Ignatieff Hits the Ground Running?
Ignatieff was acclaimed as leader of the federal Liberals this past weekend and appears to have come out of the gate ready to run. During the convention along with moving the Liberals forward into a one vote, one member system, which most other parties use, he threw down a gauntlet to the Conservatives claiming he is willing to take the country to the polls if the government doesn’t change the IE program.
Every worker across this country contributes to IE while they are employed but only about 31% of those losing their jobs are able to collect. IE is meant to be bridge income while a person seeks a new job. In a recession like the one Canada is currently experiencing, jobs are increasingly scarce, the chances of a short gap between jobs becomes increasingly unlikely.
To qualify for IE workers have to have a minimum number of hours worked. This halts those who would rather draw ‘pogey’ than work from working briefly and then drawing IE. Currently the number of hours needed is varied across the country, there are some 54 different areas where the hours and even the amount of EI received varies.
The Liberals are calling on the government to set the hours at 360 hours across the country for, at minimum, the duration of the recession. The Conservatives consider the current system to be very generous, they should try walking in the shoes of laid off workers who can’t find work and aren’t receiving the Employment Insurance they have paid into.
Flaherty, pontificates that laid off workers need to retrain into other fields as many jobs wont be coming back. He’s got a point however when the laid off worker doesn’t qualify for IE just what the worker supposed to work on?
The Liberals have the right idea, the other Opposition parties appear to be willing to support the fight. Now the question is, will Ignatieff press the issue and stand firm or will we see a waffling at the point where it matters most?
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