Mr. Speaker, as chair of our committee, my colleague has heard testimony from people about Bill C-50.
I want to ask him a question about one of the real concerns that has been raised about this bill, which is its clearly discriminatory nature in terms of picking winners and losers, indicating that some people should be entitled to extended benefits and some should not. I am quoting now from the 2009-10 estimates where the minister herself, in touting the extra five weeks that was provided to all EI beneficiaries, says:
--including extending five extra weeks of benefits, which is now only available in some regions, to all Canadians.
She is saying this is a good thing because it goes to all Canadians regardless of their circumstances and what industry they come from. That is a good point. There is some sense to everybody getting benefits equally.
However, this bill goes in the other direction. This is now saying that some people should be entitled to benefits and some should not.
I wonder if my colleague could address the discrepancy between those two positions taken by the same minister.