Harper-Ignatieff Reach Deal on EI
Agreement Between Canadian Political Leaders Means No Summer Election
Jun 17, 2009
Prime Minister Stephen Harper presented his second quarterly update June 12th, and that statement will be voted on before Parliament rises for the summer. Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff examined the update and offered up his conditions for letting it pass, including Employment Insurance (EI) Reform. Because the update is a financial bill, it’s considered a matter of confidence. Failure to let it pass would have meant the fourth election in five years.
Canadian Leaders Agree To Working Group on Employment Insurance
The two leaders agreed to form a working group to work on finding ways to reform Employment Insurance (EI). Canada is divided up into 58 different regions when it comes to EI and each region has different qualifying standards. Where unemployment is lowest, the standards are higher; you have to work more hours in order to receive it.
The Liberals proposed a 360-hour standard; a worker works 360 hours or the equivalent of 45 days, then they qualify for EI. The Conservatives oppose the suggestion, ridiculing it in an article on cbc.ca as the “45-day a year work week”.
The working group is the compromise. Harper and Ignatieff will name three MP’s (Members of Parliament) to the committee that will over the summer look at ways to change the system. They’ll present their report sometime in early September.
No Summer Election in Canada… Maybe Fall?
The agreement puts to rest all speculation of a summer election. But it kicks off talk of a fall campaign.
As part of the agreement on EI, Harper agreed to present an additional report on the country’s finances to Parliament the week of September 28th. Two days after the statement is presented, is an opposition day. The opposition potentially use that day to present a non-confidence motion making a general election possible in early November.
For the moment, both parties applaud the deal. In comments published by Canadian Press Prime Minister Stephen Harper said it was a new day for Parliamentary cooperation: “The good news we have today for people is that the breakthrough we actually have a willingness of the government and the Official Opposition to work together on an important policy matter.”
In the same Canadian Press article Ignatieff said he was happy with the progress he made: “We have found a way to make progress for Canadians on EI and we’ve found a way to make this government accountable.”
The BQ (Bloc Québécois), and NDP (New Democratic Party) are both coming out against the deal. In remarks published by the Canadian Press BQ leader Gilles Duceppe wondered what would happen over the summer: “What will happen to these unemployed over the summer, they have nothing, they’ll lose everything. They won’t be able to feed themselves.” NDP Leader Jack Layton said t he deal doesn’t improve anything about the economy: “Ignatieff did nothing to fix EI, nothing to create jobs, nothing to stimulate the economy.”
 |
