Jane Stewart

[Employment Insurance, June 13th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, two things should be clear to the House by now.

First, the government is prepared to monitor and assess the impact of employment insurance and to make changes when changes are necessary.

Second, Bloc members have finally realized their serious error in voting with the Alliance against the government on the amendments to Bill C-2, which now supports their constituents, seasonal workers and parents.

It will be a long hot summer for Bloc members who go back to their ridings and try to explain to their constituents why they did not support the government.

[Employment Insurance, June 12th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the real question is how Bloc Quebecois members can go home this summer and face their constituents when they voted against seasonal workers, when they voted against parents, and when they voted against all the important changes that Canadians have asked for in the Employment Insurance Act and that we have delivered in this bill and will continue to work within to deliver.

[Employment Insurance, June 12th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, let us look at what some people said about the amendments in Bill C-2. For example, the building and construction trades department of the AFL-CIO stated “Generally we are supportive of the reforms that are suggested in Bill C-2”.

The Canadian Federation of Labour said “The positive collective measures contained in this bill should be adopted rapidly”. We adopted those amendments rapidly but with no help from that party.

[Employment Insurance, June 12th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, we have made changes to the Employment Insurance Act. We are committed to continuing to work with Canadians to review the impact of employment insurance on their lives and make changes as warranted.

When will the Bloc members admit that they are afraid to go back and face their constituents this summer because they voted against those amendments, with the Alliance Party?

[Employment Insurance, June 12th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the government made good on its commitments to repeal the intensity rule, to modify the clawback provisions and to change the re-entrance provisions for parents. Beyond that, we also extended the period to review and monitor the Employment Insurance Act for six years. That will go on.

The work of the committee will be considered and, as has been proven by our track record, we will make changes where changes are warranted.

[Access To Information, June 11th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member has specific concerns about particular requests, there is an appeal process and I would ask her to use that process. However let me say that traditionally my department has had a very good record in responding to requests for information.

I say again that there has been a significant increase in the numbers of requests but the department, under the authority of the deputy minister, is doing its best to get as much information out as it can and in a timely fashion.

[Access To Information, June 11th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the access to information process is under the direction and the authority of the deputy minister.

The hon. member makes reference to a special committee that the deputy minister put together because, and it is no surprise to the House, my department has had an increase in requests for access to information. The deputy wanted a committee of associate deputies in place to collect the information from the field to provide as much information as can be provided in a timely fashion. That is the process.

[Employment Insurance, June 11th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should know that we have made these changes. We have repealed the intensity rule. We have changed the clawback rule to be more supportive of Canadians. We have made it fairer to those who are re-entering the workplace.

More specific, we are working in Lac-Saint-Jean with employers and employees there because they want more than just employment insurance. They want jobs.

If the hon. member had any sense he would be working with us in this regard instead of criticizing.

[Employment Insurance, June 11th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, the continuing attempt of hon. members to cover up their political error in voting against Bill C-2 gives me an opportunity to remind the House of the many things we have done to change employment insurance.

We have gone to an hourly basis, which is very good for seasonal workers because every hour counts. We are working with provinces and territories to build pilot programs in support of older workers. We have doubled parental benefits. We have repealed the intensity rule. We are committed to continuing to monitor the Employment Insurance Act.

[Employment Insurance, June 11th, 2001]

Mr. Speaker, we promised to deliver the amendments that have now been passed in the context of Bill C-2. We are working in communities in the provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick with workers and employers because for us it is not only about providing benefits through employment insurance but it is also about finding real jobs. When will members of that party figure that out?