When discussing these different labour market transitions, the following types of benefit schemes are considered: (i) unemployment insurance and unemployment assistance; (ii) minimum income guarantee and other forms of social assistance (including housing benefits); (iii) employment-conditional benefits and other similar provisions; (iv) support for families and parents (family benefits, maternity, paternity and parental leave schemes, child-care benefits and provision, elderly care and care for disabled people); (v) early retirement; and (vi) support for sickness, invalidity and work-related injuries.

Such measures are foreseen in most social protection systems, often in various branches (pension insurance, unemployment insurance, health care, accident insurance).

(1545) Does the minister have in place any rationale for explaining why suddenly the unemployment insurance system should be made into a cash cow to improve the general deficit when clearly the legal system is, the system of the unemployment insurance system is, that it be balanced over the long run?

A Canadian Press report tells us that the government has launched a $2 million publicity campaign aimed at counteracting the protests against unemployment insurance reform, in the hope of triggering a debate between western Canadians, many of whom feel that the unemployment insurance scheme is too generous, and eastern Canadians, for whom unemployment insurance is a socio-economic necessity.

To further the important work of the Solicitor General, the department is proposing amendments to the information disclosure provision of the Canada pension plan, the Old Age Security Act and the Unemployment Insurance Act by allowing the commissioner of the RCMP, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada access to information controlled by our department.

Effective planning and implementation of employment insurance legislation should, in our view, be carried out in coordination with provinces and territories.