Tony fights the pogey bosses

TONY MARTIN NEWS RELEASE

*********************** Tony Martin calls on feds to implement EI changes

OTTAWA – Sault MP Tony Martin is calling on the federal government in Wednesday’s budget to implement substantial changes to the way Employment Insurance rates are set and used.

"People without work are suffering and yet 40 per cent of the unemployed, including seasonal and many women who are part-time workers, cannot access the fund that was created for them," Martin said.

Over the past decade the federal government has taken in $46 billion more in EI premiums than it has paid out.

Martin is part of a Parliamentary committee that made several EI recommendations including reducing to 360 hours the number of hours workers must work to be eligible to collect.

"I am hopeful that with our minority Parliament the government at long last is going to make some changes," Martin said.

"Seasonal workers do not receive benefits because they haven't been able to work enough hours to qualify or because their benefits ran out before work became available. There are built-in disincentives to not work….

"The EI fund needs to be used for the reason it was created and not be this cash cow for government," Martin said.

In last year's budget, the federal government said it planned to introduce legislation this year with new rate-setting mechanisms.

It hasn't happened yet.

In 2002, the federal government suspended the Employment Insurance Act section on rate settings as a result of concerns from the Auditor-General, labour and business groups over the size of the government's intake versus what it paid out in benefits.

Since 2002, the rates have been set on the recommendation from cabinet.

EI premiums go directly into the government's general coffers.

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