Mr. Speaker, with an ever growing unemployment rate of 6.6% and with monthly job losses in the thousands, now is the time to expand the employment insurance program. Unfortunately, in Tuesday's budget the government only offered half measures and not one additional worker will become eligible for EI benefits.
Canada's social safety net is supposed to help families when they fall. Sadly, too many of them are falling through the growing cracks.
For the sake of workers in Nickel Belt and across the country, it is imperative that the government make sweeping changes to employment insurance. The two-week waiting period should be eliminated. The number of hours required to qualify for benefits should be reduced. Benefits should be improved.
The government has missed its opportunity to protect working families affected by the recession and the Leader of the Opposition has decided to sell out the jobless in exchange for propping up the government.