Harper Talks Budget and Stimulus Plan
Can Harper save the economy with his budget?
Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced some preliminary information on the upcoming budget today. Spending on infrastructure, tax cuts, and revamping the employment insurance program were all discussed as potential methods to revive our economy. As well, a discussion on how the money will be raised, in order to meet these goals, took place. Harper has definitely come an awful long way since denying there were any economic issues just a few months ago.
Will the budget stand its ground against the opposition parties? Based on this announcement, it seems like it can, as long as Harper genuinely intends to include said measures. Harper will also need to think of some creative way to procure the billions of dollars that are needed to see this plan come to fruition.
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff is looking for tax relief for low and middle-income Canadians, infrastructure projects that will feed money into the economy and create jobs, and investments in productivity and competitiveness that will ensure that industries (such as the auto industry) will be able to sustain themselves after the stimulus package is depleted. While, there were no specific measures announced for investments in productivity and competitiveness, Harper has certainly covered the first two matters.
If Harper manages to fully satisfy Ignatieff, the coalition will be lost forever and he will most likely be able to keep his job… for the time being.
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January 17th, 2009 at 9:24 am
When harper spoke yesterday at the end of the First Ministers meeting he said there will be changes to the EI System. I one of 1.1 Million Self Employed and struggling small businesspeople hope those changes include inclusion into the EI Act so that as Canadains and making up 15% of this country’s workforce and an intragal part of our economy can contribute to and have access to EI Benefits if we find ourselves without work, like other unemployed.
Here’s a ltter a sent to every sitting MP that hopefully is literate!
Dear Honourable Member;
I am writing to you today to ask that you work and strive to make changes to the current eligibility rules so to allow for Self Employed business people to be able to contribute too and be eligible to make a claim for EI. Currently this group, the self employed, makes up 15% of Canada’s workforce. In a majority of cases those self employed individuals end up hiring staff and building the economy even more.
I myself run a small business, by myself, it’s outdoor work and over the last 3 months I have only been able to work for clients 5 days, not all because of weather, many people are just putting things off because of the economy. I can’t survive 3 months with 5 days work, nor can anyone. I truly believe that my situation is at the end of it’s business life and I will likely seek bankruptcy by next month. But I truly feel the self employed are being short changed with the current eligibility criteria.
There is hope and an easy solution ready to be acted on by Parliament.
Under the current EI Act,
Regulations to include persons in business (5) The Commission may, with the approval of the Governor in Council and subject to affirmative resolution of Parliament, make regulations for including in insurable employment the business activities of a person who is engaged in a business, as defined in subsection 248(1) of the Income Tax Act.
Currently there is a segregated group of “self employed’ who do have access to EI. That’s the fisherpersons, who have been deemed eligible since 1972. There is rampant abuse in the sector, but that’s for another day, though it does bother allot of Canadians, when they see crab and lobster fisherperson catch and earn over $100,000.00 only make a claim for EI as soon as their season ends. It was originally put in place to help the starving cod fishery, what happened??
Currently 15% of Canada’s workforce are self employed, and many are struggling like myself to make ends meet, feed their families and pay their bills!
There is also Charter of Rights and Freedoms issues regarding equality for all Canadians. I won’t quote the section as I expect you are fully knowledgeable on the Charter.
During the last election, Sept.16th to be exact, Stephen Harper made a campaign promise ( see link below)to open up the EI Fund eligibility to the self employed. While researching for this email I found in the fine print that this change was directed at the women vote and the changes would only benefit self employed women so they could received maternity benefits. Well self employed men don’t make babies so where’s the equality in that, and the promise seems to have slipped from Mr. Harpers agenda for now.
I would request that you bring this shortcoming to equality under the EI Act forward. Specifically forward prior to January 27th Budget.
In my way of thinking, as I am a Canadian like you, those that choose to opt in be required to pay into the fund, maybe somewhere between Employee and Employer amounts, most self employed couldn’t afford both. It should be noted that the one group self employed , the fisherpersons, don’t pay into the EI fund, but get benefits year after year since 1972.
In closing I would like to tell you that I did a live interview on CBC Compass, PEI’s evening news, I have started a Facebook group, called EI for the Self Employed ( link below) and membership is growing since launching it Tuesday evening. Take a look, I’ll gladly add you and be pleased if you comment.
I am currently waiting to do a couple of print interviews which will be posted on CP and CBC PEI is distributing the story they did nationwide, so that’s your heads up I guess.
In closing all I ask is that you seriously look at the current shortcomings in EI Eligibility and use your best efforts to assist the 15% of Canadians that deserve equality under the EI program. It can be done and done quickly so as to protect a large portion of the Canadian workforce in the coming tough times ahead.
Facebook Group link http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=49008511921#/topic.php?uid=49008511921&topic=12189
Mr. harpers Campaign promise http://www.nowpublic.com/world/harper-campaign-promise-open-ei-program-self-employed
My email is chopkins@pei.sympatico.ca, phone 902-969-8569 Be great to hear from you!
Regards with Sincerity
Chris Hopkins
Montague, PEI
Please feel free to comment on either the facebook group or the blog page
January 27th, 2009 at 10:53 am
I have been self employed since 1999 providing services in the health industry as an independant contractor (prior to that I worked 16 years in more ‘traditional’ work environments). During the past 9 years, I have been working FULL time through my contracted services. My current contract is expiring this Spring, and I am finding it more and more difficult to find contractual projects.
I have been paying taxes, GST and into the CPP plan while providing these contractual services and contribuing to the economcy thru regular living expenses incurred. I find it discriminative and unequitable that I now find I have no gov’t program (such as EI) to assist me in bridging thru this difficult time while trying to secure employment. I would have gladly have paid into an EI program for self-employed individuals during this time. I sincerlely hope that our Federal gov’t representatives take a closer look at this “unfair” situation. In the meantime, I am left completely on my own to try and find a way to make it through.