That is another problem. She does not listen too well. Let us put it that way. Nevertheless everything is filtered through the prism of her separatist philosophy. That is the problem.
She cannot look at a major new program to help unemployed people. She cannot deal with the fact that we want to totally rework federal-provincial relations to transfer far more responsibility to the provinces, to transfer all responsibility for training. She cannot see that because everything is filtered through a separatist black box. It does not allow the hon. member and her colleagues to see the opportunities which exist.
I should like to clarify another important point. The hon. member made claims that this would be offloading on the provinces and that it would create problems. I point out something that has not been deliberately omitted but certainly has not been commented on by opposition members. An important initiative in the legislation is to extend for up to three years to all those who have had an attachment to the insurance system their eligibility for employment benefits. People who have exhausted their claims will now be eligible to start their own businesses with a self-employment program, to get a training voucher or to receive a wage supplement.
This means that 40 per cent of the people presently on the social assistance rolls in the province of Quebec will now be eligible for re-employment benefits. At a time when the provincial government is cutting back on those benefits we are filling the vacuum. That is a very crucial reason negotiation is so important.
There is an opportunity to harmonize our efforts. There is a real opportunity to separate those on assistance from those on the insurance program because in many cases they are the same person. Let us deliver through provincial programs such as APPORT. Bloc members have forgotten that last summer I signed an agreement with the provincial Government of Quebec to contribute to the APPORT program, specifically to test how provincial governments could deliver direct employment measures. Now we are seeing the benefits of that.
I am pleased that the assembly has agreed to negotiate. It is a first step; it is a good first step. The minister of employment for Quebec has already thrown conditions into the process, but I do not mind. I invited her over a month ago to have discussions. I am willing and open. Once we get together to form a partnership we can talk about how to bring the measures together to help those who have exhausted their benefits but want to be employed and about how we can ensure that the benefits paid out are delivered efficiently and without duplication.
Those are the real opportunities this measure opens up. It is a way of redefining how we work as governments and how we can work together. It means redefining the role of government for the individuals and giving far more responsibility, choice and hope to individuals of being able to find work. They will know there is support and they are not being left alone.
It also means an opportunity to help rebuild communities. One of the interesting developments in Quebec is that it is reorganizing down to the community level. I am doing the same in my department. We are reorganizing so that we have far more autonomy and discretion at the local, community and regional levels. If we can get together with provincial governments to agree on decentralization down to the community level, to let them make choices about the best way of employing people, we have done something very exciting. We have redefined governments in their relationships with each other, with individuals and with the community. We can provide the strength to rebuild the communities, to rebuild the employment system in Canada and to rebuild the country while we are doing it.