Madam Speaker, I am rising once again to present a petition on issues concerning employment insurance. The petition has been put together by the FFAW, the Fish, Food and Allied Workers associated with the CAW.
The petitioners point out that whereas a healthy employment insurance system is the most powerful of all economic stabilizers, they are facing the current economic crisis with a much weaker EI system that provides only half the coverage it did in the last recession. Now only 42% of the unemployed receive EI.
The petitioners call on the government to make permanent the pilot projects worked on in 2005 by colleagues of mine, such as the hon. member for Beauséjour. The program allowed the best 14 weeks to be counted toward benefits which would allow people to increase the amount of their benefit. Without it, there was a disincentive to work. We received a lot of input from owners of fish plants, sawmills and small businesses, who said that without this they would face very troubled fall and spring seasons, or shoulder seasons, as they are called.
These petitioners primarily come from the towns of Musgrave Harbour, Deadman's Bay and Carmanville. They are concerned about plants such as the ones in Twillingate and Valleyfield, owned by Beothic Fish Processors Limited.
I am humbled to bring this petition to the House in the hope that we can achieve the EI reforms that the petitioners are looking for.