Mr. Speaker, this is a very passionate issue for me.
I can say that in White River, Ontario, right now the service industry, the retail industry, the mill, and the construction industry are all looking for workers. I was just at the Canadian Cattlemen's Association's fall picnic here at East Block and it talked about the fact that it has labour shortages as well.
Looking at what my colleague has said, the fact of the matter is that the Liberals took over $50 billion out of the EI fund and these guys here helped them. I am wondering where the member finds the nerve to boast about giving small businesses a $550-million credit on their employment insurance premiums after wiping out a $57-billion surplus that was already in this account.
This is workers' money. It should be used to ensure that they have access to it when they need it the most. Why is it that the Conservatives are taking that money and putting it elsewhere?