Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak out against the Conservative government's decision not to grant a royal recommendation to the Bloc's Bill C-241, regarding the removal of the waiting period for employment insurance. This legislative measure would have directly helped people who lose their jobs, and would have helped a large number of communities whose economies have been affected by companies shutting down.
By blocking this bill, the government is turning its back on workers who are losing their jobs. Furthermore, it is ignoring the democratic will of the majority of parliamentarians and is completely disregarding a unanimous decision of the Quebec National Assembly. Furthermore, this goes against the wishes of thousands of citizens who signed a petition calling for the waiting period to be abolished.
In spite of this unfortunate decision, I would like to once again thank the 4,000 people who offered their support by signing the petition I circulated in Berthier—Maskinongé.