Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good morning to you all. I'll be speaking French, so please take a moment to get yourselves set up. Meanwhile, I'd like to thank the interpreters, who are doing an excellent job. I also want to say hello to my fellow members who are joining us today.
I want to thank all five witnesses. We don't have time to ask each of you all the questions we'd like, but know that we are taking notes and will bring your concerns to Parliament. You've given us a good overview of the challenges. I'm delighted to be with you today.
My first question is for Ms. Glode.
The government pledged to reform employment insurance, or EI, in 2015, and year after year, the reforms were put off. The government then promised that it would definitely follow through in the summer of 2022. In the summer of 2022, the government said that it would happen in the fall of 2022. Nothing has happened so far.
Obviously, the system is broken. Only four out of 10 people who lose their jobs qualify for EI. The system is broken, and reforms are needed to fix it. Could you please review the reasons why the reforms are so important for the province and workers here?
Could you also comment on the seasonal gap, if you wouldn't mind? Is the pilot project in place fixing the problem? Where do things stand?