Nova Scotia Liberal MP Jaime Batiste claimed people in Atlantic Canada are well satisfied with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, their fisheries and EI (employment insurance). He later backpedaled and blamed conservative media for "misinterpreting" his words.“When I talk to people, I don’t get the sense that we’re in trouble in the Atlantic. I think the Atlantic has typically been a progressive spot,” said Batiste at a press conference on Monday. “It’s one of those places that are meat-and-potatoes, fisheries, EI kind of folks that tell us how they think we’re doing.”“And from all indications that I’ve had, they don't reflect what the polls show.” .Batiste on Tuesday said that his comments were “misinterpreted” by “conservative voices.” “I understand that comments I made to the media yesterday have been misinterpreted, perhaps intentionally so, by some conservative voices,” he wrote on social media. “In speaking, my effort was to convey that the key issues facing Atlantic Canadians are associated with fisheries, and Employment Insurance.” .Canada’s population has skyrocketed well over 41 million as of 2024, with 473,980 residents claiming EI, according to Statistics Canada. A total of 27,500 people of a population of 541,391in Newfoundland and Labrador claim EI. On Prince Edward Island, 6,960 of 177,081 people are on EI, in Nova Scotia 21,420 of 1,072,545 claim employment insurance, and 23,900 of 850,894 New Brunswickers. In Quebec, 113,530 of 9,100,000 claim unemployment, 151,370 of 15,996,989 Ontarians, 16,270 of 1,474,439 people in Manitoba and 14,230 of 1,231,043 in Saskatchewan. In Alberta, 49,410 of 4,849,906 claim EI and in British Columbia, 47,600 of 5,609,870 collect unemployment.
Nova Scotia Liberal MP Jaime Batiste claimed people in Atlantic Canada are well satisfied with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, their fisheries and EI (employment insurance). He later backpedaled and blamed conservative media for "misinterpreting" his words.“When I talk to people, I don’t get the sense that we’re in trouble in the Atlantic. I think the Atlantic has typically been a progressive spot,” said Batiste at a press conference on Monday. “It’s one of those places that are meat-and-potatoes, fisheries, EI kind of folks that tell us how they think we’re doing.”“And from all indications that I’ve had, they don't reflect what the polls show.” .Batiste on Tuesday said that his comments were “misinterpreted” by “conservative voices.” “I understand that comments I made to the media yesterday have been misinterpreted, perhaps intentionally so, by some conservative voices,” he wrote on social media. “In speaking, my effort was to convey that the key issues facing Atlantic Canadians are associated with fisheries, and Employment Insurance.” .Canada’s population has skyrocketed well over 41 million as of 2024, with 473,980 residents claiming EI, according to Statistics Canada. A total of 27,500 people of a population of 541,391in Newfoundland and Labrador claim EI. On Prince Edward Island, 6,960 of 177,081 people are on EI, in Nova Scotia 21,420 of 1,072,545 claim employment insurance, and 23,900 of 850,894 New Brunswickers. In Quebec, 113,530 of 9,100,000 claim unemployment, 151,370 of 15,996,989 Ontarians, 16,270 of 1,474,439 people in Manitoba and 14,230 of 1,231,043 in Saskatchewan. In Alberta, 49,410 of 4,849,906 claim EI and in British Columbia, 47,600 of 5,609,870 collect unemployment.
