Ed Komarnicki

[Employment Insurance, May 27th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, we added billions of dollars to the EI program. What we will not do is what the Liberal Party proposes to do, which is increase taxes, increase payroll taxes by putting in a premium hike.

The Liberals took the 360 plan and stole the NDP plan. In referring to the plan in a news release, they said, “This will result in an employment insurance premium hike”.

We will not do that. We will invest money to help Canadians. We will surely get through this but we will not do what they propose and that is increase taxes.

[May 26th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I would ask the Liberals to get behind the infrastructure program and watch what is going to happen through the construction season this year and next year. It will certainly add a lot to the economy.

We have invested not only in that area but also an unprecedented amount to help vulnerable unemployed Canadians through $8.3 billion in the Canada skills and transition strategy in order to help Canadians recover and prosper from the economic downturn.

The opposition's plan is absolutely clear, notwithstanding the member for Wascana trying to make something out of nothing and taking something out of context. The fact is the opposition's plan is to raise taxes. It has said that it will have to raise taxes or job killing EI premium additions that will hurt both employers and employees. This will do nothing to help those who are unemployed for a long time to get the skills training they need and get jobs.

What the Liberal plan will do is add billions more to the tax burden of Canadians who are trying to do the best they can in this economy. The idea the Liberals should accept is the idea we have, which is to prepare Canadians for the future and provide jobs now, today and into tomorrow.

[May 26th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I will certainly relay for the member for Madawaska—Restigouche some of the things that we have been doing.

We are concerned about the job losses being experienced by Canadians but let me be clear that our government is absolutely committed to helping Canadians through this time and we will continue to help them through this difficult time.

Our government is making unprecedented investments to help vulnerable and unemployed Canadians. Among other things, we have extended EI benefits by five weeks, which is more than double the two weeks advocated by the opposition. We have extended the work-sharing program. More than 100,000 Canadians are being protected by working with Canadian employers to share costs and avoid layoffs.

We were and are investing $500 million in skills training and upgrading for long-tenured workers, $1 billion in further training through the EI program and $500 million in training for those who do not qualify for EI. We made changes that will process claims faster and cut red tape for employers. To do so, we have invested more than $60 million for processing, including hiring additional staff to manage the workload and to implement the budget measures. We are monitoring the effectiveness of these measures to ensure they are effectively helping Canadians.

What we will not do is implement the Liberals' 360 hour, 45 day work year idea. The opposition members can say what they want about this scheme but that fact is that it is irresponsible at this time. It is a proposal that would result in a massive increase in job-killing payroll taxes that would hurt workers and businesses alike, especially small businesses that already run on tight margins. The Liberals now say that this scheme will not require higher taxes and that it will come from general revenue. However, where does general revenue come from? It comes from taxes and Canadian workers in businesses.

This irresponsible proposal would not help Canadians find new jobs or get new skills. It would simply add billions to the tax burden on Canadians. However, that is not surprising given that the Liberal leader is borrowing an ill-conceived NDP idea. The NDP have never seen a tax they did not like. However, the Liberal leader is also ignoring the Liberal Party's previous position in this regard from the last time they were in government. The former Liberal government said:

--significantly reducing entrance requirements...is not likely to equate to substantially increased EI coverage, particularly for the long-term unemployed.

In fact, on April 1, 2008, at the HUMA committee, the Liberal EI expert and human resources critic, the member for Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, said:

It's my view that if you get rid of the regional rates and there are changes forced on the EI system because of the economic circumstances, those in [high unemployment] regions will be hurt disproportionately.

Those are not my words. Those are the words of the Liberal critic for EI, the man responsible for advising the Liberal leader on EI policy.

The Liberal leader also said very recently what a Liberal government would do. He said, “We will have to raise taxes”. It is that simple. It is wrong-headed and it is simply the wrong thing to do right now.

This government's economic action plan does help Canadians get new skills for new jobs and is helping Canadians through these difficult economic times. Unlike the opposition, on this side of the House we will not force all working Canadians and businesses to pay more tax at this critical time for a wrong-headed proposal.

[Employment Insurance, May 25th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, what the hon. member is trying to do is to play politics on the backs of the most vulnerable Canadians who are going through a difficult time.

This is what the member for Acadie—Bathurst said, “The Liberals are trying to score political points on EI that they have cut themselves”.

If the Liberals are going to add benefits to this program, how are they going to do it? By raising taxes, like the leader of the Liberal opposition said, or are they going to raise job-killing taxes by imposing EI premiums?

Here is what the member for Kings—Hants said, “Payroll taxes and EI taxes in particular prevent businesses from hiring people. Payroll taxes, especially EI taxes are—

[Employment Insurance, May 25th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know what the hon. member is shovelling, but let me read his remark with respect to the job skills upgrading and training we are doing and the dollars we are investing, the $500,000. Here is what he said in an interview today, “The Liberals very much support training, particularly retraining for laid-off workers. We think it is very, very important”. I do not know what the member is shovelling, but he should get behind this program and support it.

[Employment Insurance, May 8th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, we will always be concerned and look after the interests of the fishers of our country. The minister said that we would look into the situation, that we would monitor the situation and that is exactly what we will do. We will report at the appropriate time and in due course.

[Employment Insurance, May 8th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, it was her predecessor who had a lot to do with the system as it is now, but we can say that our unemployment rate today is lower than it was then.

That said, there is no question that we have done a number of things to enhance the benefits, such as extending the EI benefits by five weeks for everyone. We have ensured that the maximum has been raised from 45 weeks to 50 weeks. We have ensured that a number of dollars have been invested for training those who are unfortunately laid off. There is $1 billion for skills training through the EI program and $500 million for training, including those who do not qualify.

We are investing significantly to ensure people have jobs.

[Employment Insurance, May 8th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, the particular party that encouraged that system was the Liberal Party. We have taken that and we have enhanced the provisions for it. When the unemployment rate in a region goes up, the number of hours required to qualify goes down and the benefits are extended.

In addition to that, we have invested significant funds into training, into the billions of dollars, to ensure that those who do not even qualify for EI are able to receive training for the jobs of the future.

[Employment Insurance, May 8th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I will indicate to this House what we will not do, and that is what the leader of the Liberal Party said and mused about, and that is raise taxes. We will not do that.

What we will do is increase benefits. We have done that by extending the EI benefits by five weeks, increasing the maximum from 45 weeks to 50 weeks. We have also extended the work sharing program which will help preserve about 93,000 jobs and more into the future.

[Employment Insurance, May 8th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, it is the Liberal Party that created the EI program that we have today at a time when the unemployment rate was higher than it is today. We have improved that system.

Here is what others have to say about the Liberal record with respect to unemployment.

The Winnipeg Free Press said:

--the Liberals were the architects of the distortions in the EI programs--

The Ottawa Sun said:

The Grits gutted EI in the '90s.

And this member has the tenacity to get up and speak about that here today.