One minute?
Based on past behaviour.... I mean, you're quite right, it's a social program and it's supposed to be there for a purpose. It's dedicated. So when that $57 billion was taken out and paid over, they were equivalent: the amount given in tax reductions to the most profitable corporations corresponds to the amount stolen from EI by the Conservatives, backed by the Liberals. But by putting it into general revenue, we indeed are making it a tax for all intents and purposes, but a tax even on companies that have lost money or have broken even, which otherwise wouldn't have had to pay the taxes and did not benefit from the tax reductions because they hadn't been paying taxes. In particular, if you were in manufacturing or forestry, you were subsidizing the oil sector and the banks.
Interestingly enough, when you go through the lists of corporations that contributed to the Conservative Party--when corporate donations were still allowed--number one on the list is EnCana. Number two on the list is the Bank of Nova Scotia. Who profited most from the tax reductions that the Liberals and the Conservatives concocted by stealing the EI fund? EnCana and the Bank of Nova Scotia.