Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present. One of them is very timely. It is about the recent job losses in the forestry industry of British Columbia which has caused tremendous financial hardship for forestry workers. It has to do specifically with the processing times for applications for employment insurance. Some workers have had to wait up to four weeks.
Unemployed forestry workers have paid a significant portion of their income over the years into the EI fund and the federal government has collected $57 billion more in EI premiums than it has paid out in EI benefits since restricting eligibility in 1996.
The petitioners specifically call for action on the several initiatives put forward by the member for Acadie—Bathurst in a number of private members' bills. They have asked for a just transition fund as well as for changes to EI.