Mr. Speaker, let me tell you about one of my constituents. She is going through the same thing that thousands of our constituents across the country, in our 338 ridings, are going through. I commend her on her courage and determination to change this unfair legislation.
Mélanie Pelletier, a woman from Saint-Hyacinthe, exhausted her 15 weeks of EI sickness benefits. Mélanie told me how hard it is. She said that it is no longer about living, it is about surviving. Mélanie, and many people like her, live with stress, anxiety and pain and do not feel like the government is supporting them or listening to them.
I cannot turn a blind eye to people like Houda, Marie-Hélène, and Mélanie. I want to see concrete measures and results. I am calling on the government to show some compassion. I want the government to keep its promises and enhance EI sickness benefits.
Extending the benefit period to 50 weeks would give our constituents the opportunity to heal.
Will the government finally keep its promises and live up to its responsibilities or will it keep turning its back on the most fragile among us?