Mr. Speaker, I listened to the member's discussion. I found it odd what Reform Party members say on this issue. I remember when they first came to the House and how they were to make a positive contribution. They were to support the government.
This piece of legislation is very important for the domestic economy and for making our manufacturing sector competitive within the world. The unemployment insurance rates in Canada are some of the highest in the western world. Many people feel that because of their attractiveness to some extent the rates have had a significant effect on our ability to compete.
I recall in my own practice as an accountant dealing with small businesses. There was an ongoing problem of people refusing to take jobs at a time when they were already receiving unemployment insurance benefits because the cost of physically travelling to the place of employment or having to employ babysitters, et cetera, meant they would receive less than by sitting home and drawing benefits. In some ways this piece of legislation lowers those benefits in recognition that we have reduced the competitiveness of our labour force.
I listened to Bloc members go on and on about the need for underpinning the social structure of the country and possibly workers in Quebec. The Quebec Manufacturers Association recently published a study showing that competitive labour rates within that province were some of the worst in Canada, which makes its ability to compete worse than that of many other provinces. As a consequence it creates a situation of continued unemployment.
The hon. member said that we missed an opportunity. I also heard him say that he wanted to devolve. I think devolve is the operative word of the Reform Party today. Let us call devolve what it really is. It means to destroy or tear down a system which creates labour mobility and allows people to move from province to province to seek employment. Would he reflect on the history and recognize the positive initiative that has been taken by the government to increase our competitiveness in international trade, to keep the underpinnings of a mobile labour force and to recognize the object of employment is to get people back to work and to increase their skill levels?