Madam Speaker, I want to thank you for recognizing me on such a sad day. This is for the official opposition the last chance to rise in this House and speak against a reform that will affect all Canadians and all Quebecers.
A lot of things have happened in this House, including the unilateral patriation of the Constitution in 1982. Some of the members of government at that time are still here and are about to deal a severe blow to regions like mine. This will hurt not only my riding, but also all the workers who now have the chance to work. They stand to lose their jobs and be hard hit, if their businesses were to go through a rough patch or the economy were to take a downturn.
It is with an aching heart that I rise today in this House to say again, loud and clear, what my constituents from the Gaspé area came here to say, last week, in front of Parliament. These people took a 32- hour bus ride at their expense, because the round trip takes 32 hours. They came here to ask very peacefully to meet with the Prime Minister in order to express their grievances, because nothing in this bill gives them hope for a brighter future after July 1, the day on which this infamous bill comes into force.
Where can we find the strength, maybe it is born of despair, to ask the government to understand their point of view and to postpone this bill, because I think this is the night we will be asked to sentence regions like mine to death? So, I rise today in a last-ditch effort.
I will review all of the issues, one by one. First of all, I want to mention the title of this bill, which is misleading. They call it employment insurance, but nothing in this bill guarantees that jobs will be created. On the contrary, it is more like deficit insurance. The people on the other side have started to admit that they hope to get more money out of the unemployed and to be able to set aside $5 billion at the expense of the jobless. It is outrageous, it is a disgrace. Five billion dollars.
There was a joke we used to tell when I was a kid. "If someone steals some chips in a store, he is called a thief". But if someone steals $5 billion, what is he called? A politician? I am not proud to be a part of Parliament on such a tragic day.
I would also like to mention three new irritants that will strike directly at people in the regions. I am talking about the eligibility rule, the rate of benefits rule and the intensity rule.
What does the eligibility rule provide for? A minimum of910 hours of work. We talked about this throughout the debate, but each time, we were subjected to time allocation, that is, in other words, we were gagged. What does the 910 hours eligibility rule mean when one works in the regions and according to the seasons? It means twenty-six 35 hour weeks. To my knowledge, there are not many seasonal jobs that make it possible to work that long.
And what of the rate of benefits rule? They try to make us believe that the irritants are now fewer. Does putting a plaster on a wooden leg reduce the pain? No, it does not. The bill, as introduced in the House after prorogation, provided for the dividing of consecutive work hours. This is not true any more. Now the work hours will be divided by the higher of the following: with the unemployment rate in our region, 14 weeks, or if one is lucky enough to live in a region with a lower unemployment rate, a greater number of weeks or the period worked. But what is the most vicious, I would say, is that this will have to be within a 26 week period. This bill, once passed, will compel people to concentrate their hours of work.
What will the construction worker tell me, in February, when I ask him to go over to my house to repair the door knob, while I am in Ottawa? He will tell me that he would prefer to see my door knob break in May because May is included in his 26 week period of work, and because he would then have the opportunity to group together his weeks and to concentrate his hours of work. This was just another example. Fishermen and lumberjacks are not the only ones who will be affected. This is an important point.
The intensity rule is another measure that strikes directly at those who work in regions. In an effort to soften this intensity rule, i.e. the 5 per cent penalty, a limit was established and it was decided that those with family earnings that are less than $26,000 in total will be exempted from this rule. But I will come back on this issue later.
How can someone who earns $26,000 and has a family of four believe that he will have a decent life? He will only survive. Therefore, I think the intensity rule will once again hit hard those regions that depend on seasonal work.
It is sad, but I would like to remind our viewers that the official opposition, in spite of its goal to promote sovereignty, has tried by all acceptable and recognized parliamentary means available to do its job and represent the people, to support victims of the job shortage. But, every time we tried, we were prevented from doing so. Every time we tried, we were gagged.
I tried in vain to extend a helping hand, to say that we need to build a partnership, that we need to build a relationship based on trust because I think the government needs the public's trust to be able to implement such changes. Unfortunately, the members opposite did not understand.
It is appalling or, should I say, frustrating for a parliamentarian like myself who has tried to use all available tools. However, I would like everybody in this House to know that it is much more appalling and frustrating for the victims of the job shortage, who will see their benefits reduced as of July 1.
I fear the public's reaction. I am scared. I am even afraid, since we do develop relationships in this House, that some of our Liberal colleagues will have a very hard time when they go back to their ridings after the House adjourns for the summer. Each one of these
members will have to face his or her constituents. I hope they will remember what happened on May 14. I sure hope so.
In closing, I would like to tell the government that, if it wanted money, why has it not decided to get it from those who have large salaries? As mentioned by the member for Mercier a few moments ago, the maximum is being brought down from $43,000 to $39,000. I would like to add that, while we are doing our job, people are waiting.
Why have MPs not been asked to contribute to the fund? Why have senators, who, I think, do not work much sometimes, not been asked? The government could have taken contributions from their salaries to give that money back to people who do want to work and who do not sleep on the job.