Madam Speaker, it is certainly a pleasure for me to rise today on this very important issue that we have been debating from day one in committee and in the House of Commons.
The motion before the House today is very important for the regions affected. I listened carefully to my colleague from Acadie—Bathurst, who said what people are feeling. It is interesting to see the effect of his speech in the House, because people's feelings are just as he described.
I would also like to comment on the motion moved by the member for Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup—Témiscouata—Les Basques.
I moved a motion at the human resources committee's first meeting on October 21, 1997. I moved that the committee review the changes made to the unemployment insurance program to assess their impact on Canadians and make recommendations to the government on how to make the EI program fairer for all workers.
I had the support of every opposition party and even some government members. My motion was defeated by six votes to five. It was very close. On the government side there are also some concerns. People are suffering.
Why I brought this motion so early into committee after elections at the first committee is because it was urgent. People in Atlantic Canada and some other regions of Canada through the reform to the unemployment insurance act are suffering. It is not that we want employment insurance. People want to work.
The Liberal reform to EI has created much hardship among Canadians who are most in need, who are unable to defend themselves. That is why they elected us.
We saw on June 2 what Atlantic Canadians said. I think it was very clear. They elected mostly Tories in New Brunswick. There are not very many Liberals I do not think. I heard comments from the hon. member from P.E.I. a while ago. I am really surprised that it is coming from Atlantic Canada. I am sure that he has citizens in his riding who are suffering from the employment insurance reform. I hope they heard what he said and I hope they remember what he said.
We have to come up with a strategy. Our party has been lobbying from day one to reduce EI premiums. That is a solution for job creation. These people do not want unemployment. They want jobs. One of the problems is that there are barriers to job creation.
EI premiums are a tax on jobs. We have been asking questions of the finance minister since day one. I believe it was my first question in the House of Commons. We called the Liberals pickpockets. It was not considered unparliamentary after it was analysed. This is a way to create jobs and to get people off unemployment and off welfare.
The hon. member said a while ago that if people are not on unemployment they will find jobs. In some regions of Canada they are on welfare. Believe me, that is not too appetising when we consider the fact that in order to get a job in today's economy one must have a good education. In order to get a good education one has to have money. If people do not have money they cannot get a good education and they will not get a job. These people are behind the eight-ball and will be there for a while.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada has been calling for the federal government to reduce EI premiums from $2.70 to $2 per $100 of insurable earnings. We have been saying that since day one. Even the government's chief actuary agrees that the EI fund would maintain a sustainable surplus with the kind of EI premium cuts that we are proposing. If the government does not take our word for it, it can at least take the word of the chief actuary.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has long opposed the government's tax grab on the EI surplus. The Minister of Finance points smugly to what he likes to describe as a happy economy. In that happy economy is some facts he chooses not to mention. I will mention a few he does not wish to mention.
Per capita personal income is down after inflation and taxes are taken into account. We do not hear anything about that. The number of Canadians living below the poverty line has risen under the Liberals. Those living below the poverty line are in a deeper hole than in 1993. We do not hear the government bragging about that. Canadians are saving less of their take home pay while taking on more debt. Once again, we do not hear the government bragging about that.
We hear government members saying that the Tories were there before and it was over $3. It is a broken record. It is certainly not helping today's citizens. If I were to go back to 1971 when Pierre Trudeau was here, what would it do for today's society? It would not do anything. It is certainly not creative.
Members will be interested to hear that more Canadians went bankrupt last year than ever before. We have not heard about that. We do not hear the Minister of Finance stating that. Some 85,000 Canadians declared personal bankruptcy last year. This is unacceptable.
Canadians want to work. They do not want EI. Until we are able to remove the barriers to job creation we have to protect the people who are going through difficult periods, people with families. It is our responsibility as legislators, as members of parliament, to protect all Canadians. In times of trouble and in difficult times it is up to us to bring the issue to this floor and to protect them. We must treat them equitably and fairly.
When we look at Atlantic Canada, we look at the fisheries and we look at the wood industry. We have seasonal workers in Atlantic Canada. The reform to the Employment Insurance Act is certainly not providing for them. I wonder how government members would feel fishing on top of six feet of ice. They just cannot do it.
These people have to be protected. People cutting wood for the paper we are writing on here certainly cannot cut that wood in the winter with over six feet of snow. These people have to be protected. There seems to be nothing there for them at all but hardship.
Young people also are hurt by the employment insurance and by unemployment. Their jobless rate is twice the national average. It is truly incredible.
I have this to say to young Canadians who are out of work: since youth unemployment is only part of the larger problem of joblessness in Canada, there will be no viable solution to deal with youth unemployment as long as there is no lasting economic growth and development. We have a lot to do before young Canadians can become full members of our society. This is also why I moved that motion then.
Today I am happy to speak to the motion by my colleague from the Bloc Quebecois. In my riding there is an association called Future Street People. Can you believe this, future street people. We asked to meet with the minister. He turned us down.
I strongly believe we can solve this problem, but we have to work together. In the meantime, we must protect people in need.
