Ed Komarnicki

[May 7th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt and it is unfortunate that many Canadian families have suffered at the hands of these difficult economic times. Many Canadians have lost their jobs through circumstances beyond their control. We understand that these are tough and uncertain times for many Canadians.

That is why we have taken action through our economic action plan. We have extended billions of dollars into stimulus. Indeed, just a freezing of EI premiums is an injection of $4.5 billion into our economy. It is significant action to ensure that we have the resources to assist Canadians. We have allocated $60 million to ensure that claims can be processed quickly and families can get access to EI benefits just as fast as they can.

[May 7th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, at least the hon. member was prepared to admit that it was her government that, as I quoted earlier from an article, gutted the EI program and system in 1997 in particular.

I might say that the issue she takes with the variable entry rate in that system was something that was amended by the previous Liberal government when the unemployment rate was 8.4%, higher than it is today and higher than it was last month. They take a lot of responsibility for what happened, but we have taken a number of steps to enhance and expand the system and also to deal with the issue raised in terms of dealing with the volumes that we now have.

I will outline very shortly the many measures we have taken to ensure that Canadian workers who have unfortunately lost their jobs receive their employment insurance benefits as quickly as possible. As I said during the adjournment proceedings last night on this very same topic, our government recognized the increased need for processing and service capacity. We have acted and we will continue to act to meet the needs of Canadians in this regard.

As all members of the House know, during this economic downturn there has been a significant increase of EI claims and inquiries. The difficult economic circumstances facing Canadians have made for historically high volumes of calls being received in our service centres. To serve Canadians who need help and to ensure that they receive that help as quickly as possible, this government has taken action. We have allocated an additional $60 million for EI processing. These funds are being used to hire additional staff to ensure that Canadians who need help are getting it as soon as possible. To date, we have hired over 900 people to help deal with the increased volumes. As the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development said in the House, we are in the process of hiring 400 more people to help Canadians.

Beyond this, we have taken many other steps. We have recalled recent retirees and reassigned staff members to EI processing. Call centre agents are working overtime on a voluntary basis. Call centre hours of service have been extended and work loads are being shared to accelerate speed of payment and ensure that Canadians across the country will receive speedy, uniform service. We are also increasing the automation of claims processing. We have processed significantly more claims this year over the same time last year. We continue to monitor EI service very closely and we continue to take action to ensure that we are meeting the needs of Canadians.

We have also taken action to help Canadians through our economic action plan. We will help over 400,000 Canadians benefit from an additional five weeks of EI benefits. We will help 190,000 people, including long-tenured and older workers, get retrained to find a new job and to put food on the table for their families. Right now, we are helping over 93,000 Canadians stay working through our expansion and improvement of the work-sharing program. We have cut much of the red tape. We extended the weeks.

We recognize as a government the needs of Canadian workers and we are delivering the help they need to get through these difficult times by many of the initiatives I have outlined and many of the steps that have been taken, including the infusion of additional resources to ensure that we can handle the capacity.

[Employment Insurance Act, May 7th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to take part in this debate. First, let me say that I do appreciate the intention behind this bill. All members of this House share concern for unemployed Canadians and their families. Losing a job is hard on workers and on their families. Unfortunately, too many Canadians have had to endure this.

When we are discussing changes to the employment insurance system, what Canadians need is a plan that suits the changing economic circumstances and that complements what this government is doing to help Canadians and their families get through this difficult economic time.

Our government has taken action to improve the employment insurance system to help Canadian families. Let me remind the members opposite about some of the good things we have done for Canadians so far.

Through our economic action plan, we have invested an unprecedented $8.3 billion in the Canada skills and transition strategy. This strategy will strengthen benefits for Canadian workers through the EI system. It will enhance and increase the availability of training. It will also keep EI premiums frozen, ensuring that both workers and employers do not face increased job-killing payroll taxes during this time of economic uncertainty. This keeps that money in the economy and helps protect jobs.

We are taking other actions to protect Canadian jobs. Right now, over 93,000 Canadian workers are benefiting from our expanded work-sharing program. We have improved the work-sharing program by extending the duration of the work-sharing agreements by 14 weeks, to a maximum of 52 weeks, for the next two years.

In addition, we are making it easier to qualify for the program. Ultimately, more Canadians will be able to continue working while their company is experiencing a temporary slowdown.

