Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Human Resources Development is aware of the fact that, because of the fisheries crisis and the nature of seasonal work, hundreds of workers do not qualify for employment insurance for lack of the requisite number of hours worked.
In many cases, these families are not eligible for welfare. As a result, they cannot afford to put bread on the table.
Did the minister sign an agreement with the provinces as he did in the past to ensure that the workers have the required number of hours worked to qualify for employment insurance so that they can have something to eat at Christmas?