We obviously have maternity leave. Parental leave can also be shared between mothers and fathers, as is the case at the federal level. We also have maternity leave of three or five weeks, depending on the model selected.
Maternity and paternity leave is better paid. Instead of 55%, parents receive 70% of their salaries, which is already better. Parental leave is paid at 55% of salary because we couldn't do better than that.
So it's important that the employment insurance system provide better-paid leave and that there be no waiting. I'm not absolutely sure of this, and I apologize for it, but I believe there are still waiting periods for federal benefits. That shouldn't be the case because no one is looking for work. Since claimants have just had a baby or are fathers of a new child, the dynamic isn't the same.
The same is true of caregiver and compassionate care benefits. There is a week during which claimants are not paid, whereas this is an essential need. One could make the same criticism of the situation facing those who have just lost their jobs, but I won't go there. It's important that there be no waiting period for this type of benefit, which is granted for essential work that's done for the family, but also for society.
As regards parental leave, it's important that Canadians be entitled to paternity leave. The regime's legislation has just been amended, and the government has agreed that, in single-parent family cases, the mother may take paternity leave or give it to her mother, who would act as the father and take charge of the child, for example.
So there have been improvements for which Quebec groups and the government have worked very hard, where the regime…