OTTAWA — The Conservative government will introduce legislation Tuesday extending maternity and parental benefits to self-employed Canadians, sources say.

Human Resources Minister Diane Finley will announce plans for Canada’s 2.6 million self-employed to access to employment insurance’s maternity, parental, sickness and compassionate care benefits, government officials said.

“The program would be voluntary. If you want to opt in, you have to pay premiums for a year before you can access benefits,” said one official. There will a mechanism to opt out.

Self-employed Canadians would pay regular employee premiums, they would not be forced to pay the employer’s portion, sources said.

Government officials said the plan would be “self-financing” but refused to discuss funding details.

In the 2008 election campaign, Conservatives estimated extending maternity and parental benefits would cost $143 million a year.

Finley’s spokesman Ryan Sparrow said the Conservative government is making good on its election promise.

“We are keeping our campaign commitment to help self-employed Canadians,” he said.

Opposition critics welcome the news cautiously.

“We are open to the idea of extending EI benefits to self-employed persons,” said Liberal human resources critic Michael Savage. “But there are crucial questions about who is identified as self employed, who pays the premiums, who pays the benefits, how long do you get the benefit,” he said.

NDP employment insurance critic Yvon Godin said self-employed Canadians should also receive regular EI benefits. “Maternity and parental benefits is a start,” he said.

Dave Quist, of the Institute for Marriage and Family, welcomed the Tories’ plan saying it would allow more parents to be involved in their children’s lives.

althia.raj@sunmedia.ca