OTTAWA - The future of Canada's social safety net is pending after the federal budget made no mention of employment insurance reform, despite the Liberals having promised to modernize the program.
A spokesperson for Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough says that's because of concern that reforming the program amid a slow economy could drive up premiums for workers and employers.
The spokesperson says the federal government remains committed to reforming the system, after initially promising to do so by summer 2022.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Thursday that Qualtrough is hard at work on broader improvements to the program, but it has to be done thoughtfully and carefully.
Pierre Laliberte, the representative for workers on the Canadian Employment Insurance Commission, said it was "very disappointing" to see EI reform left out of the budget.
He said the federal government could have at least included interim measures such as the temporary ones implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, which expanded access to the program.
Canadian Labour Congress president Bea Bruske said EI reform would help "recession proof" the economy for workers, who could face layoffs this year if the economy enters a recession.