Furthermore, this government's economic action plan includes a new initiative to extend EI benefits to long-tenured workers while they pursue longer-term training in a new profession or sector. This initiative, implemented with the provinces and territories, will allow workers who have worked in a single industry for a long time and have been permanently laid off to receive EI benefits to a maximum of 104 weeks while they pursue training to prepare them for the jobs of the future. This measure specifically helps Canadians who have paid into the EI system for many years and who have not had to use it until now. These workers deserve help that respects their abilities and experience, and that is what the government is delivering.

In addition to this support, we will also allow earlier access to EI benefits for eligible workers who have received severance packages, if they use some or all of that severance to purchase skills upgrading or training for themselves.

We are also acting to support unemployed individuals who are unable to qualify for EI benefits. To that end, we are investing $500 million in the strategic training and transition fund. This fund will benefit some 50,000 Canadians and their families.

The reality is that our government is taking unprecedented steps to help Canadians who have lost jobs through no fault of their own.

Through the economic action plan, we will help over 400,000 people benefit from an additional five weeks of EI benefits in the first year alone. Those extra five weeks will help those workers and their families who are hardest hit, who have not been able to find work, at a time when they otherwise would be facing exhaustion of their benefits.

We have also increased the maximum duration of EI benefits available under the EI program from 45 weeks to 50 weeks, again helping those Canadians who are out of work for a longer period of time. And it is not insignificant; it is 400,000 people.

These measures, I might add, are on top of the automatic adjustments in the EI program that respond to changes in economic conditions.

As members can see, our government is committed to helping Canadians through this economic downturn and is taking unprecedented steps to help Canadians get back to work. Never before has there been such a concerted effort to reach out and help Canadians, and that help is coming from this Conservative government.

We recognize the challenges faced by those who have lost their jobs in these difficult times. That said, we want to ensure that any action we take is effective in both the short term and the longer term. That is why we are monitoring the effectiveness of our measures to ensure that the EI system is working and responding effectively to the evolving economic circumstances.

Our economic action plan is providing additional support over the short term, which makes more sense than costly and permanent changes to the EI program, changes that could have unintended consequences on the labour market and the viability of the system over the long term.

While we do not question the good intentions behind this proposed legislation, the NDP's proposal is uncosted and does not take into account the greater long-term impact on the labour market. These proposals need to be considered within the context of who will pay for all of this. Consideration must also be given to how this proposal will impact on helping Canadians get back to work so they can get jobs to put food on the table and to provide for their families.

The Liberals do not have a plan either and that is obvious. The newly crowned Liberal leader decided over the weekend, at the Liberal Party policy conference, to adopt an NDP policy. Is that not most remarkable? The problem with the Liberals is they do not have any credibility on this issue. Let us take a look at the Liberal record on employment insurance.

On May 4, the Winnipeg Free Press said, “The Liberals were the architects of the distortions in the EI programs”.

On April 29, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives published a study that said, “The Liberals gutted EI in the 1990s”.

Two senior figures at the Caledon Institute, a think tank the Liberal critic often likes to cite, had this to say in the April 21 edition of the Toronto Star. They said that during the Liberal years:

—Employees had to work longer to qualify for benefits; payments were lowered; and the maximum duration of benefits was reduced. Many more of the unemployed could not work enough hours to qualify.

Those change were made when the country was still slowly recovering from an economic slowdown and when there were still many Canadians out of work. That is the Liberal record.

The reality is that during the Liberal time in government, unemployed Canadians were hit hard by both the economy and the Liberal government. The reality is the Liberals have previously voted against all the EI changes they say they support today. That is hypocritical.

During this economic downturn, among other things, this government has increased the duration of benefits, increased the maximum benefit period and expanded work-sharing and training programs. We are making improvements to the system to help Canadians and Canadians see that.

As I said earlier, our government is monitoring the situation closely. We are monitoring the effectiveness of the actions we have taken to improve the EI system. We want to ensure that the EI system is working and responding effectively to the evolving economic circumstances. As the economic circumstances are continually changing, we continue to consider how best to help Canadians in ways that are responsible, sound and affordable.

There is a good read on the CFRB radio station website, a popular radio station in Toronto, the city that both the Liberal and NDP leaders call home. The piece brought up a quotation attributed to G.K. Chesterton and John F. Kennedy. It says, “Don't ever take a fence down until you know the reason why it was put up”.

The opposition members simply want to tear down the fence posts without consideration of why those posts are there. We see this constantly. If they see a post they do not like, they propose to tear it down, just like that. The Liberals especially should know better, since they put in many of the posts themselves, particularly the ones they seem to dislike most just now.

