Bill C-344

2nd Session, 40th Parliament,

57-58 Elizabeth II, 2009

house of commons of canada

BILL C-344

An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (elimination of waiting period)

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

1. (1) The definition “waiting period” in subsection 6(1) of the Employment Insurance Act is repealed.

(2) The definition “disentitled” in subsection 6(1) of the Act is replaced by the following:

“disentitled” means not entitled under section 18, 21, 31, 32, 33, 36, 37, 49 or 50 or under the regulations;

2. Section 13 of the Act is repealed.

3. Subsection 19(1) of the Act is repealed.

4. Section 20 of the Act is replaced by the following:

20. If a claimant is disentitled from receiving benefits for a working day in a week of unemployment, an amount equal to 1/5 of their weekly rate of benefits for each such working day shall be deducted from the benefits payable for that week.

5. Subsection 22(4) of the Act is repealed.

6. Subsection 23(5) of the Act is repealed.

7. Subsection 23.1(7) of the Act is repealed.

8. Subsection 24(1) of the Act is amended by adding “and” at the end of paragraph (g) and by repealing paragraph (h).

9. Subsection 28(2) of the Act is replaced by the following:

(2) Subject to subsections (3) to (5), the weeks of disqualification are to be served during the weeks for which benefits would otherwise be payable if the disqualification had not been imposed and, for greater certainty, the length of the disqualification is not affected by any subsequent loss of employment by the claimant during the benefit period.

10. Subsection 30(2) of the Act is replaced by the following:

(2) The disqualification is for each week of the claimant’s benefit period and, for greater certainty, the length of the disqualification is not affected by any subsequent loss of employment by the claimant during the benefit period.

11. Paragraph 54(a) of the Act is repealed.

12. Paragraph 54(f) of the Act is replaced by the following:

f) determining the amount to be deducted under section 20 from weekly benefits paid if the claimant normally works other than a five day week;

13. Paragraph 54(f.6) of the Act is repealed.