Mr. Speaker, nowadays, many seasonal workers in my riding—especially in Charlevoix and along the Upper North Shore—and in the rest of Quebec are still failing to qualify for employment insurance benefits even though they pay into the fund every year.
Even when some of these workers manage to qualify, a major loophole in the current system lands them in the seasonal gap. That is why I am asking the government to renew pilot project no. 6, which extends regular benefits by five weeks, beyond the current deadline of June 4, 2006. This program should be renewed until a permanent solution is implemented to eliminate the seasonal gap.
Inevitably, problems with the employment insurance system point to a single imperative: amending the Employment Insurance Act. I urge the Conservative government not to forget our unemployed workers and to respond to their complaints quickly.