Mr. Speaker, with respect to my colleague on the Liberal side, the gender balanced cabinet, the Status of Women minister, round tables and strategies are all good things, but they are not changing women's lives right now. It is such a huge pent-up demand. With so much good will and words from the government, we really thought that three years into their mandate the Liberals would have made real changes in the lives of everyday women already, but it has not.
This is a strong recommendation coming out of the status of women committee. Employment insurance has not been reformed by the government in a way that helps women. The use it or lose it parental leave that my colleague just mentioned will be a missed opportunity if the government does not expand access to parental leave benefits as too many parents in Canada do not qualify. Six out of 10 workers do not qualify for employment insurance benefits. That means they cannot get the access to leave.
There is still no employment insurance reform that will address anything other than part-time work.