moved for leave to introduce Bill C-449, an act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (parental benefits).
Mr. Speaker, the 1996 national longitudinal survey on children and youth found that 25% of Canadian children entered adult life with significant emotional, behavioural, academic or social problems.
Therefore investing in early childhood development is an imperative, not an option. This bill responds in part to this need by providing more flexibility, options and choices to parents, by amending the Employment Insurance Act to provide one full year of maternity or parental leave benefits under that act.
I am pleased to introduce this bill and I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the House.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)