Canada's Premiers split on Employement Insurance Qualification

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Canada's Premiers are meeting in Regina this week.  Wide ranging issues are being discussed that affect Canada across provincial lines.  Swine flu response is one of the issues high on the agenda with several proposals to assure that a vaccine is available by combining efforts.

One of the other relevant issues is the Employment Insurance Qualification period, a very divisive issue that could cause a National Election later on this fall.

Premier McGuinty of Ontario is lobbying for a common qualification period across the country, which echos what Michael Ignatieff, the Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada has been advocating.  The present system ranges from a qualification period of 420 hours for areas where jobs are hard to find to 720 hours in higher employment areas.  Michael Ignatieff has called for only 360 hours.  Independent assessments have indicated that this could cost $1 Billion Dollars a year.

Canada's Premiers are split on this issue.  Premier Doer of Manitoba, New Democratic Party, advocates a more diverse system along the present lines.  His argument is that it is much harder to find jobs in northern communities than it is in Southern Manitoba. 

A bipartisan panel is looking at  this issue and will make its recommendation this fall when the Canadian Parliament resumes its sitting.  Indications to this point are that they are at gridlock.  Reports leaking from the panel seem to indicated that the Liberal members are digging in their heals with the 360 hours of qualification that Mr. Igantieff is calling for.

The Conservative Party met last week in Ottawa and let it be known that Mr. Ignatieff's proposal is a non-starter.

Interesting times seem to be ahead for the fall session of the Canadian Parliament.