A New Democrat Member of Parliament wants the federal government to rescind proposed changes to Employment Insurance.
Churchill MP Niki Ashton says targeting seasonal workers such as firefighters as “frequent applicants” will make it hard for them to make a living.
Ashton says it appears the new regulations were made without thought to northern people:
“They’re coming up with rules, and saying that they’ll help people find jobs within an hour away, and that kind of thing — but we know that plan makes no sense for northern Canadians. It’s clear that it was made up without listening to people in northern Saskatchewan — and I’d like to know where the Members of Parliament are from Saskatchewan.”
Ashton says Aboriginal communities which depend on seasonal workers will be the hardest hit by the federal EI regulations.
She hopes people across the north will contact the government about the proposed changes.