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Ryan Turnbull

Replying to Marilène Gill (Bloc Québécois)
“Madam Speaker, my colleague just said he is concerned about affordability and the cost of living for people. The Bloc Québécois has been talking about employment insurance reform for years, and we asked that this measure be included in the budget update. When will the government propose a reform? Some people in my riding will still have to deal with the spring gap. Nothing has changed since the Axworthy reform. I believe these people who work in seasonal industries have the right to employment insurance that will cover their needs. By Christmas or early January, some of them will have nothing left to put on the table. I would like to know why the government is doing absolutely nothing about this, even though it has been promising to reform EI since 2015.”

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Madam Speaker, with a great deal of respect, I just have to say to the member opposite that it is not true that the government has done nothing. I have given specific, tangible examples. I know they are making a real difference. I have talked to the families in my riding of Whitby. These measures are for all of Canada. They are all Canadian. We not only provided an income tax cut, but also cut the excise tax on fuel. We have cut taxes on new home purchases. We have cut taxes on new business investment. We have offered additional federal benefits, including the groceries and essentials benefit, as I indicated in my speech, which provides significant support to families across the country. We are targeting those supports to those who are most impacted by those inflationary pressures. This is what a responsible government does; it steps up to help people when they need it most.