Ignatieff to Reform EI
Mr. Ignatieff's criticism of the existing employment insurance system follows similar proposals by the New Democrats and comes as a new poll puts the Liberals in first place among national parties as NDP voters jump to the Liberals.
"People are shedding jobs like crazy," Mr. Ignatieff said on CTV's Question Period. "We've got to have a government that steps in and says 'Let's put some floor under this. Let's give people an employment insurance system that allows them to get training for new jobs.' "
Its obvious that there is a desire to change EI. I don't think it matters to the public, who is responsible for EIs current state of affairs. Yes, the Liberals are responsible, but people are trusting the Liberals to change it back.
Just pointing a finger at the LPC isn't going to win any votes or persuade people not to vote for a party that wishes to right a wrong. (even it if is purely opportunistic).
"Even during good times, the Liberals wouldn't come back and support strengthening the EI system," Mr. Layton said.
People will trust the LPC to do it, whether they do it or not. Nor is the argument that the LPC might not do it after an election, strong enough to put any doubt in the public mind not to support changes to EI by supporting the LPC.
EI changes are coming and the LPC are going to ride that wave.
Well then what the NDP has to do is make the case that the Liberals are not sincere and cannot be trusted and all we have to do is look at their endless list of broken promises when they were in power. Ignatieff can be trusted to keep his word - until the votes are counted.
People will forgive the LPC.
People don't trust politicians and they don't trust the NDP anymore then the NDP trusts the LPC or the CPC.
I see that strategy going nowhere fast.
Well then why don't you recommend a strategy that you think will work.
Iggy wants EI amended to include more training for new jobs.
We don't have any new jobs.
Training courses take people off the EI roles, thus artificially lower the unemployment rate.
Iggy didn't say much about rate increases, qualifying time, and length of claims. I doubt he is sincere on fixing EI.
EI has to be revamped. I don't offer solutions to the NDP Stockholm, I trust you for that, although I do offer opinion and criticism freely ;).
As for the Training programs, its a great sell to everyone who is working, that the government provides training for all the poor pitful people who are out of work.
Iggy isn't sincere on fixing EI, he is sincere on using EI to obtain a job for himself.
You bring up some great points on Rate Increases, Qualifying time and length of claims. These are what EI is supposed to provide first and foremost as a safety net.
However, seeing how the Provincial Government (Ontario) has hid behind the training program, rather then address the massive Job Losses, I can say that the tactics of hiding behind training as the answer employment problems is a great sell, especially to those who are working.
Much like Harper is hiding behind the extention of EI by 5 Weeks, Ignatieff will hide behind offering training in EI. The CPC do want to go down this path, but when is the question. Finley doesn't want to pay people to stay at home. Training courses are a great compromise and who can argue with that.
Its pretty cool to see people trained in Nursing, only to find out their hospital is laying off :(
We don't have any new jobs, and we better find them, because a revolt is only a few years away.
"I don't offer solutions to the NDP Stockholm, I trust you for that, although I do offer opinion and criticism freely"
Well if you start off with the premise that Canadians will believe ANYTHING that comes out of the mouth of a Liberal leader - then I guess you must think that the NDP, Tories and BQ should all fold up their tents and not bother to contest elections and that Canada might as well be a one party state.
People will forgive the LPC.
People don't trust politicians and they don't trust the NDP anymore then the NDP trusts the LPC or the CPC.
I see that strategy going nowhere fast.
That may well be true, but the point must still be made-- loud, clear, and often.
A better strategy for the NDP would be to point out that what working Canadians want is to work. And that if they work hard, there will be rewards. Something absent from our current economic arrangement.
The first and most important reform for E.I. is for it to be treated in both law and practice for what it in fact is-- a deffered wage, and not a hand out.
Personally, I am all for privatization of the so called fund.
The Liberals were the ones who gutted Ui-eI-O and stole $48 billion from the workers' fund in the first place. The NDP should make sure to remind voters of that every chance we get.
No, the Liberals couldnt be trusted with EI then or now.
If some people suck into swing voting and vote Liberal to get rid of the Cons, then they are going to get what they deserve, MORE OF THE SAME.
STockholm: I don't go so far as to say the public will agree with "anything" the LPC says, but I do think the public will absorb the LPC position on EI.
Mr. Paine is correct in that Canadians want work, but neither the LPC or the NDP are offering work. I wouldn't be surprised if the NDP aren't offering "training" as well. Perhaps the difference is the NDP knows the Unemployed want work and the LPC live in the bubble of training solutions.
Fidel: Yes the LPC gutted EI. Yes the LPC Stole 48Million. However, I don't think it will stick to the New Leader, especially if he chooses to say they will fix EI. Averting blame is the goal of any leader, and I believe that Ignatief may have some of Chretians Teflon.
Can the LPC be trusted with EI? Absolutely not, but will Canadians buy into that or believe it? I am not so certain.
The party that has the most credibilty should get the nod from activist groups who want EI reform. If the activist groups move towards the LPC, the the NDP will be just an echo of that reform.
How much EI reform we receive.... ....It was covered earlier, and likely to stop a training.
But you never know how far the LPC will run with it, if they can make political capital on the subject and take the issue away from the NDP.
"The party that has the most credibilty should get the nod from activist groups who want EI reform."
If there is ANYONE who knows full well that the Liberals have ZERO credibility on EI reform - its the activist groups. They have long memories of 13 years of the Liberals savagely cutting EI and of Liberal leaders and bigwigs refusing to even meet with them.
I work on the front lines, helping people with thier training plans. People need to be able to access EI while they are upgrading to grade 12 and EI needs to be extended while in training like it used to be.
