Mr. Speaker, more than 225 workers in the Mauricie region have forwarded a petition to me in which they call for the federal government, which is acting in a manner prejudicial to them, to increase the maximum insurable earnings for EI to $49,750.
These same workers describe as discriminatory the provisions in the bill concerning the number of weeks of regular benefits accumulated since June 30, 1996 as well as those imposing a 1% penalty each time they reapply.
In the text accompanying the petition, they state as follows: “We do not go on employment insurance by choice—we do not choose to lose our jobs, yet you penalize us still further—as if we had a choice— You are committing genocide on the middle classes, and taking away from others any hope of improving their lot”.
The petitioners rightly point out as well that there is a whole family behind every signature.