Mr. Speaker, it is both unfortunate and frustrating that the House is once again embroiled in a debate based on an outdated understanding of the employment insurance system.
There can be no debate that the progressive and equitable reforms to employment insurance introduced by this government are good reforms. They are good for Canadians out of work, good for the economy and good for the country.
Canadians inherently know this and certainly the residents of my riding of Waterloo—Wellington know it and understand it, and this is in fact true.
With the new Employment Insurance Act this government is helping Canadians to find work. Instead of just doling out cheques, we now respond to the real employment needs of people who have fallen on hard times and we tailor strategies to help them succeed.
While our hon. colleagues on the opposite side of the Chamber seem stuck in a time warp, the so-called good old days when the system perpetuated dependency, we instead are moving forward, shifting the focus to one of dignity and self-sufficiency by creating meaningful opportunities for all Canadians.
The new employment insurance system both reflects and responds to today's labour market. Technological revolution and global trade are rapidly changing the world of work. Jobs are disappearing in some sectors, while new positions are being created in others which require different skills.
Intense international competition is also pushing Canada to produce higher educated and higher skilled workers. This new reality is very difficult for individuals who find themselves falling short of these requirements or who are already left behind. That is why we are investing in programs that are more targeted, more results oriented and proven to work for the people who need them.
The new employment insurance system is designed to help unemployed Canadians not only cope with but capitalize on the new economy. We are enabling individuals temporarily out of work to acquire the necessary skills to secure jobs in the new working world.
We are helping Canadians, especially those most at risk of exclusion, to adjust to the knowledge-based economy. We are empowering them to adapt to economic change so they can once again lead productive and satisfying lives.
Employment insurance reforms are fundamentally about finding a balance, about giving people the temporary support they need when they lose a job and providing people with the tools they need to get back to work.
We do not have to choose between economics and people. Success is a question of making the right choices in order to build a better society.
Societal development goes hand in hand with economic development. As our population becomes more productive, our country will be more productive.
An equally important benefit for all Canadians is that the new employment insurance system allows us to work more efficiently and less expensively, providing the public with the services they need and the services they can afford.
Long term affordability of the system is at the heart of the reserve in the employment insurance account. The government must pay employment insurance benefits in all circumstances, even when the account has a deficit, as it did during most of the 1980s and the early 1990s. The reserve means that the money is there when it is most needed, during an economic downturn, and ensures that we do not have to raise premiums at the worst possible time.
In modernizing the system we also make it fairer and more equitable. For the first time, every hour of work counts. Counting total hours instead of meeting a minimum number of weeks makes it easier for most people, particularly women, young people and seasonal workers, to satisfy entrance requirements. Whether we talk about the part time worker, the mother to be who will be able to collect maternity benefits, the construction worker laid off during the winter months or the student working as a department store clerk, employment insurance benefits have been restructured to strengthen the value of work. The system now recognizes that whether work is full time, part time or integrated from time to time, every Canadian's contribution counts.
Perhaps the most important improvements are enhanced active employment measures that are helping countless unemployed Canadians get back into the workforce. Wage subsidies, earning supplements, self-employment assistance, job creation partnerships and skills, loans and grants are giving many a real chance to start new careers.
I remind my hon. colleagues that we have broadened eligibility so that all Canadians who received employment insurance or unemployment insurance in the past three years can benefit from these measures. So too can people who collected maternity or parental benefits during the last five years and then withdrew from the labour force to care for their child. This means that up to 45% of provincial social assistance recipients are eligible for active employment measures to get the skills and the experience they need in order to re-enter the workforce.
Improved claimant assistance such as counselling and closer case management will also help unemployed people return to work as quickly as possible. That ultimately is what the changes are all about, helping Canadians to find and keep good jobs.
The labour market development agreements with the provinces, long sought after by the province of Quebec, ensure that active employment measures are tailored to local needs.
The Bloc fails to acknowledge that these new measures, $2.7 billion over the next five years in Quebec alone, are financed from savings the government is now achieving as a result of employment insurance reform. Without these savings the government would not have the necessary funds to pay for skills upgrading which is essential to becoming more employable.
Canadians do not want a handout, they want a hand up. They want the chance to acquire new skills and advance their education. They want to be able to provide a better standard of living and quality of life for their families. We must enable them to achieve their dreams.
We would do no one any favours if we adopted the regressive measures proposed by my hon. colleagues. They would have us return to the days of passive income support. They would deny individuals the opportunity to upgrade their skills and make themselves more employable.
I point to the government's impressive track record as proof that our approach is working. The unemployment rate is at its lowest level in almost eight years. Since the beginning of 1997 543,000 jobs have been created in Canada.
Equally interesting, there was a 6% decline in job losses during the first year of reform. So it is not surprising that the number of beneficiaries and the total employment insurance benefits paid out have decreased since March 1997. Clearly we are on the right track, so let us stay on it and let us make sure we carry it forward.
The federal government has worked unceasingly to keep the Canadian economy on a solid foundation.
The federal government will continue to provide programs which meet Canadians' expectations and needs.
The federal government will continue to look after the interests of all Canadians.
For all the sound and reasoned arguments put forward by myself and the members of my caucus today, I urge my fellow parliamentarians to set aside this unnecessary motion. Let us work together to create conditions conducive to job creation and economic growth. Let us work together to help Canadians get back to work.