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Results: 1 - 11 of 11
View Brigitte Sansoucy Profile
NDP (QC)
Mr. Speaker, on June 7, I rose in the House to ask a question about the spring gap problem that affects seasonal workers.
The Liberal government promised to restore the extra five weeks pilot project. Even though promises were made, many seasonal workers will again have no income next spring. It is unacceptable that the government cannot find a real solution to help families who are in a precarious position because of its failure to act. The government does not seem to realize that the situation is urgent.
More than 16,000 seasonal workers are grappling with the spring gap, and almost 40% of them are Quebeckers. The majority of these seasonal workers will run out of employment insurance benefits up to four months before they are to return to work. These workers in the agriculture, forestry, tourism, and fishery industry will have difficulty finding another job to make up for the lack of income.
During the election campaign, the Prime Minister promised to reform the employment insurance regime and solve the spring gap problem. Some organizations, such as the Conseil national des chômeurs et chômeuses, are still waiting for the government to keep its promise. The CNC is asking the government to establish a program that would take into consideration the situation of seasonal workers. However, after two years, nothing has been done. What is the government waiting for to take action?
Every year, these workers and their families experience terrible hardships. There are so many examples. Last June, workers in the shrimp industry in the Gaspé region were deprived of at least six weeks of work. As a result, the number of weeks of EI benefits they are entitled to after their contract will go down. Shrimp industry workers could therefore be left without any income next spring before being rehired.
This is not only a problem in the Gaspé. According to the group Action Chômage Haute-Côte-Nord, the spring gap can result in anywhere between five and 15 weeks of extreme poverty for certain families. We are talking about people who earn less than $20,000 a year and are going into debt. Imagine living for three or four months without any income. It is impossible. This is also the case in my riding of Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, where we have a lot of seasonal workers in the agrifood industry.
Many seasonal workers in New Brunswick will no longer have access to employment insurance next spring. The explanation given illustrates how serious the situation is: the unemployment rate in their region has dropped over the past year, so that is to blame. It dropped from 15% to 11%, and this changes the employment insurance formula used. An individual who accumulated 420 hours of work last year could receive 30 weeks of EI benefits. Now, 490 hours of work are needed to be eligible for 23 weeks of EI benefits. It makes no sense.
When the unemployment rate is low, seasonal workers have to accumulate more hours of work but receive fewer weeks of benefits. Seasonal workers in New Brunswick will now have to work two more weeks, yet they will end up with seven weeks less of employment insurance benefits.
However, the government insists that everything is fine and that the solution is to wait for the unemployment rate to rise. What a joke. This is totally unacceptable. Seasonal workers are essential to the Canadian economy. The government ought to fulfill the promises it made them, starting with reinstating the extra five weeks program. Employment insurance is important for everyone, especially seasonal workers.
When will the government finally take the necessary steps to help seasonal workers and prevent the recurring spring gap problem?
View Jean Rioux Profile
Lib. (QC)
View Jean Rioux Profile
2017-11-07 18:41 [p.15123]
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot for giving me the opportunity to talk about the measures our government is taking to help Canadian workers.
We have been consulting Canadians in recent months. These consultations are very important because they will help us to identify needs and determine the best measures to take to help Canadians families deal with growing pressures.
We have taken real action to support Canadians. For example, our government has made a series of improvements to the employment insurance system in order to make it more consistent with the realities of today's labour market and thereby respond to the needs of Canadian workers and employers.
Some of the improvements that have already come into effect are the elimination of the higher EI eligibility requirements that restricted access for new entrants and re-entrants to the labour market, the simplification of job search responsibilities, the temporary extension of EI benefits in the 15 economic regions that were most hard hit by the drop in commodity prices, the implementation of a more flexible working while on claim pilot project, the extension of work-sharing agreements, and the reduction of the two-week waiting period to one week.
Most of these changes were made during the past year, so that more Canadians could get the help they need, when they need it. Some of these measures are particularly beneficial to seasonal workers, such as the working while on claim pilot project.
This pilot project helps employment insurance claimants stay connected to the labour market and increase their overall income by allowing them to keep receiving a portion of their employment insurance benefits along with all earnings from their job. This means seasonal workers receiving employment insurance can work part-time during the off-season without being penalized by having their overall benefits reduced. This pilot project ensures seasonal workers are better off accepting available work.
Furthermore, by reversing the 2012 changes to employment insurance and simplifying job search responsibilities, we made the obligation to search for and accept available work the same for all claimants, regardless of claim history. These measures benefit all Canadian workers.
As these measures show, our government is taking immediate action to improve Canada's employment insurance program for all Canadians across the country, so it can more efficiently meet the needs of today's labour market.
We want to make sure that the employment insurance program provides workers, families, and the regions with the security they need. We are committed to helping middle-class Canadians and those working hard to join them.
View Brigitte Sansoucy Profile
NDP (QC)
Mr. Speaker, it is always the same old answer. There has been no progress for months. Eighteen months of consultation is starting to feel long. The government needs to change its tune and start taking immediate action. It is time for the government to keep its promises and truly address the spring gap problem.
Seasonal workers across Canada are fed up with having to continue this fight. Many workers believed the Liberals' promises during the electoral campaign, but their situation has not improved since then. Once again, come spring, they are going to end up without any income for several weeks or months.
This proves yet again that we cannot trust these promises. It is sad to see that after two years in government, the Liberals still have not listened to seasonal workers and what they are asking for.
