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Adrian Wyld, Canadian Press
Standing infront of MP's wearing a black hole patch, NDP leader Tom Mulcair speaks with the media in the foyer of the House of Commons Wednesday February 27, 2013 in Ottawa. The black hole patch symbolizes the period of time seasonal recipients are ineligible for benefits
OTTAWA - NDP Leader Tom Mulcair says the federal government's crackdown on employment insurance claimants is a political game that creates a presumption of guilt.
The crackdown includes sending government inspectors to people's homes and establishing annual dollar targets for EI investigators to uncover fraud.
Mulcair says the government is trying to blame the victims.
He says people who have paid into the system deserve to collect their benefits.
Human Resources Minister Diane Finley has vigorously denied that the fraud targets amount to quotas.
Mulcair dismisses her claims.
"We've had our quota of the lying by the minister responsible for this file," he said at a morning news conference.
"We want Harper and his thugs to stop attacking the jobless."
© The Canadian Press, 2013