Mr. Speaker, several weeks ago, I asked the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development to explain why her government is so determined to attack unemployed workers.
Since their infamous mammoth budget bill was implemented, the Conservatives have continued their attacks on workers who have lost their jobs by introducing a misguided and ill-conceived EI reform. In the weeks that followed the passing of the budget, Canadians were left in the dark because the minister would not say anything about many of the important points of her reform. In particular, she would not clearly define what her government meant by the terms “suitable employment” and “reasonable job search”. The opposition and civil society put so much pressure on this government to get a clear definition that the minister finally gave in last May and explained the details of her reform, details that were previously unknown.
One had to wonder whether her deliberate silence was due to the fact that the Conservatives were keen to maintain strict control of the information—which is typical of their management style, even regarding public affairs—or if the government simply did not know what it was doing when it hastily threw together the EI reform at the last minute.
Furthermore, the more we learned about the reform, the more it became obvious that it was riddled with flaws that will eventually make the system inaccessible and inefficient. This recently became very obvious when the minister had to backpedal on the working while on claim pilot project. In that case, even after being pestered for weeks by the opposition, the minister provided a complex solution that is virtually impossible to implement. It was just a smokescreen for unemployed workers who receive little money while looking for work.
In short, what we now know is that the system will no longer fulfill its main purpose, which is to provide temporary financial assistance to those who need it and who pay into the employment insurance fund.
It is evident from all the information about changes to employment insurance that despite the bogus financial justifications that have no sound basis, the Conservatives are directly attacking workers who lose their jobs and pay their premiums in good faith in order to be sheltered in bad times.
Unfortunately, the Conservatives are imposing a conservative, right-wing reform and are using their propaganda to attack our social programs such as employment insurance. However, Canadians are not fools and can see right through their ideological games. Reducing the size of government too much affects the social programs and safety nets that are vital to Canadians and so closely aligned with their values.
I would like to know what the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development has to say to Canadians who have been desperately telling her since last March that the reform is bad, punishing, degrading, ill-conceived and counter to Canadian values of solidarity.
