The National Council of Unemployed Workers (NCUW) is calling on the New Democratic Party (NDP) to withdraw its support of the Liberal government.
“The Trudeau government made a firm commitment to reform the Employment Insurance program and to address its failures in terms of coverage and benefits. Since 2021, this reform has been constantly delayed, put off day after day,’ said Pierre Céré, spokesperson for the NCUW. “This project has been the subject of a full year of consultations, between 2021 and 2022. This reform was supposed to be announced in the summer of 2022. Still nothing…”
“We understand that there will be no reform. The 2023 budget was the opportunity to move forward. There’s not even the beginning of something. We are fully disappointed, because the government is betraying its commitment and choosing once again the status quo,” continued Céré. “In light of this situation, we are asking the NDP to withdraw its confidence in the government and for MPs to put their seats on the line over this issue”.
In the 2021 election, a large majority of voters in Canada voted for parties committed to EI reform.
“The government is backing down. We call on the NDP to use its power to demand a fix to the federal government’s most important social program,” concluded Pierre Céré.