Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that the hon. member did not address the motion because, given its wording, he could only have agreed with me. We will discuss the overall UI reform project when we debate the UI bill.
The motion before the House this morning provides that Quebec should control manpower policy. The hon. member remained silent on that issue, because he knows that I am right. What is really important is to ensure that the unemployed have the best guarantees to get help to find decent jobs.
Let me digress for a moment to say that, yes, I did participate in the consultation exercise. Canadians from everywhere told us that the real issue was jobs, not employability. And in order to create jobs, it is essential to have a co-ordinated manpower policy.
This is why this motion deals with manpower policy. In that regard, and regardless of the October 30 results, the National Assembly was unanimous in demanding, yesterday, that Quebec have control over the manpower sector, and that the central government leave that field of jurisdiction and stop interfering in it. The vote was unanimous: 96 to 0, with no abstentions. Moreover, that unanimity also exists among businesses, unions, co-ops and community groups.
I would have liked the parliamentary secretary to comment on our motion. I can only conclude, with some pleasure, that if he did not do it, it is because he would have had to say, assuming he is in favour of an efficient manpower policy in Quebec: "Yes, you are right. The central government should get out of that sector".
The parliamentary secretary said that Quebec benefited from the UI program. The fact is that Quebec and the Maritimes were the ones that bore the brunt of the 1994 reform. The same is true again with this reform. Indeed, by the year 2001, Quebec alone will have to deal with an annual shortfall of $735 million, in addition to a reduction of over $640 million in UI benefits.
I thank the hon. member for finally agreeing with me that the central government had to leave that sector.
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