It is difficult for me to answer on behalf of the government. I really hope someone has the courage to do so.
I would like to find someone who is opposed to this bill and has the guts to appear before the committee. We could easily find 500 witnesses who support the bill. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, the government could withhold royal assent because it is a private member's bill. It was nonetheless introduced by an MP and approved by a majority of MPs. This is bordering on an affront to democracy.
The government could invoke a procedure to prevent the rejection of the bill on the pretext that it was not a government bill. Indeed, the idea of extending EI sick benefits to 52 weeks does not come from the government, because the Liberals did not include it in their election platform, preferring instead to save it for later on and take credit for it. That amounts political partisanship on the backs of sick people.
One should never engage in political partisanship on the backs of sick people. Cuts should never be made on the backs of sick people.
It is our duty as parliamentarians to make choices, the right choices, with taxpayer money. Every day, decisions are made in Ottawa that involve spending more than a billion dollars. In this case, we need about a billion dollars per year, which would be paid by Canadians.
It is up to us to decide whether to agree to the 52 weeks, and I hope that we, on the committee of hope, make the right decision.