I sure can. Thank you very much for the question.
This change is critical for people who are living with cancer. As I stated in my opening remarks, cancer in certain instances can actually be looked upon as a chronic disease—not in every case, but in some—and people are interested in getting back to the workforce. An extension to this benefit is critical, because it would allow people the time off they require to go through treatment, to recover from treatment, and to then return to the workforce, which is what we know they want to do.
Twenty-six weeks is an incredible start. This is a historic investment in the sickness benefit. It will cover many people. We know that right now three-quarters of the people who apply for and use the employment insurance sickness benefit exhaust it and take additional time off. Therefore, we know that, at minimum, 26 weeks will help many Canadians right now who are living with cancer.