Mr. Speaker, the most recent data from Statistics Canada indicates the average EI benefits are $331 a week. How lucrative is that? Does the minister really think that by enhancing the system, people will find it too lucrative? How could she be so out of touch with the needs of working families, just as she seems unconcerned that the waiting period for EI recipients has increased under her watch?
Employment insurance is not a money-making enterprise. It is a social safety net. Canadians depend on it and believe in that system. Is it too much to expect that the minister might share those beliefs?