New Democrats motion to extend EI passes in the House

OTTAWA – The New Democrat Opposition achieved a major victory today for the tens-of-thousands of Canadians recently thrown out of work as its motion to extend Employment Insurance benefits was adopted in the House of Commons.

New Democrat Labour Critic Chris Charlton’s motion calls on the Harper government to make much-needed improvements to extend Employment Insurance:

• to eliminate the waiting period for EI
• reduce the number of work hours needed to qualify for the program
• expand eligibility to include self-employed workers
• raise the rate of benefits

“This is a major victory for all Canadians,” said New Democrat Leader Jack Layton. ``A majority of Members of Parliament passed this motion and now we call on the Harper government to stop dragging its feet and implement these changes to help increasing numbers of Canadians who, through no fault of their own are losing their jobs every day,” said Layton.

According the Statistics Canada only 43% of unemployed Canadians and only 39% of unemployed women currently qualify for EI under the Harper government’s qualifications.

“The money in the EI fund was contributed by workers and employers to provide support during economic rainy days,” said Charlton. “Well, it is raining. In fact, the monsoon season has arrived. We have a moral obligation to restore the integrity of the Employment Insurance Act.”