Listen to the member from the NDP. I am going to get to the NDP even though we are addressing the Bloc's motion. I think the NDP's position in all of this should be aired publicly so that we can see exactly what its solutions are.
This is really an attack on the success of this government.
How can we possibly be running a surplus when we have been reducing premiums? The NDP would probably shout their solution, but the reality is because the economy has never been in better shape. The reality is that unemployment has been reduced from 11% to 8%. In fact, as all members know, when this government took power in 1993 it inherited an unemployment insurance premium plan that was at $3.07 for every $100 of income. Today it is down at $2.70. We have reduced the premiums.
How does it work? Premiums are reduced, which means there is lower revenue, but there is more of a surplus. I think the equation is simple. There has been a successful reform of unemployment insurance to make it employment insurance.
I do not really consider employment insurance to be a social program. I know it is referred to as that. The NDP, of course, would say that we should just jack up the premiums. That would put more of a burden on business which, at the end of the day, would cost jobs. We all know that. But I do not consider it to be a social program. Welfare is a social program and an important one for people who need that assistance.
We could say that our health care system is a social program. But to me employment insurance is not unlike workers' compensation at the provincial level. There is a premium and for that there is coverage. It is more of a business plan.
In this country if, through no fault of their own, a person loses their job, the company downsizes or it is seasonal employment, whatever the reason, this national government will stand behind them to help them survive and to help with retraining. It is not done to the extent that the NDP would do it. The NDP would just give everything away.
One of the things I find interesting about this is that we are actually debating government policy in a motion put forward by the Bloc. The wording is outrageous. It tries to say that it is catastrophic. It is just nonsense.
I was sitting here thinking about Bloc members. Why are they here? Why are they in this place? It is really quite amazing. They are putting forward issues on government policy when we all know why they are here. They are here to tear the government apart. They are here to tear the country apart. That is why they are here. That is their mandate. That is their goal.
The member for Beauharnois—Salaberry recently made a speech in the United States. He explained the reason the Bloc wants to separate from what the Americans were saying is the greatest country in the world. The Americans were having some difficulty understanding how a party which had been elected democratically to the House of Commons could actually be travelling around the world advocating the break-up of this country.
The Americans are pretty straightforward. They are straight shooters. It is pretty clear to them that they would not allow that in their government. They would not allow that in their democracy.
The member was making a speech. He said that the reason they want to separate from Canada is that they want to have a more democratic society. Can you imagine a society more democratic than Canada, which would actually allow a party to be elected which is subversive and which wants to tear the country apart? How could we possibly get more democratic than that? That is their agenda. We know that.
I find it interesting that the Bloc members would put forward a motion today that deals with an employment insurance fund which they do not want anything to do with anyway. Or do they think they can separate from the country and still tap into a national employment insurance fund? Maybe that is the game. Maybe that is the thinking. They can keep their national jobs if they separate from Canada. It is truly amazing.
This attack on the success of the government by a party that wants to destroy the country is sending a message to Canadians. Obviously the opposition parties are out of things to find the government at fault for, so now they are starting to attack the things the government does best. What do they want?
They say there is no surplus. What did they say when there was a deficit? They said that it was horrible. Insurance premiums were too high and there was a deficit in the fund. It was real then.
I heard a Reform member say that there is no money in the fund, that it is just a line entry. When it was overdrawn there was sure as heck real money missing from the pot, so why can they not now admit that there is a surplus?
Again I use the analogy of “Dumb and Dumber”. I think Reformers were making the sequel to “Dumb and Dumber” in London on the weekend. I will leave it to the imagination of the House to determine who was dumb and who was dumber. I will be anxiously awaiting the release of that wonderful new movie. Maybe one of the members opposite will play Jim Carey in the sequel.
I have compiled what I consider to be the top 10 facts concerning what this government has put into place and succeeded with in terms of employment insurance reform.
Fact number one: In 1997 premiums were cut by $1.4 billion. Since we have taken office the premiums have been cut by $4.5 billion a year. We have reduced premiums four times in the last four years, from a high of $3.07 per $100 of insurable earnings under the Tory government to $2.70. It is even lower than the $2.80 forecast in 1997.
Fact number two: Last year this Liberal government under this Minister of Finance had the second largest reduction in employment insurance premiums in the history of the country.
Fact number three: $2 billion is available to the provinces.
Fact number four: 69% of part time workers are women and under employment insurance approximately 270,000 women in part time jobs have their work insured for the first time.
Fact number five: The 1998 budget contained a premium holiday for young Canadians between the ages of 18 and 24.
Fact number six: This new measure builds upon the new hires program that ends in 1999. All firms are eligible for this program.
Fact number seven: These and other measures will save $1.4 billion in payroll taxes for workers and businesses in 1998 alone.
Fact number eight: The budget builds on the youth service Canada program currently funded at $50 million per year.
Fact number nine: It is true that EI revenues are important to achieving our fiscal targets, but employment insurance premiums are part of government revenues and benefits are part of government expenditures. You cannot flip-flop and have it either way.
Fact number 10—