Thank you, Chair.
I don't have any debate, but I have a few questions.
I appreciate all of you taking the time, especially Ms. Ego—you've taken time away from your new one.
All parties so far have indicated general support for this bill. The idea of extending EI benefits to the self-employed makes sense. We've had some questions. I'm a little uncertain about the costing of this program. It's been very difficult to get any information out of the government. The minister indicates it's a voluntary program. There are many voluntary programs, but you still plug in numbers and get an estimate. The reason it's important is that the calculation of the premium combined with the uptake of the program has a big impact on whether it's going to be as self-sustaining as we and the minister are hoping.
That might cost money. Ms. Pohlmann mentioned this money isn't coming out of the consolidated revenue fund of the Government of Canada; it's not coming out of general revenues, it's coming out of the EI fund that has been designated as going over to this new EI financing board. It's only $2 billion, and we're probably well over that now, because we've been going through a difficult economic time. There's already a draw on that. An extra five weeks of regular EI benefits was indicated for members. That five weeks was coming out of general revenue, but Bill C-50, which added an extra five to 20 weeks, will come out of the EI fund, and so will this.
After discussions with the officials the other day, they have given us a brief answer here today. If I read it correctly, it indicates that in the first year the fund will have a surplus of $48 million, which makes sense. You have to pay into it for 12 months before you can join. In the first year there will be a net surplus in the fund. By 2014 there will be a $78 million shortfall, if I'm reading this correctly. It could be more, it could be less, but it will have to come from the EI fund, which is a bit of a problem, because it's already very tight.
Ms. Pohlmann and perhaps Ms. Presseault, how much of a concern is that?