Mr. Speaker, recently re-elected Premier Gordon Campbell added his voice to the chorus calling for a national standard on EI. He joins a diverse group, including the CCPA, labour unions, the C.D. Howe Institute, the TD Bank, a number of premiers and even the finance minister's wife. What these people understand, but the Conservatives do not, is that EI is perfect stimulus spending.
We know that individuals spend the money right away because they need the money to survive. For every $1 of EI, we generate $1.60 of economic activity. It makes perfect economic sense. Is that why the government opposes it?