I will ask my question again: when will the government finally take the necessary measures to help seasonal workers and prevent the spring gap? All they are asking for is five extra weeks.
View Jean Rioux Profile
Lib. (QC)
View Jean Rioux Profile
2017-11-07 18:45 [p.15123]
Mr. Speaker, I want to make it very clear to the members of the House that our government took immediate action to improve the employment insurance system for Canadians across the country, specifically to make it more effective in light of current labour market conditions.
For instance, thanks to our government's actions last year, more Canadians are eligible for employment insurance support, the job search rules have been simplified, and more assistance is being offered to people hit by the economic downturn.
A number of improvements have already been made, and we continue to try to find new ways to improve our employment insurance system. We are determined to support Canadians when they need it most.
View Rémi Massé Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, from September 7 to 10, Baie-des-Chaleurs and parc national de la Gaspésie welcomed participants in the fourth annual Raid international Gaspésie.
For three days, 170 athletes from countries including France, Uruguay, and South Africa, tackled the competition's multi-sport challenges around Carleton-sur-Mer, an amazing playground for athletes seeking an adrenaline rush.
As the only event of its kind in eastern Canada, the Raid puts Gaspésie and its natural beauty in the international spotlight. With journalists from around the world covering the Raid, the media attention gives the region an opportunity to position itself as a world-class adventure tourism destination.
I am pleased to have this chance to tell the House about the remarkable work that Raid international Gaspésie organizers are doing. I am grateful to the Société de développement et de mise en valeur de Carleton-sur-Mer and Endurance Aventure for putting our magnificent region on the map.
View Rémi Massé Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that we learned last week of the death of Charles-Eugène Marin, doctor and politician who made his mark in the Gaspé with his passion and determination.
Charles-Eugène Marin is an example of devotion and commitment. In addition to serving in municipal politics as mayor of Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, this exceptional man also served as member of Parliament from 1984 to 1993.
Mr. Marin was always a strong defender of our corner of the country. He was completely devoted to improving his community and always believed in our region's potential. Through hard work and determination, he founded the Exploramer museum in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts.
I want to take this opportunity in the House to pay tribute to him. My colleague the Minister of National Revenue and I also wish to extend our condolences to his family, friends, and loved ones.
View Brigitte Sansoucy Profile
NDP (QC)
Mr. Speaker, because of a labour dispute, shrimp workers in the Gaspé have been deprived of at least six weeks of work.
They could find themselves without any income for several weeks next spring if the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development keeps talking about consultation rather than taking action. He has been consulting for 18 months. Urgent action is needed to resolve the problem of the spring gap, the black hole.
When will the Liberals keep their promise and restore the extra five weeks pilot project for seasonal workers?
View Justin Trudeau Profile
Lib. (QC)
View Justin Trudeau Profile
2017-06-07 14:43 [p.12194]
Mr. Speaker, this government has shown that it is open to working with the communities affected that are struggling with difficult situations, in order to ensure that the employment insurance program provides workers, families, and the regions with the security they need.
As we demonstrated last year with the assistance we granted to Alberta and the provinces affected by the drop in oil prices, we will always be there to help struggling communities make it through those difficult times. That is who we are as Canadians.
View Rémi Massé Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, snow conditions are still fantastic in the Lower St. Lawrence and the Gaspé, but the snowmobile season is coming to a close in my riding, so I would like to take this opportunity to talk about how important the snowmobile industry is to my region.
Some 4,800 kilometres of trails boasting breathtaking landscapes criss-cross our region. Snowmobilers from Canada, the United States, and farther afield are drawn to our thousands of kilometres of trails, our exceptional winter conditions, and eastern Quebec's unique mountain and ocean vistas.
As an avid snowmobiler, I would like to congratulate and thank the people who run snowmobile clubs, the volunteers, and those who work in hotels, motels, restaurants, gas stations, and dealerships. Their warm welcome and outstanding service bring significant economic benefit to our communities.
The snowmobile industry generates $110 million in economic spinoffs in the Lower St. Lawrence and the Gaspé. Thanks to the dedication of people in the industry, our region is among the best in Canada.
View Rémi Massé Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, faced with a very difficult economic situation, my riding and the Gaspé were able to develop recognized expertise in generating electricity from wind power.
In fact, our region has some 20 wind farms, which produce almost 1,000 megawatts of electricity from wind energy and create many jobs.
Could the Minister of Natural Resources share with the House the commitments made by our government to support producers of clean renewable energy and create jobs for Canadian workers?
View Rémi Massé Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, I want to honour the outstanding contribution of a dedicated journalist from my riding, Pierre Morel, who kept people in my region informed over this course of his nearly 40-year career.
Like other journalists from my region, Pierre is a stalwart of the regional news scene. Unfortunately, regional issues get overlooked in media coverage. According to Influence Communication's latest report, the Gaspé region's share of media attention was 0.1%, which is a direct result of reduced media presence in the regions. Our regions are bursting with talent, resources, dedicated business owners, and creators. Back home, we are so lucky to have documentary film producers, animated film producers, video game creators, and producers of creations that promote culture in Canada.
During the election campaign, we promised to reinvest in CBC/Radio-Canada and in the Canada Council for the Arts, and that is what we are going to do. If we are able to promote our regions, our people, and our culture across Canada and around the world, we can attract new investments, foster economic development, and create many jobs.
Results: 1 - 11 of 11

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