EI

[madmax]

......or institute by design a system of wealth creation sufficient for the needs of the nation.

Let me know when your ready to present.

[madmax]

So, public education and subsidisation of post-secondary education holds no value? We don't need roads, hospitals, police, public health care, firefighters or ambulances to keep everything in motion? These are all things we pay taxes for. Without them, many of us would have a much more difficult time living our lives.

Looks like we are back to Socialism vs Social Credit again ... LOL...

Regardless, good points in regards that you pay for Employment Insurance....

[capricorn]

Words of wisdom from Jack Layton.

"Instead of lobbying electoral on-and-off-again grenades at each other, these two parties should be telling their teams to sit down and fix the EI system like they promised," Layton said.

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/CanadaWor...322226-sun.html

I don't often agree with Layton, but he nailed it here.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

Words of wisdom from Jack Layton.

http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/CanadaWor...322226-sun.html

I don't often agree with Layton, but he nailed it here.

Neither are fools, they avoided the election nobody wanted, a summer one. They agreed to do what was a buzz topic before summer, that was to talk about EI reforms, during the summer when no politician works anyway. Layton is now saying vacation time is over and he wants his dose of limelight. Guess what? Its still summer and nobody is back to work yet.....shocking!

Look, Harpers government is getting a little old. The cabinet needs a shakeup, and the party needs some good economic news before it rolls out of bed. Iggy was and still is cash poor, he needed some time to line up ducks and get ready. So the NDP has to tough it out. It sucks to be them, even now they are stuck in single digits, and there is damned little hope that will change anytime soon.

Stretch out doing anything about EI and soon the issue dies on the vine. That was the government plan and it worked just fine. Iggy had his chance and didn't take it. Layton has one small hope and that is coalition. If he can attach himself to Iggy's coat tails he may be able to do something. Iggy doesn't have the numbers to beat up the Conservatives to the extent that he wants, and he sure as hell doesn't want to "share" power with the lefties, because once you go there you get to carry the label. So everyone is stuck where they are at over the summer.

[capricorn]

Stretch out doing anything about EI and soon the issue dies on the vine. That was the government plan and it worked just fine. Iggy had his chance and didn't take it.

Good observations Jerry, particularly the above. I think Layton echoed what a lot of Canadians are thinking. Forget about an election over EI and do your damn jobs as Parliamentarians.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

Good observations Jerry, particularly the above. I think Layton echoed what a lot of Canadians are thinking. Forget about an election over EI and do your damn jobs as Parliamentarians.

Yet Canadians will get an election very soon, one way or another, either this fall or next spring.

[madmax]

Yet Canadians will get an election very soon, one way or another, either this fall or next spring.

But I think Capricorn is correct. That the feeling of Canadians is piss on the election and get back to work.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

But I think Capricorn is correct. That the feeling of Canadians is piss on the election and get back to work.

Since when do the concerns of citizens mean a damned thing to politicians? If our feelings had anything to do with their agendas we would be paying less tax and there would be a damned sight less spending going on. Had the feelings of citizens been taken into account would we have bailed out the auto companies?

[Topaz]

The Bloc is threatening to bring down the Tories if they don't make changes to EI. Harper has now all 3 parties wanting changes and in a time where people are losing their jobs and not many jobs out there in the hardest hit areas, I think they should make the changes. The Tories could make it an exception, the 360 hours when times are tough like now. No one wants to go on EI or welfare but what choice is there except the street. http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/canada/200...328526-sun.html

[Jerry J. Fortin]

The Bloc is threatening to bring down the Tories if they don't make changes to EI. Harper has now all 3 parties wanting changes and in a time where people are losing their jobs and not many jobs out there in the hardest hit areas, I think they should make the changes. The Tories could make it an exception, the 360 hours when times are tough like now. No one wants to go on EI or welfare but what choice is there except the street. http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/canada/200...328526-sun.html

There is a zero hope for Harper to cave in, he would lose too much face for that. It would political capital that he cannot afford to spend.

[madmax]

There is a zero hope for Harper to cave in, he would lose too much face for that. It would political capital that he cannot afford to spend.

Nor can the Liberals win any ground in an election on EI reform. They would get split on the left and right as the issue is highlighted.

1) It was the Liberals that changed the system, created the weakness of benefits, and stole from EI.

2) The CPC will eat them up in a campaign on 45 days of work. The LPC will not be able to talk or negoitate there way out of this, and worst of all they don't honestly support it themselves.

3) The public are not open to go to an election on this point. Those on EI or out of work and cannot collect are less likely to vote, and the vote will still go three ways, and those employed have no intention of supporting another election this fall, causing even more delays in government.

Ignatieff should have used January to negotiate a formal coalition with the CPC. Since they are already propping up the government 100% of the time, they would have been better off to give the CPC a condition of support that would ensure no election for 2 years. The LPC could build while not having to huff and puff with hot air.

Nobody I know takes the Liberals seriously on the subject of EI.

That lack of credibility will expand should the LPC choose this as the grounds to fight a campaign.

And that is why Harper has no intention of backing down.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

Nor can the Liberals win any ground in an election on EI reform. They would get split on the left and right as the issue is highlighted.

1) It was the Liberals that changed the system, created the weakness of benefits, and stole from EI.

