Liberals prepared for election fight over EI reform: Ignatieff
The leader of the federal Liberal party has threatened to push for an election if the minority Conservative government doesn't support proposals to reform the employment insurance system.
The Liberals will propose a national standard for EI eligibility, Michael Ignatieff told reporters in Vancouver on Sunday at the close of the party convention that confirmed him as Liberal leader.
Ignatieff called for an immediate, temporary change that would make people eligible for EI benefits if they've worked 360 hours in the previous 52 weeks — regardless of where they live.
He said the current system is a hodgepodge of more than 50 different eligibility requirements, depending on local regions and unemployment rates, and that all Canadians who have lost jobs need help now to get through the recession.
"There are issues on which I'm not going to budge or bend. We've got eight per cent unemployment. We've got surging insurance claims across the country.
"The public wants us to act here, so we will be putting forth a proposal on standards of eligibility for EI, and then we'll see what happens.
"I'm trying to protect these unemployed workers across the country who badly need help. And if the government will work with me, we can get it done. If they won't, then we'll have to have an election," he said.
But once the economy recovers, Liberals would still want a national — if somewhat higher — standard of qualifying hours to apply.
The Liberals can't control the timing of an election; forcing one requires all three opposition parties voting together to defeat the minority Conservative government.
Ignatieff also said the Liberals are working on a detailed policy platform that will be ready by June.
He referred to it as a "knowledge platform," stressing areas such as child care, education, research and development, and science and technology.
"I've told my people I want a platform in June," he told reporters.
"And don't derive electoral timetables from that," he hastily added. "You asked me a question, I'm giving you an answer. I'm not playing games with you."
One thing that will not be included is former Liberal leader Stéphane Dion's Green Shift plan, the carbon tax proposal widely credited with helping to sink the Liberals in the last federal campaign.
"We will not be going into the next election with a carbon tax," Ignatieff said. "We will be going into the next election with a cap-and-trade system with hard caps, set reasonably, so that we preserve jobs and meet our environmental objectives."