Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today.
The first petition is signed by dozens of Manitobans who are calling for equal employment insurance benefits for adoptive parents. The current EI program provides adoptive parents with 35 weeks of paid leave, followed by a further 15 weeks of unpaid leave. A biological mother is given both the first 35 weeks and the latter 15 weeks as paid leave.
We all know that adoptions are expensive, lengthy and stressful for the adoptive parents and their families. Studies have shown that an additional 15 weeks of paid leave would help parents to support their adoptive children and help them through a very difficult period.
The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to support Bill C-413 tabled by my colleague, the member for Burnaby—New Westminster, which would amend the Employment Insurance Act and the Canada Labour Code to ensure that adoptive parents are entitled to the same number of weeks of paid leave as the biological mother of a newborn child.