Political speculation continued Saturday as CBC News learned of plans by the Conservative government to make significant changes to employment insurance, and as the clock ticked down to a possible House of Commons motion next Friday that could defeat the government.
Sources said the measures are being introduced to woo the NDP in advance of the possible confidence vote.
The proposed EI legislation will have two parts, CBC News has learned. The first part will extend benefits to laid-off workers who have worked for years, according to government sources.
Although the cabinet has not approved the exact criteria, the focus is on workers who have paid EI premiums for many years but have drawn few benefits.
The second part is to be introduced later in the month, and will fulfil a Conservative campaign promise from 2008 to extend maternity and parental benefits to the self-employed.
In the Conservative platform document for the 2008 election campaign, the cost of extending those EI benefits to the self-employed was estimated at $147 million.
Women are heavily represented among the self-employed and are a constituency the Conservatives covet, but one that has proved difficult for the party to attract.
Layton will wait and see
NDP Leader Jack Layton, who was in Toronto on Saturday, said his party has heard "rumours" about possible changes to EI, but had not yet seen any actual plan.
"We're looking forward to seeing the details. We've been calling for action to fix the EI system," Layton told CBC News.
"We haven't seen anything yet," he said. "Let's see some proposals."
Mike Savage, the federal Liberal critic for Human Resources and Skills Development, said his party was also awaiting details.
"We don't know what's coming down the pipe in terms of EI," he told CBC News. "I am not going to speculate on what might happen."
The NDP has pushed hard for major employment insurance reforms, including lowering the threshold to qualify for EI to 360 hours in a year.
NDP MP Carole Hughes put forward a private member's bill that would have improved benefits for workers aged 45 and older who have 10 years on the job.
The Canadian Press reported Friday that the government is planning to bring forward a financial ways-and-means motion on Friday, Sept. 18. The motion is considered a confidence issue, and its defeat could trigger an election.
However, a spokesman for Government House Leader Jay Hill said a final timetable on when the motion may be introduced has not been set.
Decisions on timing could hinge on other events next week.
The prime minister is due to be in Washington on Wednesday and in New York City on Thursday. Many Conservatives are also planning to be in Montreal on Thursday for an event to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the election of Brian Mulroney's Progressive Conservative majority.
Meanwhile, Layton is expected to make a major public speech on Monday to his caucus on Parliament Hill.
Also Monday, Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff will deliver what is being billled as a major speech on Canada's place in the world to the Canadian Club of Ottawa.
