Mr. Speaker, through you, I would like to ask my hon. colleague the following question: does he not want to spread the news that the Government of Canada is pumping $4.2 billion into the system instead of $4 billion, including more than $500,000 in measures for the unemployed?
Also, of the $800 million $240 million would go to Quebec, for a total of $747 million in extra money, and he wants to take what away. Does he really want to deprive his constituents of that? My constituents want jobs, they want retraining, they want training, they want decent working conditions, they want wage subsidies and remuneration supplements.
Regarding women, does my hon. colleague want benefits for women or does he want to take away benefits that help ensure the financial independence of women? We are talking about individual insurable earnings and basic employment insurance benefits calculated on these earnings that go to the women and not to government, for governance, but to each working woman.
In addition, women who are currently holding more than one job or working part time at different places will immediately qualify, but the hon. member does not approve of this change. He does not want them to be recognized as part of this change or those in need of assistance, like low income families with children, many of which are headed by women, to be afforded protection by the reform. There will be family income supplements, but he does not want to recognize the fact that this may mean an increase of up to about 80 per cent in the basic amount for low income families. He does not want to recognize that fact.
Neither do Bloc members, in spite of the fact that they are taking steps for reasons of efficiency relating to their culture, want UI recipients to be able to supplement their income by earning $50 a week without seeing their benefits adversely affected. They do not want to recognize that maternity leave and parental leave allowances as well as sick benefits and temporary disability benefits are maintained and provide basic support to Canadian workers and
their families. They refuse to recognize the fact that the reform is actually helping women overcome barriers to employment as a result of reinvesting in targeted employment measures, daycare and income support.
I for one would like to know why the Bloc members, who were elected to this place to represent their constituents at the federal level, cannot and will not recognize that the proposals will have the effect of better protecting families, and women in particular, and why they are so intent on not giving the plain and simple facts to their constituents. Why do they not at least have the openness to say that, from now on, anyone who has received UI benefits or a maternity leave allowance in the last three years will have access to job search services? Why do they refuse to spread this good news? Could the hon. member give me an answer on that?