Thank you, Mr. Dusseault, for the question.
Some industries operate here on a seasonal cycle, but that's not at all new in Canada. There are also seasonal jobs in the rest of the country, for instance in the Prairies. Obviously, wheat can't be grown in the middle of February, for example. We need a framework that motivates people to find other sources of income. If not, government assistance will keep being requested.
Here in the Atlantic region, almost 100% of people who work in fisheries rely on social assistance or employment insurance. In other regions where there are also seasonal activities, the percentage of people who rely on those programs is much lower. That's the case in Alberta and Saskatchewan in particular, where 60% of people rely on those programs. Something isn't working.
About 15 years ago, Mr. Chrétien's federal government tried to correct the situation, but the cycle of giving money to everyone so they could stay home doing nothing resumed.