Is It Time To Transfer Employment Insurance from Federal To Provincial?

[Liberalman]

Is It Time To Transfer Employment Insurance from Federal To Provincial?

Employment Insurance is for people who lost their jobs and need temporary money to get them by until they can find another job.

Both employee and employer pay a premium so it will not be a major burden on the taxpayers.

Unfortunately over the years past federal government have raided the Employment Insurance chest to fund other government projects and not replacing the important funds.

If the provinces ran the Employment Insurance the rates would be fairer to what would be paid out in any given year.

What do you think?

 

[winniethepooh]

Not a bad idea really, but don't you think the provinces (well, especially Ontario) would do the same thing to balance the budget.

Does it really matter who holds the fund as long as claimants are paid ?

 

[lone wolf]

I can't see a provincial government any less inclined to pillage the pot.

 

[damngrumpy]

Employment Insurance is Federal Jurisdiction, and the Feds would not give it up
unless they were downloading it onto the Provinces. The problem with such a
program is, that it is universal and the payout would be a Hodge podge.
Then there is the problem where people living in Nova Scotia and working in Alberta.
Or some other configuration.
The real measure of the program should be the original intent when it started. It was
an insurance program, for being unemployed. Now it is a catch all program,, we have
maternity leave, and all kinds of other features built into an existing program it was not
designed for. I am not saying we shouldn't have such things as maternity leave, I am
saying it should not be part of the existing unemployment insurance program.
I don't want anymore down loading onto the Provinces so the Federal Government can
abdicate its responsibility to provided services, they already taxed Canadians for.

 

[taxslave]

That really would be a bureaucratic nightmare. It would also have a serious effect on labour mobility.

 

[WLDB]

I wouldn't be opposed to it.

 

[Walter]

Private and not guvmint hands on the ins money would be best.

 

[Machjo]

Is It Time To Transfer Employment Insurance from Federal To Provincial?

Employment Insurance is for people who lost their jobs and need temporary money to get them by until they can find another job.

Both employee and employer pay a premium so it will not be a major burden on the taxpayers.

Unfortunately over the years past federal government have raided the Employment Insurance chest to fund other government projects and not replacing the important funds.

If the provinces ran the Employment Insurance the rates would be fairer to what would be paid out in any given year.

What do you think?

Then provincial governments could raid the funds.

Another problem:

Let's say you live in Ottawa, worked as unskilled labour, and then lose your job and apply for EI. You then find an employer in Gatineau, just across the border, walking distance from home but in another province, and it's willing to hire you on condition you obtain a certain diploma. Would the Ontario government be willing to train you for that job seeing that Ontario would pay but then once you start working you might end up moving across the border and then pay taxes to Quebec?

And what about vice versa? too great a risk of provincial territorialism at the expense of the free movement of labour.

 

[TenPenny]

It would be a great way to give jobs to a whole bunch more provincial civil servants.

And it would likely be as well run as the provincial medicare systems are now, which aren't always easily transferable from province to province.

 

[Machjo]

It would be a great way to give jobs to a whole bunch more provincial civil servants.

And it would likely be as well run as the provincial medicare systems are now, which aren't always easily transferable from province to province.

Some people aren't even aware that when you leave the province, you do not always have the same medical coverage as within the province. Sure there are interprovincial agreements, but they are ad hoc; and sure most people have additional insurance from their employer or otherwise... but that's private!

So much for UNIVERSAL healthcare, eh. As long as you stay in your own little corner of the country you're covered.

 

[petros]

What a stupid idea.

 

[taxslave]

More Liberal down loading in an attempt to balance the budget? Oh wait Cretin balanced the budget by raping the EI account.

 

[captain morgan]

More Liberal down loading in an attempt to balance the budget? Oh wait Cretin balanced the budget by raping the EI account.

Interesting how so many tax related programs get dumped into the General Revenues Account.

 

[JLM]

What a stupid idea.

Well, it would put it in the hands of local managers, who would be better able to address local issues pertinent to the local situations, on the other hand you'd be replacing one bureaucracy with thirteen which would be increasing the numbers at the political trough! "Six of one half a dozen of the other", I suppose.

Interesting how so many tax related programs get dumped into the General Revenues Account.

Well, "General" does cover a lot!

 

[petros]

Well, it would put it in the hands of local managers, who would be better able to address local issues pertinent to the local situations, on the other hand you'd be replacing one bureaucracy with thirteen which would be increasing the numbers at the political trough! "Six of one half a dozen of the other", I suppose.!

If everybody worked in just one province it might work but there are people who work in several provinces for several companies in one year.

 

[mentalfloss]

No, we should definitely not transfer to the provinces, but the federal government does need to make a flexible enough policy so that seasonal provinces in the maritimes don't get screwed.

 

[JLM]

If everybody worked in just one province it might work but there are people who work in several provinces for several companies in one year.

You're thinking this morning, Petros. :lol:

 

[petros]

Nah, I thought about this yeasterday and waited to see if anyone else would make the point.