EI: Still much work to be done after Supreme Court decision

OTTAWA — New Democrat Employment Insurance Critic Yvon Godin (Acadie-Bathurst) is disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision and says there is still much work to be done to ensure workers benefit from the security net they pay into.

“The Supreme Court says the money was taken illegally, but they aren’t asking that it be reimbursed. It’s a bit like someone not paying their taxes, but nobody ever goes after them to get the money they owe,” said Godin.

The Supreme Court decided that the government was correct in stating that it had not misappropriated any funds. At the same time, the Supreme Court supported the plaintiffs in part, saying that the mechanism used to set contributions in 2002, 2003 and 2005 was illegal. The government has one year to correct the situation, which led to the illegal withdrawal of $50 billion.

The decision only deals with constitutional conditions, not the legal issues surrounding the government’s management of the fund. In short, only the constitutional aspect was analyzed.

This decision brings to light some of the problems plaguing the management of EI funds. Parliamentarians must work to resolve this issue quickly, says Godin.

“The Supreme Court is asking the government to be transparent when it comes to managing public funds. During the current economic crisis, it’s important for workers to have access to EI resources. Government revenues might be reduced during a recession, but that shouldn’t affect workers,” continued Godin.

New Democrats have been fighting for years to improve access to EI, particularly by eliminating the two-week waiting period for applicants. New Democrats are pushing to amend the law to guarantee that all EI revenues be used for workers’ training and benefits.