Mr. Speaker, there is something strange with the way the employment insurance program works. Those who contribute to it have no control over anything. They have no control over what they pay and what they get, while the government, which does not contribute one penny, shamelessly skims off the surpluses in the fund. The employment insurance program is not designed to generate huge surpluses, but to provide insurance for workers who really need it.
Will the Minister of Human Resources Development admit that if the employment insurance program does not provide that guarantee, it is because it has become a payroll tax?