Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is leaving the door open to improving employment insurance to avoid being forced into an election by the opposition parties.
“The opposition parties have some suggestions about what they would consider to be additional improvements to the (EI) system and, of course, we’re listening to what they had to say,” Flaherty told reporters.
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff is threatening to try to force an election in June if the minority government refuses to improve eligibility requirements so more laid-off workers can get EI.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has so far deflected these demands, saying Canada has “a very generous system of employment insurance” that was improved in the last budget.
