Madam Speaker, my colleague opposite was very brief, she addressed only two points in Bill C-31. She forgot quite a few others. She kept silent on many issues this bill is trying to hide.
I would like to remind her that this bill contains provisions on unemployment insurance that were supposed to be in Bill C-12 originally. This morning's gag orders will prevent us from really discussing Bill C-31, also dealing with unemployment insurance, and Bill C-12 at committee stage. So when will we have the opportunity to address these issues?
Bill C-31 amends the Unemployment Insurance Act so that, retroactively to January 1 1996, maximum weekly benefits will drop from $445 to $413. Why is this government introducing the same measure twice? Why use two bills, C-31 and C-12, to enact the same legislation? Is the government afraid of some kind of complication? Does it fear it will not be able to respect the deadlines set in the budget?
Bill C-31 does, in a roundabout way, what the government should be doing directly with Bill C-12. With each new bill, we should be discussing new issues. Will my colleague be happy this weekend when she meets her constituents? Will she be able to explain what is happening with unemployment insurance?