Mr. Speaker, I was glad to hear the hon. member conclude her remarks by saying she had a lot more to say. That was certainly my hope because I did not hear very much that was worth noting.
I have a problem understanding how a member of Parliament who was a very active member of the human resources development committee in which witnesses continually stated to us that they wanted a change to the status quo, could comment to the House of Commons that she still believes in the status quo. She still believes in the system which Canadians from coast to coast, particularly those who are unemployed, have told us is not working. It is simply unbelievable that at this stage of the debate the hon. member would not come up with any proposals that would speak to the modernization and restructuring of the Unemployment Insurance Act.
It is also quite fascinating how the member and her party have spent the past two years advocating separatism. They have advocated the notion that Quebec on its own could actually be a more functional society but for some reason or other they have not mentioned that this type of political instability has resulted in job losses in this country. They do not talk about that because they are too busy trying to pretend they are the defenders of the less fortunate in our society.
The hon. member also does not talk about the fact that 100,000 jobs will be created as a result of the employment insurance changes the Minister of Human Resources Development tabled last Friday. She does not talk about that because it is good news. She cannot relate to positive change in people's lives.
There are also some things she omits, such as the family income supplement where people with dependents will be able to earn up to 80 per cent of average earnings. She does not talk about that because it speaks to helping people. It speaks to giving greater income security for people while at the same time providing them with the tools required to find work.
She also does not talk about the progressive measures that anyone can access. The five tools of the human resources investment fund were outlined by the minister. Those who have had an attachment to unemployment insurance in the past three years, UI exhaustees who were marginalized and were excluded by the unemployment insurance program, will now be part of that.
The hon. member does not want to hear the truth. She does not want to hear that we have worked very hard to build a better system. Bloc members do not want to hear the good news because their agenda is that they do not want success in this country. They want to break up the country. That is the reason.
Canadians need to face the facts. They need to face the truth about who is sitting in front of us: separatists who are not willing to accept the fact that the employment insurance bill means positive change to people's lives; it means people will be given the opportunities to acquire the skills to re-enter the workforce. Bloc members do not want to hear that.
In reference to sustaining the unemployment insurance program, a program that has grown from $8 billion to $18 billion in less than a decade, any rational human being will say that we simply cannot sustain the type of skyrocketing costs this program has put on the taxpayers, the employers and employees of this country. Those are the facts of life.
It is a real shame that the Bloc Quebecois separatists cannot come to grips with reality as we get ready for the 21st century. They do not talk about the premium relief that is being given to employers and employees. They do not want to talk about that because it is good news. They do not want this bill. They do not want the new employment insurance bill to work. That would mean that Canada works. They have no interest in telling Canadians we are improving their quality of life. It is a real shame they cannot intellectually cope with the type of positive changes that are being implemented.
My question is fundamental. Is the hon. member really serious when she says that the employment insurance bill is completely flawed? Why did she omit reference to the progressive measures which exist in the bill? Why did she do that? Is this part and parcel of the separatist plot?