Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure to present two petitions today.
The first petition is signed by dozens of Manitobans. It calls for the equal employment insurance benefits for adoptive parents. Canadians believe that adoption is important in a compassionate and just society. Under the current EI program, adoptive parents receive 35 weeks of paid leave and another 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 to the adoptive parents and their families. Recent studies have shown that an additional 15 weeks of paid leave would help parents to support their adopted children and would help them through a difficult period.
The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to support Bill C-413, tabled by my colleague, the MP for Burnaby—New Westminster, which would amend the Employment Insurance Act and the Canada Labour Code to ensure that an adoptive parent is entitled to the same number of weeks of paid leave as the biological mother of a newborn child.