Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Welcome.
In a previous life I was one of the people who helped select nominees for the labour position on the EI boards, so I have a particular interest in this.
Currently, you have Canadians who appeal departmental decisions, either EI or CPP or OAS, to separate tribunals, as you've indicated. My figures here said that last year the EI tribunal heard 27,000 appeals and 1,800 further appeals to umpires. The CPP and OAS tribunal heard 4,500 appeals. There are 900 members who hear the cases at the EI tribunal alone and the government wants to fold them together with just 74 full-time members and the backup of 11 part-time.
What commonalities do you see between these groups, the EI, CPP, and the OAS, that justify a joint tribunal?