This government will not simply decide over the weekend to adopt this or that policy, to knock out this post or that post. We have taken responsible action already. We are considering all of our options carefully to ensure that any actions we take to help Canadians will be responsible and done for the right reasons.

[Employment Insurance Act, May 7th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the hon. member. I know she is talking about her bill, but I would ask her if she supports the expansion of the work-sharing agreement by 14 weeks. It would help 80,000 to 90,000 people. I would ask her if she supports the extension of benefits by five weeks and the maximum benefits.

Does she support the enhanced training that would help approximately 170,000 to 190,000 people or more? Does she support those benefits that have been enhanced specifically in training and upgrading?

If she does support those measures, why did she vote against each and every one of them? Why did her party not support any one of them?

[May 6th, 2009]

Madam Speaker, we know that it is incredibly hard on families when even one member of the family loses his or her job. That is why we have taken the action that we have taken.

I am not sure what the member means, but we have helped around 400,000 people by extending EI benefits by five weeks and ensuring the duration increases from 45 to 50 weeks. Approximately 190,000 people are affected through skills upgrading and training programs. EI rates have been frozen and that alone will inject $4.5 billion of stimulus into the economy. That is a huge amount. This is taking action.

The member says he does not understand why we have not taken any action. We have taken a number of significant actions that will help people during the difficult times in which they find themselves.

[May 6th, 2009]

Madam Speaker, the remarks of the member for Madawaska—Restigouche give me an opportunity to detail the many steps that our government has taken recently to help unemployed Canadians and their families during this difficult economic slowdown.

Obviously, there can be a number of reasons behind any delay, but we have taken a number of steps to mitigate delays. Losing a job is a particularly trying time for anyone. There is no question or doubt about that. Unfortunately, too many Canadians are going through that right now. That is why we have taken action to make sure that we are processing their EI claims just as fast as we can.

We recognize the increased need for processing capacity and to that end, we have acted and will continue to act to meet the needs of Canadians in this regard. To this effect, we have allocated an additional $60 million for EI processing, including hiring additional staff in order to ensure Canadians who need help are getting it as soon as possible.

Beyond this, we have taken many steps to meet the increased demand. We have hired and trained additional employees and recalled recent retirees. Call centre agents are working overtime on a voluntary basis. Hours of services have been extended and workloads are being shared to accelerate the speed of payment and to ensure Canadians in all regions receive uniform service. We are also increasing the automation of the claims process.

Through these measures, we have processed significantly more claims this year than over the same time last year, and we continue to take action to meet increasing demand.

Through our economic action plan, we have invested an unprecedented $8.3 billion in the Canada skills and transition strategy. This strategy will strengthen the benefits for Canadian workers, enhance the availability of training and keep EI premium rates frozen.

Never before has there been such a concerted effort to reach out and help Canadians. Among our many actions, we have extended the duration of EI benefits by expanding nationally a pilot project which already provided five extra weeks of EI benefits to EI claimants in areas of high unemployment. We have also increased the maximum duration of EI benefits available under the EI program from 45 to 50 weeks. Over 400,000 Canadians will benefit from these measures in the first year alone.

While we are pleased that the unprecedented stimulus measures we proposed in our economic action plan are now starting to take effect, we recognize that the challenges faced by those who have lost their jobs in this difficult time, through no fault of their own, is something that we need to help them with.

We will continue to monitor the effectiveness of these measures to make sure that the EI system is working and responding effectively to the evolving economic circumstances. We will do what we can to stay with those who need us at this time.

[Renewable Energy, May 6th, 2009]

Madam Speaker, certainly, renewable energy is a large part of the Government of Canada's plan to address climate change.

We owe it to future generations to take action on climate change and to take that action now. That is why in early 2007 the Government of Canada announced its eco-energy initiatives to support the objective of reducing Canada's greenhouse gases by 20% by 2020.

At the same time, we have to balance the needs of our environment with the needs of our economy. Energy production is the backbone of Canada's economy. It has long contributed significantly to the quality of life of all Canadians.

Before the economic downturn, Canada's energy production was approximately $100 billion annually. However, the reality is that energy production and use are also the sources of most of Canada's air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

The task at hand is twofold: to clean up the production and use of fossil fuels, and to increase the use of clean energy by helping Canadians use energy more efficiently, boost renewable energy supplies and develop cleaner energy technologies.

