Mr. Speaker, I would like to say to the minister that, knowing the employment insurance system, his figures are wrong. What he is saying is absolutely wrong.
The number of unemployed who receive benefits dropped from 83% to 38% in nine years. One half of this drop is the result of government reforms, while the other half is due to the Liberals' inability to adjust employment insurance to the new realities of the labour market. With a $20 billion surplus in the EI account, what is the minister waiting for to improve access to benefits?
The figures quoted in the House today are wrong. Sixty-two percent of the unemployed do not qualify for employment insurance benefits.