Mr. Speaker, I have in front of me a document issued by the Employment Insurance of Canada that has been financed by the budget. It has in it a program called the self-employment assistance program. Under that program people will be subsidized who have current
claims on EI or who have had their claims exhausted in the last three to five years. They will get up to 45 weeks of support, 90 hours of formal business training, development of a business plan, adviser consultations and other goodies.
Would the member support a budget that does the following? Candidates must belong to one of the five federally designated equity groups: women, men 45 years and older, visible minorities, aboriginals and people with disabilities.
Is a budget which allows an employment insurance program to be available to everyone except men under 45 who are not visible minorities, aboriginals or disabled good for Canada? Should we support a budget that allows this kind of discrimination in the free country of Canada?