John Jensen,
Terrace, B.C.
Dear Sir:
Prime Minister Harper’s announcement that Employment Insurance monies are lost due to lack of policing is correct. He is, however, addressing the wrong perpetrators.
It is not the employed who are ripping off the system. On the contrary. Almost half of the workers who along with their employers are paying into the plan are not and will not receive any money back.
The largest amount gone missing is the $50 billion-plus skimmed off the plan, by the federal government, illegally according to the courts.
During my 14 years serving on E.I. appeals boards I learned that workers who are cheating represent a miniscule percentage of claims.
Harper’s fraud squad will not discover the missing hundreds of millions of fraudulent claims gone missing according to the Prime Minister.
It is noteworthy that back in my day, when Service Canada, also known as the Ministry of Human Misery, was actually staffed, a small number of employees were engaged in prevention and disclosure of those engaged in fraud.
Their section of the building was jokingly known as Baker Street (Sherlock Holmes’ address). My guess is that with the huge cuts to staff, the handful of employees left at “Service Canada” have little time to investigate claims.
The appeal tribunals that I served on has also been eliminated, and replaced with 70 of Mr. Harper’s closest friends.
Presumably a board selected by the community where the worker lives is too impartial and will occasionally rule in favour of the worker.
Way too liberal for this government.
It may also be that he needed to find jobs for his friends since the Prime Minister has only been able to appoint 50 persons to the Senate. That’s the place where you can receive $50,000 per year by pretending to live somewhere else. It’s the same Senate Harper said he would change or dissolve.
Interesting enough his fraud squad will only be investigating workers, not employers, although during my term our appeals saw several employers that were found guilty of illegal activities.
Perhaps Mr. Harper’s expectation is that employers will vote for him.
It seems to me that Mr. Harper should investigate high rolling Senators, whose expense accounts alone exceed total income for 3-4 workers rather than harass workers trying to provide for their families and make them repay all ill gotten gains including fines equivalent to those paid by E.I. recipients who receive monies that they were no entitled too.
If any Service Canada agents show up at your door, your inclination no doubt is to cut your dog loose but don’t remember they are employees doing a job they do not enjoy.