Madam Speaker, we simply want justice and fairness. Currently, everyone, without exception, contributes to the employment insurance program. This includes young people, women, older people and middle aged workers. However, access to the program has been significantly reduced over the past 10 years.
Before 1990, over 80% of unemployed workers were eligible for employment insurance. Now, only 42% qualify, and only one in four young people qualife.
The member may claim he was not laughing earlier, but we have witnesses who can confirm that he did not stop laughing while we discuss alarming figures on poverty and unemployment. The Liberals are laughing in our face.
People, particularly the poor and the unemployed, should come here more often and watch from the public gallery. They would see the attitude of the members responsible for the cuts and the human misery. They would see the members responsible for the significantly reduced access to the EI program and for social inequity in Canada. They would see that they are dealing with members who are cynical and sarcastic and who do not care at all about their fate.