Mr. Speaker, the time for these debates is usually reserved for members who believe they did not receive an answer to their question or who require further clarification. I believe anyone who were to refer to Hansard for the minister's response during question period would find that he gave a complete response to the member on that occasion.
In any event, I am pleased to say that employment insurance continues to help Canadian workers adjust to labour market changes. It continues to balance work and family responsibilities.
The government has made substantial progress over the last year. We have simplified and streamlined the whole EI processing system. Today, under this minister and this government, EI routinely meets or exceeds its target of paying 80% of all claims within 28 days across the country.
For the month of January in the member's region, for example, HRSDC processed 86% of all claims within 28 days. In fact, 86.5% of all claims for Newfoundland and Labrador were paid in that timeframe. In Prince Edward Island the number was 90.8%, Nova Scotia 82.1% and New Brunswick 87.9%.
Those are phenomenal percentages of claims that were paid in very short times. I must say that these people in his riding have probably been better served under our Conservative government than ever before under the previous Liberal government. These statistics speak for themselves.
Not only are claimants receiving their benefits quickly, access to them is also very high. Nationally more than 83% of those who pay into the program and have a qualified job separation are eligible for benefits. In areas of high unemployment, such as Atlantic Canada, this increases to more than 90%.
Equally important, evidence shows that both the amount and duration of employment insurance benefits are meeting the needs of Canadians. In fact, the program is designed to ensure that the benefit duration increases when the unemployment rate rises. For example, in areas of high unemployment, as much as 37 week of benefits can be available for the equivalent of as few as 12 weeks of work.
For seasonal workers, it was this government that launched a number of new pilot projects. We continued others and are extending EI transitional measures for two regions in New Brunswick and Quebec.
With regard to benefit amounts, the family supplement enables individuals and low income families with children to receive up to 80% of their insurable earnings.
This is good news for Canada and for those seeking a job. Canadians should be given every opportunity to participate and succeed in Canada's growing economy.