Mr. Speaker, I paid attention to the hon. member's speech.
I thought we were debating the redesign of the ISP. I want to ask the hon. member if he has any opinions on some concrete examples that would improve services for seniors because this is what the bill is about.
For example, it will only take half a day to process a simple OAS application which now takes around seven days to do. Processing time for an application for Canada pension plan benefits will drop from 13 days to one day. Telephone service will be improved so that 97 per cent of all telephone calls will get answered. Today only about 50 per cent get answered. Seniors will be able to make changes to information such as change of address over the telephone using a touch tone system. For clients who prefer personal service or who do not have a touch tone phone, staff will be available to answer their questions quickly.
These are real, positive changes that have an impact on the lives of seniors on an every day basis. The hon. member should be addressing issues that we deal with in this bill. However he has taken the opportunity to expand and talk about the social security review. The reality is that the government has been the first one in a long time that has had the courage to face up to some very difficult challenges and choices we have to make as a nation.
Thirteen per cent of the people in Canada are unemployed for a year or longer. Long term unemployment has increased three times since 1976. When 40 per cent of these people are faced with structural unemployment and 30 per cent of Canadians have problems with literacy and numeracy skills, one has to admit we have to move toward building a better and more efficient social security system that; first, helps Canadians get jobs and keep jobs; second, would help the most vulnerable and; third, is sustainable.
Another flaw in the speech delivered by the hon. member deals with the red book. I do not expect the hon. member to read the red book, among other books which he has not read. If he was to read the red book very carefully he will find these references. I want to cite them to the hon. member because I know he will be engaged in the social security debate. I am sure he does not want to give misinformation to Canadians.
If the hon. member would read page 16 he will find the red book commitment:
A Liberal government will adopt a series of measures to put Canadians back to work and foster economic growth.
Page 21:
It is our goal to help people on social assistance who are able to work, to move from dependence to full participation in the economic and social life of Canada.
Page 22:
A Liberal government will work with all the provinces to use established funding mechanisms such as CAP in more innovative ways in order to move from passive to active support of people in need.
Other pages deal with issues we are dealing with in the social security review. It seems to me that the hon. member must take the time to read the red book, to read the green book, and in a very honest way also tell Canadians where the Reform Party is going to cut $15 billion.