SASKATOON - The Conservatives are announcing added parental leave benefits under employment insurance, including extending the length of time mothers and fathers would have their jobs protected.
Party leader Stephen Harper says a Tory government would provide up to 18 months of job protection for new parents, up from the current federal Labour Code provisions that grant that protection for a year.
Parents on E-I would also have the option to stretch E-I benefits over 18 months, starting next year.
Harper says a two-year pilot project will be established to allow parents to earn self-employment income while on E-I.
The Conservatives say about 170-thousand women receive E-I parental benefits each year, with the number of fathers using the benefits also steadily rising.
Harper made the announcement while campaigning in Saskatoon.
