There's a lot there to do a quick response to, Mr. Chair.
We have several major concerns with EI. I'll hold off, and if there's time, I'll tell you what my real problem is with this particular pilot program and why I'm so negative about it being extended. I think the target for the pilot was clearly not met, and yet we went ahead and extended the program.
My bigger issue with EI concerns the fact that we've taken a program that was fundamental for both employers and employees, who are the payers of the program, and we've changed the nature of it completely. We've turned it into a basic social policy grab bag, where we no longer focus only on unemployment insurance.
We now have a situation where roughly half of the premiums go to non-employment insurance reasons. We've used it as a way to package all kinds of other social programs that in and of themselves probably have significant merit in our economy. They should be judged that way, in terms of social policy. It should not be asking employers--and I should remind everybody, although I think you're well aware--who continue to pay 1.4 times the premium that employees pay, to dump more into EI.
The rationale was basically that 100% of the dollars paid out in EI benefits would be decided by employers who were deciding whether employees were going to continue to work. That's no longer the case. Those are only half the dollars that are now used by the system. That's a major concern to us, Mr. Chair.
Thank you.