Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table two more petitions today that were signed by hundreds of people from all over the Golden Horseshoe in Ontario. The petitioners point out that they have paid into EI all of their working lives, but now that they need the safety net that they themselves built, it is not longer there for them.
Therefore, the petitioners are calling for a comprehensive overhaul of the employment insurance system. Specifically, the petitioners are calling for a standardized 360 hours to qualify, an increased benefit period of at least 50 weeks, the elimination of the two-week waiting period, benefits at 60% of normal earnings based on the best 12 weeks, and a bigger investment in training and retraining.
I am proud to be able to present this petition on behalf of the 363,000 Canadians who have lost their jobs just since the last election in October.