2) The CPC will eat them up in a campaign on 45 days of work. The LPC will not be able to talk or negoitate there way out of this, and worst of all they don't honestly support it themselves.

3) The public are not open to go to an election on this point. Those on EI or out of work and cannot collect are less likely to vote, and the vote will still go three ways, and those employed have no intention of supporting another election this fall, causing even more delays in government.

Ignatieff should have used January to negotiate a formal coalition with the CPC. Since they are already propping up the government 100% of the time, they would have been better off to give the CPC a condition of support that would ensure no election for 2 years. The LPC could build while not having to huff and puff with hot air.

Nobody I know takes the Liberals seriously on the subject of EI.

That lack of credibility will expand should the LPC choose this as the grounds to fight a campaign.

And that is why Harper has no intention of backing down.

Don't be surprised by what is going on here. The numbers of Canadians on the unemployed line are going up everyday. Ontario has been devastated by plant closures and they are the driving force behind this movement. Iggy knows where his bread gets buttered, and he will play the angles to cover himself, you can expect that.

What us armchair quarterbacks think doesn't matter. The Liberals are going to force Harpers hand one way or another. When they find the right lever, Harper will be leveraged, count on it. When it does finally take place, Harper will lose points and his viability as a leader will be completely compromised.

[Topaz]

I think the government needs to put special clause into EI for part time workrs. If they can't collect because of not enough hours then maybe those people shouldn't have to pay into it. Perhaps the 360 hours could be for emergency times like now. http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianp...bcKPAcNt4LkU0Kw

[Jerry J. Fortin]

I think we would be better off taking individuals on social assistance and those who desired to collect on employment insurance and giving them something to do, that is what I think. We need to get seriously outside of the box to begin to deal with social issues. The nanny state of Canada should not impoverish its citizens in order to provide cradle to grave benefits for folks who would rather not work. In the case of those who cannot find work on their own, the government could provide gainful employment. Its either that or they find work themselves. If you want the government to pay then you better figure on having to work for your pay.

[capricorn]

I think the government needs to put special clause into EI for part time workrs. If they can't collect because of not enough hours then maybe those people shouldn't have to pay into it.

If part time workers don't pay into EI, neither do their employers. This would only encourage employers to create more part time jobs to keep their costs down.

Perhaps the 360 hours could be for emergency times like now.

Sounds good at first glance. Problem is, governments hesitate to roll back a program once it's in the works because of the backlash from interest groups.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

The nanny state cannot sustain this kind of crap for very long. Besides its not in our best interest to pay folks not to work.

[whowhere]

I think we would be better off taking individuals on social assistance and those who desired to collect on employment insurance and giving them something to do, that is what I think. We need to get seriously outside of the box to begin to deal with social issues. The nanny state of Canada should not impoverish its citizens in order to provide cradle to grave benefits for folks who would rather not work. In the case of those who cannot find work on their own, the government could provide gainful employment. Its either that or they find work themselves. If you want the government to pay then you better figure on having to work for your pay.

Once upon a time it was announce in the paper or bulletin boards show up at this place at this time for work. At the end of the day the person is paid. There are lots of work that the government could advertise this way to get done. Doing this would provide someone a source of income.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

Once upon a time it was announce in the paper or bulletin boards show up at this place at this time for work. At the end of the day the person is paid. There are lots of work that the government could advertise this way to get done. Doing this would provide someone a source of income.

There are thousands of things that need doing. Fighting fires in BC is about job one right now.

[punked]

Once upon a time it was announce in the paper or bulletin boards show up at this place at this time for work. At the end of the day the person is paid. There are lots of work that the government could advertise this way to get done. Doing this would provide someone a source of income.

That was the way Tommy Douglas did it during the depression.

[punked]

There are thousands of things that need doing. Fighting fires in BC is about job one right now.

Yes lets send all the untrained unemployed to do that right now great idea.

[ba1614]

Yes lets send all the untrained unemployed to do that right now great idea.

Well, if you kill 'em off we wouldn't have to pay for them anymore.

[jdobbin]

Gordon Campbell has some interesting ideas:

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Leyne+Ca...3611/story.html

Into this issue rode the premier, with an unusual open letter in the Globe and Mail demanding wholesale changes -- fast.

"Eliminate the regional discrepancies in eligibility rules that are particularly unfair to Western Canadians," he said.

Requiring some people to work 420 hours and others 910 hours before they qualify is clearly discriminatory, he said. It's one country. There should be one standard.

Western premiers made essentially the same case at a meeting in June in Dawson City, agreeing to push for a fairer system. They wanted equal support to all, regardless of the province people work (or worked) in.

"The program should be streamlined from having 58 regions with different eligibility standards to nationwide benefits that reflect employment opportunities in urban centres and rural and remote communities."

In other words, from 58 zones to three: Urban, rural and remote.

Maybe this is the compromise that can be found on the issue.

Certainly provinces came out of the premiers meeting with a focus on EI. The Tories are finished their work on or so they say. That might not be good enough. Compromise can be reached but Harper may be looking for an election.

[M.Dancer]

That was the way Tommy Douglas did it during the depression.

He lived in a province with the population of a small town. Probally knew every voter by name...