Mr. Speaker, the government has refused to further extend EI benefits to those workers still suffering in this jobless recovery. Over 800,000 workers are on the verge of exhausting their benefits.
On Sunday, I attended a rally at U.S. Steel's Lake Erie Works for 800 steelworkers locked-out for close to a year. These workers do not even qualify for EI. I also attended a rally in front of the Siemens gas turbine plant in Hamilton where 550 workers have been informed that their plant will close July 2011.
What lies ahead for many Canadian families is a gradual evaporation of their savings and a hard landing on provincial welfare rolls.
Ontarians with $572 in liquid assets are not eligible for welfare. To qualify for welfare, they must sell their vehicle and even their tools. When the economy does improve they will still be out of work.
What financial institution will lend people money to replace these items when they are on welfare? Losing a job in Canada should not mean losing everything.
Canadians are demanding serious EI reform now.