The $3.6 billion eco-energy initiative that this government launched in 2007 provides a suite of programs designed to do just that. Our eco-energy programs are focusing on energy production, industry, business, transportation and, most importantly, homeowners. These programs have been tremendously successful, especially in the area of renewable energy.

I am pleased to have this opportunity to highlight a few examples. The eco-energy for renewable power program is investing nearly $1.5 billion to develop clean renewable energy sources, such as wind, low-impact hydro, biomass, geothermal, solar, photovoltaic and ocean energy.

To date this program has committed $934 million, representing over 2,884 megawatts of clean renewable electricity. This year we will see even greater success. There is still $498 million that will be allocated by the eco-energy for renewable power program, and many of the applications are still being reviewed.

Ultimately, this initiative will encourage the production of 14.3 terawatt hours of new electricity from renewable energy sources. That is enough electricity to power about 1 million homes.

Through our eco-energy for renewable heat program, we are supporting the uptake of renewable energy by industry, business and institutions. It is extending the use of renewable energy for space heating and hot water.

Our government is also encouraging Canadians to install renewable energy technologies in their homes by providing eco-energy grants to homeowners for the installation of solar hot water systems, ground or water source heat pumps to ensure that as homeowners they can contribute to the bigger picture of what needs to happen.

[May 4th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, perhaps the hon. member has not heard me. We are investing record amounts of dollars in early learning and child care, something the previous government promised to do on occasion but never did.

Can members imagine cutting $25 billion from the Canada social transfer to the provinces, downloading the responsibility to the provinces and proposing a national child care program to create spaces? Over 13 years there were no spaces created.

The member should apologize every time he gets up on behalf of his government for making promises and not carrying out one logical thing that would create a space and help Canadians families.

[May 4th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, that member was part of the previous Liberal government that made many promises with respect to the national child care program. In 13 years, how many spaces did it create? It created none. The Liberals are long on promises but short on action.

Our government has made promises and has delivered. Support for families with children is one of our most important goals. Our government is committed to helping parents by providing them with real choices in deciding what is best for their children. Our government's approach is not very popular with the opposition but it is very popular with Canadian parents.

We provide choice and direct support to parents through the universal child care benefit. This provides $100 per month to parents for each child under six. That is $1,200 per child and that money helps families. When I stop by small coffee shops and ask the moms how many children they have under six, I find that in that little group of people in the coffee shop in that little community they receive $9,000-plus.

The universal child care benefit has lifted about 24,000 families with about 55,000 children out of low income and it provides more than $2.4 billion each year to 1.5 million families with 2 million young children. That is a significant number of people who are affected.

Due to the support of this government, the provinces and territories have announced the creation of over 60,000 new child care spaces since March 2007.

Last year, this government invested $5.6 billion in early learning and child care. That was the single largest investment in child care in the history of Canada, three times more than the previous Liberal government ever invested, and that support is going up. For the next fiscal year, all provinces and territories will receive an increase of 3% in funding under the Canada social transfer. However, we will not do what the hon. member's party did, which was to balance its books on the backs of vulnerable Canadians by cutting $25 billion in social transfers.

In budget 2009, our economic action plan provides tax relief for low to middle income Canadians. The plan increases child benefits for modest and middle income Canadian families under the national child benefit supplement and the Canada child tax benefit, something most parties agree is of significant help.

The budget also announced the creation of an expert panel to review EI maternity and parental benefits for self-employed Canadians to help those Canadians at the beginning of their children's lives.

The fact is that the Liberals promised a national child care program every year since 1993 and did not create a single space, no spaces at all during that period of time. This is not a credible record and all Canadians recognize that.

This government believes that parents know best how to raise their children. We support choice in child care. We support Canadian parents and we will continue to work to ensure that the broadest range of choices are available to all Canadian families.

In fact, our government was chosen in two elections in a row. Canadians chose this government's plan because it puts the needs of families ahead of special interest groups and additional layers of government bureaucracy. We delivered what Canadian parents wanted: choice. It is no surprise that this government's plan is extraordinarily popular with Canadian families, even though it may not be with the opposition parties.

[Employment Insurance, April 30th, 2009]

Mr. Speaker, we commend Trooper Ricketts for his bravery and we sympathize with his situation. Service Canada officials have made every attempt to contact the Ricketts family to clarify this situation.

I will not get into the specifics of this case, but if the member really cares about the issue, he would come and see me or the minister directly about the issue. He would not be trying to play on the backs of the family and the soldiers to try to score cheap political points.