Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her speech and her in-depth knowledge of this subject and of her riding in particular. I have to admit that it was difficult listening today to a number of Conservatives rise in the House to talk about employment insurance. It was very reminiscent of the speeches we have heard over the past few years in the House.
To put things into context, not only has the previous prime minister used the term “lazy”, but a number of members who continue to sit in this House have used fairly egregious language.
For example, as recently as 2014, the member for Lac-Saint-Jean said, “We often pay people on employment insurance to sell...well, they're not always good substances. I want it to stop. I want the people that we're paying not to work to find a job.”
The member for Haldimand—Norfolk and a former minister also said, “We do not want to make it lucrative for them to stay home and get paid for it”. In 2013 she also said, “Once again, the NDP is protecting the bad guys”.
Another former Conservative member from Nova Scotia, who was not re-elected, said, “all those no-good bastards sitting on the sidewalk in Halifax that can't get work”.
I quoted some Conservatives. I would like the member to talk about the Conservatives' attitude and about the unfortunate trend we are hearing in speeches from this party, which was fortunately not re-elected.