Ed Komarnicki Labour Critic for Conservative
Party of Canada Blasts Labour Minister Joe
Fontana in the House of Commons Today

Ottawa-Ed Komarnicki, MP announced this week a Bankruptcy and Insolvency Conservative Sub-Committee plan for a comprehensive wage earner protection fund operating through the current Employment Insurance Program. The Sub-Committee was formed December 8th 2004 and reported to the Conservative Party Shadow Cabinet April 19th, 2005 and again on May 3rd, 2005.

Hours after Komarnicki’s announcement, the Labour Minister announced in the House, the government’s intention to move quickly to introduce a worker protection fund. “The announcement is a knee-jerk reaction no doubt,” stated Komarnicki, “but I see it more as a matter of the tail wagging the dog. What was the real reason for the Minister’s sudden burst of social consciousness?”

Komarnicki stated, “The announcement had more to do with the Liberal-NDP Budget Amendment agreement Bill agreed to by a minority government under the duress of a non-confidence motion, where the NDP had negotiated a clause asking that $100 million be invested for the protection of workers in the event of bankruptcy.”

“All of a sudden the Minister’s focus has sharpened,” said Komarnicki. “The problem of worker protection has been here for years and so has the Minister of Labour. Where was the Minister when vulnerable workers, men and women across this country, needed protection? During these years, over $45 billion in Employment Insurance surplus has been collected from employers and employees and then applied to the government’s general revenue, rather than being used for workers.”

“Now the Minister wants to give back less than ¼ of one 1%. Such generosity was extracted from a Party trying to cling to power,” Komarnicki stated. “My suggestion to the Minister is that he put all the money back.”