Mr. Speaker, when I last spoke to the bill, I spoke of the very difficult circumstances for farm workers in Surrey who had been intimidated into signing employment insurance forms. Now people age 80 are being sued for repayment of employment insurance. That is in Hansard, so I will not repeat that today.
I am disappointed to hear of the Speaker's ruling about what will happen to the bill at third reading. Many deserving people could have been much better off if it were allowed to go forward.
The bill would reduce the number of eligible hours from 910 to 360. There are reasons for that, and it not so people can work less. In many circumstances women work part time. They pay employment insurance, but they are unlikely to collect it because it takes them so long to accumulate 910 hours. Many women lose a position before those hours are accumulated, particularly any kind of seasonal work, which is not just farm work. It could be tourist work or other jobs as well. Although they pay into EI, when their job is over they cannot collect it because of the 910 hour requirement. Sometimes they are the only wage earner. It has a major impact on them and their children as to what they eat, where they live and so on.
Also the bill would look at having the employment insurance calculated on the best 12 weeks of someone's employment. For some people, either seasonal workers or others, they may in the preceding weeks not earn as much money as they might have at a different time of the year. Right now it is calculated it on their previous work. If it is calculated on their best 12 weeks of the year, then people would receive an amount of employment insurance that would be fairer.
This is about fairness and it is about equity. Using the best 12 weeks and reducing the number of eligible hours accomplishes that, particularly for women workers who often have the responsibility of caring for their family.