Russell Frustrated with Conservative Inaction on EI and Income Support

OTTAWA, June 4, 2009 — Labrador MP Todd Russell says that frustration levels are increasing in his riding over the Harper Conservatives’ refusal to tackle Employment Insurance reform.

“The Liberal Party has put forward a very reasonable proposal for a temporary single national standard of 360 hours to qualify for EI benefits,” Russell said. “It would put income support in the hands of workers and families who need it during the current economic climate. We need these EI reforms now. Unfortunately, the Harper government has dismissed the idea, letting down Canadians who are looking for a hand up, not a handout.”

The Labrador MP says that EI has become a more important federal issue than ever in his riding, as the major industries are hit by the worldwide recession.

“We noticed it first in the mining sector last year and into this year, and now the fisheries are facing an economic crunch. Every corner of Labrador is feeling the effects, and along with other Canadians, our people need support. Many individuals and families have been without income for close to eight weeks, and are desperate for assistance.”

Russell says that the Tory inaction reflects the Reform Party attitudes which still dominate the Harper Conservative party.

“Human Resources Minister Diane Finlay said a few months ago that she didn’t ‘want to make it lucrative for [people] to stay home and get paid for it.’ This government has open contempt for people who could use economic help.”

“Meanwhile, Harper himself is dismissive of a shorter qualifying time, sarcastically calling it a ’45-day work year’. He simply doesn’t understand the real crisis facing too many sectors of the economy, and the seasonal nature of resource and other industries in regions like Labrador. It reveals his continued disdain for Atlantic Canada, and how out of touch he is with economic reality”, Russell said.

“We’ve seen the same disdain in recent days when the fishing industry has called for special measures to deal with ice conditions. The government dismissed that, saying ‘ice is not a factor’, when the Canadian Ice Centre data show ice conditions in Labrador that we haven’t seen since the early 90s. In fact, we learn this week that the coastal marine service is delayed because of ice, but the Harper government refuses to believe that people need help.”

Russell says that the Conservatives need to check the facts, and immediately put in place special income support for those affected by ice conditions.