Fairness Wasn't A Consideration During Liberal Regime

John Ivison: Tories go to work on unemployment benefits

Posted: May 06, 2009, 5:30 PM by NP Editor

You have to be careful what you ask for in politics -- if you get it, you have nothing left to bitch about.

Michael Ignatieff may be about to find that out the hard way. The Liberal leader attacked the government on the issue of Employment Insurance Wednesday, claiming the country faces a national crisis because so many workers who have been made unemployed are ineligible for benefits. “Is the government really going to leave for the summer vacation without resolving the issue of Employment Insurance?” he asked.

It being Question Period, not Answer Period, he didn’t get a sensible response. But the short answer is, no -- the government is going to unveil a series of reforms that it hopes will pass before the end of June.

Jim Flaherty, the Finance Minister, told reporters on Tuesday that the government is listening to what the opposition parties have to say on EI. Conservatives say action is likely to be forthcoming before the summer because, if the government waits until a fall economic update to introduce reforms, legislation may not pass through the House of Commons until November.

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