As the leaders’ debates approach, the National Council of Unemployed Workers (NCUW) is calling on the Liberal and Conservative leaders to clarify their respective positions on employment insurance.
“If the NDP and Bloc Québécois have made their positions clear, voters need to know what the plans of Carney and Poilievre are on Employment Insurance. In the current context of trade war and general economic uncertainty, it is essential for leaders to demonstrate clarity,” said Selma Lavoie, co-spokesperson for the NCUW.
The NCUW has formulated two specific questions for the leaders of the Liberals and the Conservatives:
- After his government’s announcement of temporary measures, does Mark Carney maintain his party’s commitment to implementing permanent EI reform, including broader coverage and protections for seasonal and self-employed workers?
- Does Pierre Poilievre still believe that improving EI eligibility would lead to “a permanent increase in unemployment” (as he said in 2009 and 2016) and that assistance programs are a way for the government to “pay people not to work” (as he said in 2021, at the height of the pandemic)?
“The two main parties have yet to publish any real platforms, so we’re eagerly awaiting their responses,” concluded Milan Bernard, co-spokesperson for the NCUW.