Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech.
I think he sees the glass half full as opposed to half empty right now. People are suffering. They do not have access to the employment insurance they need. The NDP does not understand why the government refuses to grant 50 weeks of EI sickness benefits, when those additional weeks would fill a desperate need.
People like Marie-Hélène Dubé have been fighting for this for years. She got more than 600,000 signatures from Quebeckers who support this measure. It would not cost the system much, and it is not even the government's money. This money belongs to the workers.
One thing that has not changed since the Liberals came to power is the access rate to the existing system. One hundred per cent of workers contribute to employment insurance and less than 40% of unemployed workers have access to EI benefits. Whether the Conservatives or Liberals are in power, nothing changes.
What can my colleague do and what will he do to ensure that all unemployed workers have access to the EI system?