Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. We recognize the importance of protecting and promoting religious freedom abroad. Would my colleague agree that Canada needs to start paying closer attention to the important issues of strengthening institutions and promoting democracy and human rights in general?

Status of Women  Mr. Speaker, a new study reveals that women now earn 72% of what men earn. That kind of discrimination is unacceptable and unfairly affects women. Thanks to the NDP, a parliamentary committee will propose an action plan to achieve pay equity. Will the government promise today to pass the proactive bill on pay equity so that equal work for equal pay, the slogan women have chanted for too long, can become a reality?

Forestry Industry  Mr. Speaker, the forestry industry employs more than 60,000 workers in Quebec, including 5,000 in Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean. After many difficult years, the softwood lumber sector is again gripped by uncertainty with the expiry of the agreement. We still do not know what position the government will take in its new negotiations with the U.S.

Canada Post  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech. Consulting the public directly is perfect. What worries me, however, is jobs. With the installation of community mailboxes and the new technology that has been brought in, I am worried about people's jobs. Can my colleague reassure me that there will be no job cuts at Canada Post?

Canada Post  Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise to discuss the question I asked in the House on February 28 regarding Canada Post. Over the past year, many community mailboxes have been installed. In many cities and municipalities, mail delivery was completely halted, and we have seen these boxes imposed on communities everywhere, without any consultation.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. The NDP motion is about the 360 hours of work, the universal qualifying threshold that would really help workers, particularly those in my region, where communities are really spread out. Since my colleague does not feel that the 360-hour threshold is acceptable, I would like to ask him what exactly his plan is and whether he can share some details.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. In my riding, Jonquière, there are a lot of seasonal industries and workers who have a hard time making ends meet during the off-season. Many of our communities are remote and small, and they depend on regional economies in which a single industry, such as forestry, is sometimes the only source of jobs.

Employment Insurance  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. This is having a huge impact. Since I often engage with the people of my riding, I met some people from the forestry sector, which is mostly seasonal, who have been left without EI benefits. The five-week waiting period, the infamous black hole, was working well for seasonal workers.

Employment Insurance  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for this very important, very pertinent question about the 360-hour eligibility threshold. It is important to have a universal threshold. For instance, my riding is divided into two main geographic areas. If two people work for the same company but live 50 km away from one another, they do not have the same eligibility threshold.

Employment Insurance  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. As I said earlier, money could be set aside to provide additional training to people who want to go further in their sector. In my riding, Jonquière, some businesses closed. It is our responsibility to take care of the people who lost their jobs and to set up programs.

Employment Insurance  moved: That the House (a) acknowledge that mounting job losses combined with a lack of access to Employment Insurance (EI) contribute to growing income inequality and a situation where too many Canadians are struggling to make ends meet; and (b) call on the government to honour its campaign promises and Throne Speech commitment to strengthen the EI system “to make sure that it best serves both the Canadian economy and all Canadians who need it,” by taking immediate action to: (i) create a universal qualifying threshold of 360 hours for EI, regardless of the regional rate of unemployment, (ii) immediately repeal the harmful reforms of the previous government, including those that force unemployed workers to move away from their communities, take lower-paying jobs and those that eliminated the Extended EI Benefits Pilot program to help seasonal workers, (iii) protect the EI account to ensure that funds are only spent on benefits for Canadians, including training, and never again used to boost the government’s bottom line.

Canada Labour Code  moved for leave to introduce Bill C-234, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (replacement workers). Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour to present my bill to amend the Canada Labour Code. I thank my colleague from Saskatoon West for seconding this bill. As a progressive opposition party, we care about advocating for the rights of workers in Canada.

Canada Post  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her comments. I am pleased to hear that Canada Post will be reviewed. I want to offer my assistance to my colleague if she needs additional information or help. I am available to work with her and to participate in the review of Canada Post.

Canada Post  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be able to discuss this evening the question I asked in the House on January 26 about Canada Post. To put things into context, in December 2013, Canada Post announced its five-point plan concerning jobs and ending home mail delivery. That came as a shock, because there had not been any consultations.

Employment  Mr. Speaker, my region also needs help. Workers at a car dealership are struggling to make ends meet after three years of being locked out, and seasonal workers cannot figure out how to survive between seasons. The Liberals were highly critical of the EI reform when they were in opposition.