Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to speak in the House tonight on a topic about which I would love to speak more. That is ensuring Canadians have long-term prosperity, they have jobs into the future and, when they may fall down on their luck, they have a stable and well-functioning employment insurance system upon which they know they can rely.
If we divide this argument into two parts, I would like to start with the job creation component. I certainly sit here and answer questions on the environment quite often, but when my colleagues opposite speak about this particular portfolio, I very rarely hear them advocate for job creation. It is actually a rare thing.
I sit here and look at the various sectors of our economy across the country, be they manufacturing or high tech industries. Very rarely do I ever hear a question from the NDP to our Minister of Industry on ways to promote and enhance economic growth.
My colleagues spoke about economic diversification. More often than not, on this particular point I hear one of two things: first, that we should increase the tax burden on job-creating companies, and I am from a school of economic thought that questions the validity of that particular process; or second, that they simply denigrate a sector of the economy, saying it is unimportant to Canadians or it is something of which we should be ashamed. Of course, I am speaking specifically of the energy sector.
I wish my colleagues, when they put these questions forward, would for once talk about the first part of that argument, the job creation argument. I find it a disservice to anyone seeking jobs in this country to not talk about that, and I very rarely hear that.
One the second part of the argument, talking about the functionality and effective stewardship of the EI program, I think it is worth pointing out that through Service Canada we became aware of nearly half a billion dollars in ineligible EI payments that were detected and stopped by Service Canada.
As legislators, we are tasked with looking at the functionality of a program and making sure those who play by the rules are afforded good service and are afforded the benefits for which they are eligible under the program. However it is also fair to look at ways in which we can ensure fraud does not occur. The activities Service Canada undertakes are designed to do just that. They are designed to ensure that those who play by the rules are eligible for the program and receive payments and that those who do not play by the rules do not receive these benefits. It is as simple as that.
I ask my colleague opposite to step beyond her talking points, because I have heard this argument over and over again with my colleague the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and to the Minister of Labour as I sit here in adjournment proceedings. How does she feel about her party's lack of argument for job-creating growth, or putting forward a budget that has no costing in it, or denigrating whole sectors of our Canadian economy?
Perhaps for once she could speak to job creation instead of just perpetuating myths about certain programs in our country.