Published by Senator Art Eggleton on 03 April 2009
As the deepening recession continues to affect hundreds of thousands of Canadians it is time we rethink Employment Insurance (EI).
The current EI eligibility rules mean that only 41% of the country's unemployed today – and fewer than a quarter in Toronto – are eligible for benefits. Because of geographical inequities, a person living in Calgary, Toronto or Vancouver are required to work more hours than someone in other parts of Canada before they can collect EI. Those lucky enough to qualify often get far less than poverty-level incomes. And for almost everyone scrambling to find work as the economy crumbles, benefits take too long to come.
These Canadians are dedicated people that have worked hard and when they need the government the most – for many of them the government is not there. If you have lost your job, it shouldn't matter which part of the country you live in. Everyone should have the same access to EI benefits.
The changes to EI announced in the Budget in January - a five-week extension to all regular benefits for two years and some extra money to extend EI benefits for workers in long-term training - are welcome but they didn’t help enough of the unemployed.
We need to rethink EI to ensure that support gets in the hands of those who need it most. Extending a hand to help fellow citizens is a Canadian value.