Mr. Speaker, yes, there must be a comprehensive strategy worked out for displaced workers.
If the hon. member's question is, and I am not sure it is, if a worker who is over 50 years of age gets laid off from any job anywhere in Canada is he or she entitled to a pension until the age of 65? The answer is no. I will not support that. Do I support a strategy? Yes.
We have a number of prongs in an existing strategy which can be improved and enhanced. We have the older workers pilot project initiative from which the members from Quebec have benefited. There have been 74 projects and some $24 million in the last five or six years. We have the EI program itself, which again is one prong. It is helpful. It does provide the first 45 weeks of benefits. It is not the total answer. We also have the skills training program.
To answer the hon. member's question, the strategy must be developed. It must be part of an overall workforce strategy for Canada.