HUMA Committee News Release
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Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities |
HOUSE OF COMMONS CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES OTTAWA, CANADA K1A 0A6 |
Comité permanent des ressources humaines, du développement social et de la condition des personnes handicapées |
For immediate release
NEWS RELEASE
Strengthening the Employment Insurance Premium Rate-Setting Process
Ottawa, June 16, 2008 -
Today, Dean Allison, MP for Niagara West - Glanbrook and Chair of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, tabled a report in the House of Commons entitled Strengthening the Employment Insurance Premium Rate-Setting Process.
This report pertains to the federal government’s proposal, contained in Part 7 of Bill C-50 (Budget Implementation Act, 2008), to strengthen the Employment Insurance premium rate-setting process. The Committee held hearings on this matter between May 1 and May 27, 2008, during which employer and employee representatives and other parties interested in Employment Insurance financing matters presented their views on the government’s proposal to: establish a new Crown corporation, called the Canada Employment Insurance Financing Board; create a “reserve” to be managed by this Board; and implement a modified premium-rate setting process.
The Committee’s report contains six recommendations that deal with the Board’s structure and mandate, the size of the proposed reserve, the premium rate-setting reference period and the elimination of discretionary wording regarding advances to the Employment Insurance Account. Specifically, the report calls for:
- more clarity regarding the Board’s mandate;
- employee and employer representation on the board of directors;
- more flexibility in terms of the information that the Board may use to determine the premium rate;
- greater assurance that the Board’s operating costs and governance structure correspond to its focused mandate;
- a larger reserve and longer forward-looking rate-setting reference period; and
- greater certainty that, if necessary, the federal government would advance funds to the Employment Insurance Account.
The Committee requested a comprehensive response from the federal government within 120 days.
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