Mr. Speaker, in December 2002, the National Assembly passed a unanimous resolution asking the Government of Canada to use the surplus from the EI fund to support the unemployed, rather than to pay off the national debt. This consensus in Quebec remains strong, and the proof is in the fact that Quebec's new employment minister, Clause Béchard, just reiterated Quebec's concerns about the shameful use of the fund's surplus.
Given that a new spirit of cooperation is supposed to exist with Quebec and that the needs of the unemployed are pressing, is Ottawa now prepared to agree to the emergency meeting requested by Minister Béchard?