a long time will not have enough with 26 weeks of benefits. As Mr. Céré was saying with respect to temporary measures, if we set the duration of benefits at 50 weeks, we could cover them all instead of always using temporary measures. We have shown that it can be done. We have the money; it comes from the workers. Everything has already been studied. Just do it.
Frankly, I don't understand the 26 week proposal. Fairness, trust and humanity are key to helping people look after themselves.