Mr. Speaker, earlier today in the debate the Minister of Human Resources Development said that he has not yet come up with a decision about the issue, but it is only three weeks away. We need a decision within three weeks. I should remind the House that one of those weeks we will not be here.
I have a feeling that typically, like the government did with the TAGS program, it will announce the program when we are not in the House to debate it properly. This is where things should be debated, in the House right here in Ottawa.
I want to talk about the Reform Party for just a moment. Every time we talk about EI concerns or anything of that nature, Reformers very quickly switch the debate to tax breaks but not once do we hear them talk about a reduction of the GST-HST. All they wish to talk about is taking EI funds from workers and employers so their corporate friends can enjoy further tax breaks. They want to take that money from workers and employers.
The remarkable thing is that the Reform Party constantly talks about Atlantic Canada as if it were a basket case. I am from Atlantic Canada and it is not a basket case. The fact is we have some very serious problems. We have some very serious concerns, but as everyone knows after the Swissair disaster, Atlantic Canadians and especially Nova Scotians are some of the finest people in the entire country. Atlantic Canada is not a basket case.
Shortly after the last EI reductions were brought in last year by the finance minister and the human resources minister, I think to the tune of $1.4 billion, the finance minister went to Halifax to speak to the chamber of commerce. They said that he had not reduced it enough and that he should have given them a further reduction in EI premiums. The finance minister in his wisdom said “If I reduce it another 20 cents, how many jobs would you people create tomorrow?” The entire chamber of commerce was silent. They could not guarantee one extra job if the EI premiums were reduced another 20 cents. They could not do it. Yet the Reform Party stands here with its right wing policies and says that if EI premiums were reduced, all these jobs would be created.
I would like to tell the Reform Party that if it wants to give tax breaks to people, then reduce the GST and the HST. That would be the biggest job creator for every single Canadian in this country from coast to coast to coast.
We never hear Reform Party members talk about reports or objective concerns from labour. They never discuss the concerns that come out of the CLC, the CAW, the PSAC or the FFAW.