Mr. Speaker, I would like to take part in the debate on the Estimates, especially the $193 million allocated to the Department of Justice. That is a lot of money.
It reminds me of the surplus in the EI fund, which will apparently top $20 billion by the end of the 1998-99 fiscal year. I wonder whether we could not have the Department of Justice pay for itself, the way EI is expected to.
As my colleague so aptly pointed out earlier, in reference to young offenders, I have always thought that this was an investment that could yield dividends. If the government invested wisely and judiciously in solutions to the problem of juvenile delinquency, there would surely be fewer inmates being housed at government expense, for it apparently costs over $80,000 to keep one inmate in jail.
I now come to my main question for my distinguished colleague, the member for Charlesbourg. How does he think the government is being fair when it penalizes those who must resort to EI, when fewer than 43% are eligible, but must still pay $2.70 for every $100 of insurable earnings?