Most of us are aware of the fact that our Prime Minister Stephen Harper hijacked Canada’s employment insurance program so as to enter the premiums of millions of dollars into general revenue. Then to add insult to injury, he increased the premiums.
Now the latest EI rulings from our undemocratic leader is: unemployed people are required to travel 100 km to a new job and up to 40 per cent less pay than their previous job! That’s $50 per day in gas return trip plus paying income tax on a possible less paying job plus paying the increased EI premiums. Is he out of his mind? Not to mention the fact that his carbon tax at the pumps is to reduce unnecessary or too much driving to reduce pollution.
Short of our province separating from confederation, the next best thing our provincial government can do is to: form its own EI program (with a rolled back rate) so the working people of BC’s premiums are not going to dictator Harper to squander on feeding his pet panda bears.
Michael Bunn
Creston