Acadian MP Yvon Godin accuses Stephen Harper of living on a cloud that blocks out his view of the real unemployment picture.
Godin says that Harper has no problem seeing the oil prosperity in Alberta but misses out on the crippling unemployment in the rest of the country.
Harper has a new unemployment insurance plan that forces the jobless to accept work chosen for them by the government even at three-quarters of their former salaries, even if the job is 100 kilometers away (let alone if there are children who must be driven to school, or even if the jobless person doesn't have a car.)
Now comes the worst of all: Service Canada inspectors will make unannounced visits to homes of the unemployed to find out if they are "actively" trying to find work. If not, they could lose their unemployment insurance money.
This is bullying, pure and simple, says Godin. He fears that some unemployed people may turn against the Service Canada job inspectors and it could get ugly.
The Service Canada inspector may hand out a letter to the jobless with an order to be at Service Canada offices the next day at a particular time.
And if the unemployed person happens to have a doctor's appointment for her child the next day? "Too bad! ".
Godin adds: " Meanwhile back at the Service Canada office, people will be waiting all day to have their telephone call answered by public servants who aren't there."
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