Hon. Diane F. Griffin: Honourable senators, I would like to take this three-minute senator’s statement to thank many people. That’s all I want to do. I would like to thank the kind people for the kind remarks I received yesterday. That was very nice of you. You were very creative.

I’ve made a lot of friends in this chamber, and we’re going to stay in touch. There is a number of us who will go golfing: Senator Oh, when he comes to Prince Edward Island, and for five years now Jane Cordy and I have been trying to golf together. This year we’re definitely going to do it.

I would like to, first of all, thank my staff. As we all know, they do yeoman’s service for us, and we couldn’t do what we do here without their help: Lyle Skinner, Terri McGarry, Joanne Shields and formerly Sylvie Bédard who used to work for me. The first three still do. They’ve been great people with whom to work.

It has been a real honour to serve in this house. When summoned, I was thrilled beyond words, to tell the truth. At that time, there were fewer than 1,000 people who had ever been appointed to the Senate. It’s a little over 1,000 now with some new senators.

Over that time, I’ve had three seatmates. Senator Dean and I were sworn in at the same time and were seatmates. Then the late Senator Elaine McCoy, and more recently Senator Scott Tannas and I were seatmates. I keep shrinking in stature with each in comparison.

I mentioned that I have friends throughout this chamber. There are a lot of people in this chamber who have been mentors to me, and others when we came in. That is greatly appreciated.

I especially want to thank my husband, Kevin, and my daughter Sharleen. Without their support, it would be very difficult to be where I am. They’ve helped me immeasurably, as you can imagine.

So what’s next for Senator Griffin, soon to be a has-been? There will be a lot of golfing. It’s going to be a great summer. My membership is already paid up at Fox Meadow Golf Course. Senator Kutcher and I have cards to play all of the eastern courses this year: he and his wife, my brother and I. Senator Seidman is talking about coming to Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland sometime, so I’ll get her into birdwatching in a big way. She’ll have to bring her own binoculars, and if she doesn’t have them I have a guest pair. She’ll be all set.

So birdwatching, Texas hold ’em poker, land conservation and a little bit of skiing are next for me. It has been an honour to be here. Thank you everybody.

Hon. Diane F. Griffin: Minister, proposed changes to the Migratory Birds Regulations have been on your desk for quite some time. Changes are really needed because there has not been a lot of change from the first time they were promulgated over 105 years ago. When might we see these changes enacted? Thank you.

Hon. Diane F. Griffin moved second reading of Bill S-236, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act and the Employment Insurance Regulations (Prince Edward Island).

She said: Honourable senators, I rise today to speak to Bill S-236, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act and the Employment Insurance Regulations (Prince Edward Island). This will be the very last time I speak to a bill in this chamber during my tenure as a senator. This bill serves as a coda for my Prince Edward Island advocacy but, more importantly, it serves as an opportunity for senators to champion a cause for Canada’s smallest province.

Last spring, I spoke to Senator Gold’s inquiry on the 2021 federal budget to bring the Senate’s attention to the flawed policy of two Employment Insurance regions in Prince Edward Island. The 2021 Budget Implementation Act entrenched in statute this unnecessary division of my province. Since 2015, the vast majority of Islanders have repeatedly called for change under the simple mantra of “one island, one zone.”

The division of P.E.I. into two economic zones creates a fundamental unfairness for workers, especially those who live in the Charlottetown zone but work outside the capital region. For example, this February, workers who lived in the capital region had a minimum of 14 weeks of benefits, while those who lived in the non-capital region had 20. Many folks who work for the same company will have widely different benefits simply because of an arbitrary dividing line of where they live.

Senators, I am thankful for your collective support last spring, and especially to Senator Mockler in his capacity as the chair of the National Finance Committee for inviting the mayors of Charlottetown, Stratford and Cornwall to speak to this issue during the committee’s pre-study of the BIA. In a sign of bicameral advocacy, our proceedings inspired Green Party MP Elizabeth May to move an amendment to the House of Commons Finance Committee to unify Prince Edward Island into one EI economic region. Although Elizabeth May’s efforts did not secure sufficient votes to pass, the entire episode brought new information to light.

The government provided several reasons why it could not support the amendment to the BIA last year. The first was Employment and Social Development Canada’s antiquated computer systems, which operate the EI program. At the time, officials indicated that it was not possible for the EI system to have a single EI zone for seasonal workers and two zones for regular EI applicants. Further, in the ministerial briefing binder, the government said that due to temporary COVID measures artificially increasing unemployment rates, a change in the spring of 2021 was not warranted as the two regions were de facto temporarily the same.

Honourable senators, those temporary measures have expired and this bill would solve the computer system issue by amending both the Employment Insurance Act and the regulations at the same time. It would further prevent the federal cabinet from making regulatory changes to P.E.I.’s EI zone without future parliamentary approval.

For over seven years, the federal government has promised Islanders a return to one EI zone, and this change has often been premised under the framework of a larger review of the EI system. Most recently, ESDC indicated in December 2021 that the review is ongoing, but there was no mention of changing the EI regions.

In a June 2021 report, the House of Commons Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, chaired by Charlottetown MP Sean Casey, issued a separate recommendation that ESDC, “reinstate a single Employment Insurance Economic Region for Prince Edward Island within 12 months.” Eight months have now passed with no response from the government.

Honourable senators, in the best of times it is difficult for matters impacting P.E.I. to be satisfactorily elevated for a decision at the federal cabinet level. I only have to remind you of the ongoing pleas by both farmers and the Government of Prince Edward Island for more direct involvement by the federal government in ending Canada’s self-imposed P.E.I. potato export ban. As is often the case, the ever-growing House of Commons gradually lessens the influence of P.E.I.’s four members of Parliament.

Local politics also frustrates a return to one EI zone. P.E.I.’s westernmost riding of Egmont is the only riding exclusively outside of the Charlottetown zone. It is understandable for any MP of any political stripe representing Egmont to defend the status quo, as it could result in a reduction of benefits for their constituents. This lack of unanimity of Island MPs has complicated a return to one zone. Cabinet does not wish to cause political turmoil and thus far has not taken action despite multiple electoral promises to do so.

This issue may not be the most important issue facing the country; however, it is important to the renter in Charlottetown, to the recent immigrant in Cornwall and to the seasonal worker who lives in Stratford but works at a fish plant outside of the area. Therefore, this issue is important to me.

Why is this bill before us in the Senate? As stated much earlier today by Senator Plett, the Senate is free from the day-to-day burden of electoral considerations. We can examine the return to one Employment Insurance, or EI, zone in more detail in committee and amend the bill to ensure a proper coming-into-force alignment with Economic and Social Development Canada computer systems. If the Senate chooses to send this bill to the House of Commons, it will, for the first time, force the other place to consider the idea of one EI zone for Prince Edward Island via an up-down vote, without the need to balance other national priorities.

I strongly support Senator Pate’s goal to have Prince Edward Island serve as a pilot for guaranteed livable income. But until that day arrives, EI is very much the social safety net of Islanders — not by choice, but by necessity. Consequently, there is a moral obligation to do what we can in Parliament to ensure that Employment Insurance is fair for all Islanders.

Honourable senators, as I mentioned earlier today, it is a privilege to have served with you over the last five and a third years. It is my hope that Bill S-236 can serve as a reminder of this important P.E.I. issue long after my retirement.

Prince Edward Island is the smallest province, but it is also an equal partner in Confederation. I encourage any of you in this chamber to help champion this important provincial cause, with the goal of sending the bill to the House of Commons. It is a way for the Senate to serve one of its constitutional roles of giving a voice to regional interests, especially for regions with smaller populations. Thank you.