People need to be able to access EI! So many people don't and can't.
Grade 12 is only part of the package. I was proud back when my mother went back to school to get her grade 9, then grade 10.
I find it amusing, what the need is for someone who has contributed to society for 25 or 30 years, all of a sudden needs a Grade 12 to wrap a skid with shrinkwrap.
Most of this is screening peoples ages. Their is a segment of society that is about a 2 years older then me that didn't go to grade 12. They just happen to be some of the best damn employees out there, and some of the smartest people I know.
Do they need Grade 12? Only because it is asked of them.
There are many changes out there, that are unrelated to grade 12. Computer skills, needed to interact and get a job, are more important today then they were 5 years ago.
I know alot of people, that were thrilled to get their grade 12, then follow through with a training program. They became tutors and won awards, along with some of the highest marks in the class.
And now 2 years on.... no job.
EI needs to be extended, whether training or not. It absolutely has to be extended when in training.
How many people are in training? A very small %, and it doesn't make alot of sense for many of the people who are unemployed. Those who can take advantage of retraining, should be given all the help required.
I don't know how it makes sense for people who are making less then $10/hour manage to collect EI at 55% (That's about $5.5 hour), and go to school for 2 years, while they have a wife, family etc.
Training is the easy way out for governments to pretend action is needed. The biggest benefactors of training are the private schools, and the colleges. Many of these courses are nothing short of over inflated rippoffs designed to scoop up government money and the government keeps the seats full.
Many people have wanted to sue some of these institutions for the poor quality of the courses, and some very misleading information.
A free education would be fantastic...... and whatever is learned can never be taken away (unlike a job), but training alone is not going to stop the gutting of jobs and technology from this country.
People need to receive what they paid into. Perhaps EI should be used strictly for its original purpose and a separate fund be set aside for the Provinces to deliver higher quality education for all.
EI bigger quackery, is that people can live across the road from one another and have worked in the same company. They have different EI qualifications and lengths of time to collect benefits.
Watch the LPC take the EI ball away from the NDP. Watch as training ends up becoming the be all solution.
The Liberals can try to take the EI ball from the NDP - but its the NDP's job to remind people that it was the Liberals who gutted EI in the first place and to point out that the only thing you can count on with Liberals is that 100% of the things they promise will never materialize.
Look at child care. The Liberals promised it in 1993, 1997, 2000 and 2004 and they only tried to do something when they knew full well they were going to be defeated in the house and so there was no chance of it actually passing. Child care is to the Liberals like what scrapping the gun registry is to the Tories - is bright shiny bauble they can bring out every election to tempt people - but they have no intention of ever actually following through on it because if they did - they wouldn't be able to promise it anymore.
With the Liberals its always 100% politics and 0% governance.
Good on Iggy for pushing for more EI because it needed going for and that there are revisions coming its great. And pushing for training thats also wonderful as better to be in a classroom learning than on the couch. There will be new jobs for sure people are already busy thinking what can I get into? So hardtimes yes but come on we're Canadian this isn't like we've been wipped out by a virus or something. We will get the job done. Now we just have to figure out where that job is.
Ignatieff stands on his hind legs and makes a demand after voting for the budget that included no such improvements? Don't make me laugh.
Under Ignatieff the Liberals have returned to being the Lie-berals.
The Liberals want to expand EI eligibiility after being the ones to break the system in the first place? Hypocrisy, thy name is Liberal.
One whole day later and ...
"The Harper government won approval Tuesday to quickly start pumping $3-billion into Canada's sputtering economy after Liberals backed off their demand for details on how the money will be spent.
Provision for the special stimulus fund was included in a spending bill, which passed the House of Commons by a vote of 210-82 with the support of Conservative and Liberal MPs.
Only three weeks ago, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff insisted he would never support the fund without some advance idea of how it would be spent. He was adamant despite Prime Minister Stephen Harper's warning that the fund constituted a confidence matter and that opposition parties would “find themselves in an election” if they blocked it.
“I am not writing a blank cheque on $3-billion. No Canadian would respect me if I did,” Mr. Ignatieff said at the time.
Yet Liberals supported the fund Tuesday even though the government had not provided any of the details they'd demanded."
Igantieff is a wimp.
Bark! Bark! What's that you ask? An Ignatieff with no bite.
Saw that today as well. Wow we are all surprised around here
Can't anyone see this, No cuz they spent literally 10 seconds on it during the national. With a quick tidbit that layton was upset but gave no details. Thank you gatekeepers of truth for once again providing the details that canadians need. I did find out that if I am a yuppi and hav a lot of gold lying around I can get quick bucks by trading it in to 2 sleezeball gold merchants in Toronto. That only got 4-5 minutes of air time. You know importants and all.
Good on Iggy for pushing for more EI because it needed going for and that there are revisions coming its great. And pushing for training thats also wonderful as better to be in a classroom learning than on the couch.
So hardtimes yes but come on we're Canadian this isn't like we've been wipped out by a virus or something.
What the LPC realize is that EI is popular. What I realize is that the LPC stole $48 Billion form EI.
The LPC got the job done alright. The LPC has royally screwed the employees, helped throw them out of work, and now, for the good of our society, are going to kick those lazy bums off the couch.
Take a hike.
Hey madmax, I couldn't have said it better! Thanx
Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants, it is the creed of slaves. William Pitt (1759 - 1806)
Thank you gatekeepers of truth for once again providing the details that canadians need. I did find out that if I am a yuppi and hav a lot of gold lying around I can get quick bucks by trading it in to 2 sleezeball gold merchants in Toronto. That only got 4-5 minutes of air time. You know importants and all.