A controversial decision by the Harper government that split Prince Edward Island into two EI regions in 2014 should be reversed, says a federal committee that has studied the impact of recent EI reforms.
On Wednesday, the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development delivered its report to Parliament, entitled “Exploring the impact of recent changes to employment insurance and ways to improve access to the program.”
It addresses the Harper government reforms one by one, including feedback from expert witnesses on the effects of the changes on provinces, employers and EI claimants.
After a review of EI regions, Mary-Lou Donnelly, a commissioner with the Canadian Employment Insurance Commission, told the committee people have had a “very hard time” with the changes made to economic regions in 2014 in northern Canada and in P.E.I.
“She explained that because Prince Edward Island was split into two economic regions, two people working at the same plant could have different levels of access to EI and have a different benefits period simply because one employee lives in Charlottetown – in an urban area – and the other person lives outside of the city, in the rural area,” the report states.
RELATED: Statistics Canada determines census agglomeration used for EI region
The committee agreed splitting P.E.I. into two EI zones has had negative consequences on the well-being of the community and recommended the division should be reconsidered and previous boundaries be restored.
“This is a big win for Prince Edward Island,” says P.E.I. Workforce and Advanced Learning Minister Richard Brown.
“This is an EI commissioner who told the committee this is hurting Prince Edward Island and the territories. This is what we’ve been saying and a commissioner is agreeing now. So this is big for P.E.I.”
The committee’s recommendations are not binding, but Brown says this will provide further support for the province’s call to reverse the EI zone split in P.E.I.
Brown says he will be pushing for support from his provincial counterparts during a teleconference next week calling for this report to be adopted, in the hopes of presenting a united voice to the federal minister.
In 2014, EI economic regions were redefined in Prince Edward Island, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
For P.E.I. the change split the province’s unemployment rate in two.
The change has resulted in rural claimants having to work fewer hours while also receiving higher EI benefits while those living in the new Charlottetown region have to work longer to qualify for EI and could be eligible for less money.
Brown says he believes the change was politically motived on the part of former Egmont MP and then-fisheries minister Gail Shea, whose riding benefited most.
“Let’s call a spade a spade. This was a political decision made by a minister for her re-election, and people saw it as that,” Brown said.
Shea was defeated in the 2015 federal election.
The committee report includes dissenting opinions from the Opposition Conservatives in Ottawa defending the decision to separate P.E.I. into two economic regions, saying it addressed inequalities in rural P.E.I. where there are jobs.
“Since employment opportunities are better in Charlottetown than in rural areas, it made sense for the government to make this change.”
A controversial decision by the Harper government that split Prince Edward Island into two EI regions in 2014 should be reversed, says a federal committee that has studied the impact of recent EI reforms.
On Wednesday, the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development delivered its report to Parliament, entitled “Exploring the impact of recent changes to employment insurance and ways to improve access to the program.”
It addresses the Harper government reforms one by one, including feedback from expert witnesses on the effects of the changes on provinces, employers and EI claimants.
After a review of EI regions, Mary-Lou Donnelly, a commissioner with the Canadian Employment Insurance Commission, told the committee people have had a “very hard time” with the changes made to economic regions in 2014 in northern Canada and in P.E.I.
“She explained that because Prince Edward Island was split into two economic regions, two people working at the same plant could have different levels of access to EI and have a different benefits period simply because one employee lives in Charlottetown – in an urban area – and the other person lives outside of the city, in the rural area,” the report states.
RELATED: Statistics Canada determines census agglomeration used for EI region
The committee agreed splitting P.E.I. into two EI zones has had negative consequences on the well-being of the community and recommended the division should be reconsidered and previous boundaries be restored.
“This is a big win for Prince Edward Island,” says P.E.I. Workforce and Advanced Learning Minister Richard Brown.
“This is an EI commissioner who told the committee this is hurting Prince Edward Island and the territories. This is what we’ve been saying and a commissioner is agreeing now. So this is big for P.E.I.”
The committee’s recommendations are not binding, but Brown says this will provide further support for the province’s call to reverse the EI zone split in P.E.I.
Brown says he will be pushing for support from his provincial counterparts during a teleconference next week calling for this report to be adopted, in the hopes of presenting a united voice to the federal minister.
In 2014, EI economic regions were redefined in Prince Edward Island, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
For P.E.I. the change split the province’s unemployment rate in two.
The change has resulted in rural claimants having to work fewer hours while also receiving higher EI benefits while those living in the new Charlottetown region have to work longer to qualify for EI and could be eligible for less money.
Brown says he believes the change was politically motived on the part of former Egmont MP and then-fisheries minister Gail Shea, whose riding benefited most.
“Let’s call a spade a spade. This was a political decision made by a minister for her re-election, and people saw it as that,” Brown said.
Shea was defeated in the 2015 federal election.
The committee report includes dissenting opinions from the Opposition Conservatives in Ottawa defending the decision to separate P.E.I. into two economic regions, saying it addressed inequalities in rural P.E.I. where there are jobs.
“Since employment opportunities are better in Charlottetown than in rural areas, it made sense for the government to make this change.”
