Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for South Shore for providing the House with an insight into the situation in Atlantic Canada. There has been much said in the media and among members of Parliament who perhaps do not know the situation very well in Atlantic Canada.
One of the impressions given in some media reports is that it is somehow the norm in Atlantic Canada that people would work for only a few months and make a substantial amount of money, that it was simply a way of life to go on UI. The member has dispelled that very well. The constituents of South Shore should know how very hard and how very ably their member has represented the interests of Atlantic Canada.
With regard to the media impression that has been given, could the member elaborate a bit more on the kinds of things that have been happening, from his experience in South Shore and Atlantic Canada, in reaction to the proposals and on his expectations with regard to the potential benefits of the new program?