“Right now it’s unfortunate that that information has not been provided because when there’s a void, there’s legitimately a lot of concerns,” said New Brunswick Premier David Alward, a Progressive Conservative who had previously been less vocal than the other three Atlantic premiers.
Mr. Alward worked as a federal public servant from 1982 until 1996, including a stint at the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, which manages EI. He said that experience leaves him doubtful the new rules will in fact be flexible, as federal ministers promise.
“One of the things that I’ve said as well from my meetings with federal ministers or with members of Parliament, they indicate there will be flexibility. My comment, having worked at one point for HRSDC, is the employment insurance program is an eligibility-based program. It’s black and white,” he said.
“So we’re being told that the program will have flexibility when in the past that flexibility hasn’t existed. We need to know and understand what those changes are so we can ensure our seasonal industries, our regions will not be negatively impacted.”
Changes to Employment Insurance were included in the federal budget bill, C-38, without announcement. Human Resources Minister Diane Finley initially refused to provide any comment or explanation at all when asked about those sections of the bill.
Then on May 24, Ms. Finley outlined the changes at a news conference that included briefing documents and background sessions for the media with senior federal public servants in her department.
The changes would create three new tiers of EI recipients, including a new category for “frequent” EI users who would be given six weeks to find a job in a “similar occupation” before having to accept any work that offers at least 70 per cent of previous pay or risk being cut off from EI.
A review of recent EI statistics by The Globe and Mail shows that in Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island, a strong majority of EI claimants are frequent claimants. The percentage for Newfoundland is 80 per cent – the highest in the country – followed by PEI (78 per cent), New Brunswick (60 per cent), Nova Scotia (56 per cent) and Quebec (43 per cent). The national average is 36 per cent.
Those HRSDC statistics are based on a slightly broader definition of “frequent” EI user than the new definition. The department has not provided statistics on how many people in each province will fall into the new definition of frequent EI user.
Ms. Finley was asked by the NDP in the House of Commons Wednesday to respond to the Atlantic premiers.
“I’m open to hearing their concerns and taking them into consideration,” Ms. Finley replied.
Kathy Dunderdale, the Progressive Conservative premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, said the Atlantic leaders want more information as to how Ottawa plans on enforcing these new rules.
“We don’t have the answers to very basic questions. How are you going to monitor this?” she said.
The four premiers – including Liberal PEI Premier Robert Ghiz and NDP Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter – said there should be special rules for Atlantic Canada so that seasonal industries like fishing do not lose trained workers because they will be forced to take new jobs in the off-season and may not return.
“Common sense was a word that Minister Finley used. What does that mean?” Mr. Ghiz asked. “If common sense is going to come into effect, my common sense says that it’s not going to affect our seasonal industries, but we don’t know that yet.
“Until we really find out, it’s difficult for us to come up with a strategy. But again, we live in a democracy. We’re very fortunate. That strategy will come out when people will decide to go vote in 2015.”
Original Article
Source: the globe and mail
Author: BILL CURRY
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