Mr. Speaker, talk like Santa, act like Scrooge. That is the finance minister. With great fanfare he announces a drop in employment insurance premiums, but hides the fact that he really owes workers five times more than he is paying back to them.
The chief actuary of the employment insurance program says that the finance minister owes each worker $350. So why is Scrooge paying back only one-sixth of what he has been overcharging workers? It is no wonder the finance minister has to talk so much about an uncertain environment. He was the one who helped create it with illegal taxes on Canadian families.
This Christmas there will be a hole in each worker's wallet where $300 ought to be for Tiny Tim. Even Scrooge would hang his head in shame.