Mr. Speaker, we must be living in two totally different countries. Go walk in the streets and talk to young people who have just graduated. Today's unemployment rate among young people is the direct result of our current system. It ranges from 15, 16, 18, 20 to 25 per cent, depending on the region.
Does this proposed reform carry a message of hope to our young people? Will asking them to work 920 hours the first year in order to qualify for unemployment insurance be a message of hope for them? Do they see that as an incentive to start a family? For someone graduating with a degree in land use planning or working in wildlife conservation, for all those working in recreation and tourism, who are seasonal workers by definition, is there in this reform a message to the effect that they have a future, that we trust them and that they will go places?
As for the refund, does the member realize that only young people earning less than $2,000 a year will receive a refund? Two thousand dollars, that means 10 weeks at $200 a week. Therefore, most of those who work during the summer will not receive a refund because they will have earned more than $2,000 during the year. They will contribute to a plan but will never receive any benefits in return.
I agree with the member on one point, when he says that one solution is the reduction of the deficit. It is true, it is very true, provided we cut where we should really cut. If we say we reduce the deficit by having a surplus of $5 billion in the unemployment insurance fund, we end up with the opposite of what we wanted.
In conclusion, I ask why does the government not set a goal for the reduction of unemployment as it did for the deficit? Why did it not say: "We are going to try to be, in two years time, at 6 per cent, or 8 per cent or 4 per cent, depending on what we consider to be full employment; this will be our primary objective as a government, and we will make sure that unemployment is decreased to that level". Then, the employment insurance system would have deserved its name. Given this, would the hon. member have arguments that could convince me to change my point of view, to see the situation differently, when the message which seems to be given to our young people is: "If you get good training, you will
have a good chance to find a job but, unfortunately, if you cannot enter the system correctly you will be condemned to rely, year after year, on social assistance?"