Human Resources Minister Diane Finley said the new bill introduced into the House of Commons Tuesday helps families. - File photo by The Canadian Press

The federal government has introduced a bill that would extend special employment insurance benefits to the self-employed, such as maternity, parental, sickness and compassionate care leave.

Human Resources Minister Diane Finley said self-employed Canadians "should not have to choose between their family and their business responsibilities."

"It is good family policy, and it represents one of the most significant enhancements to the EI program in the last decade," she said in a news release Tuesday.

Under the proposed legislation, the self-employed could voluntarily opt into the EI program and receive the same special benefits available to salaried employees.

Finley estimates there are 2.6 million self-employed Canadians.

It's the latest in a series of measures proposed or adopted since the economy tanked a year ago, including longer EI benefits, more efficient service and training support.

The government has also frozen EI premiums for 2010 at the same rate as 2009 and introduced legislation to extend regular benefits for unemployed, long-tenured workers who have paid premiums for years and made limited use of the program.

The bill for long-tenured workers was expected to pass as early as Tuesday. The NDP's support for that legislation helped avert a federal election this fall.

The bill for the self-employed would extend benefits to a growing group, especially women.

The number of self-employed women in Canada grew by 8.4 per cent between 2001 and 2006, according to the last census, and by a whopping 234 per cent between 1981 and 2006.

Politicians of all stripes have recognized that members of this burgeoning group have struggled to keep their businesses going, care for their babies and pay the bills.

Quebec's government has already set up its own program for self-employed new parents. Participation is mandatory, and premiums are somewhat higher than for salaried employees.

The federal Conservatives have made it clear, however, that Quebec is not a model to follow, and that self-employed people should be able to choose whether they want to participate in the program.

Self-employed people who opt into the proposed federal program would pay the same EI premium rate as salaried employees.

Self-employed in Quebec would continue to receive maternity and parental benefits through their provincial program.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper promised during last year's federal election campaign that he would bring in a voluntary program.

Tuesday's bill, entitled the Fairness for the Self-Employed Act, would provide the following:

Maternity benefits of up to 15 weeks for mothers, beginning up to eight weeks before the expected birth date.

Parental benefits of up to 35 weeks for biological or adoptive parents while they are caring for a newborn or newly adopted child; they may be taken by either parent or shared between them.

Sickness benefits of up to 15 weeks for those unable to work because of sickness, injury or quarantine.

Compassionate-care benefits of up to six weeks for those who have to be away from work temporarily to provide care or support to a family member who is gravely ill with a significant risk of death.

Self-employed Canadians would have to opt into the program at least a year before claiming benefits.

They would also be responsible for making premium payments starting with the tax year in which they apply and must have earned at least $6,000 through self-employment in the preceding year.

The self-employed could opt out of the EI program at the end of any tax year, as long as they have never claimed benefits.

If they have claimed benefits, they would have to contribute on self-employed earnings for as long as they are self-employed.