One thing I would say is that in the operation of the EI program we do not insure individuals. It actually insures the work. So the EI program actually insures the job. In the design of the EI program, you are actually looking at the nature of work; you're not looking at the actual individuals in those jobs. The fact that you do have variable entrance requirements across the country, where people with as few as 420 hours in high unemployment areas can collect EI for up to 32 weeks and you have to work longer in lower unemployment regions to collect even close to the same amount is very sensitive to the seasonal nature of a lot of the economies of different parts of Canada. By its very nature of having a variable entrance requirement and allowing people with less work to actually collect for longer periods of time in high unemployment regions, it is extremely sensitive to the seasonal nature of a lot of work. That's always been an integral part of the program, and has been for a very substantial period of time.
On May 30th, 2006. See this statement in context.