Mr. Speaker, I could not agree more. The member called it malarkey; I would call it baloney.
It is completely misleading for the Conservatives to say that we want people to work for only two months and then sit at home and do nothing for 10 months.
First, that is false. It does not work like that. People are required to work for a minimum of 360 hours, or nine weeks, so that they can access employment insurance benefits based on the nine weeks of earnings. They will not receive 100% of their wages. They already receive 55% of their wages for 21 weeks. Based on the current method of calculation, they will not even receive the full 55%.
What the Conservatives are saying makes no sense. It is disinformation that makes the unemployed, those people who are seasonal workers and are often laid off, appear to be lazy and only looking for a way to stay home. I find that extremely insulting.
To answer the question about the 360-hour eligibility threshold, I think that it is reasonable, and I would remind the member that the Minister of National Revenue and member for Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine promised during the election campaign to decrease the threshold to 420 hours, which is not that much more.