Thank you.
Let's help precarious workers. The most important thing that governments can do for precarious workers is to provide high-quality, universal public services, such as health care and child care. Almost as important, though, are effective employment standards legislation and proactive enforcement of those standards.
It's true that the federal government can only legislate the employment standards for less than 10% of the workforce. However, it's not true that all federally regulated jobs are already decent jobs. There are many low-wage jobs in banking, telecommunications, airports, and airlines.
Women in Canada earn less money than similarly educated men and are more likely to have incomes that put them below the poverty line. Women dominate low-wage, precarious work. One in three women earns less than $15 an hour, compared to one in five men.
We think that federal leadership, in setting a $15 minimum wage and establishing a proactive employment standards enforcement team, would not only help low-wage workers employed in the federally regulated sector, but also provide important leadership for the provinces.
Finally, let's improve access to employment insurance and make sure that EI redresses labour market inequalities.
There are three elements that would improve women's economic security through employment insurance.
First, recent research shows that Quebec's parental and maternity leave does a better job at reaching low-income families than the program available in the rest of Canada. There are several elements behind this, including a lower entrance requirement, additional "use it or lose it" weeks of leave for the non-birthing parent, and higher replacement rates for portions of the benefit period. These should all be considered.
Second, add an improved low-income supplement, based on individual income rather than household income. For example, impose a floor on benefit levels.
Third, improve access to benefits and the fairness of EI with a uniform, national entrance requirement of 360 hours.
Thank you.