The witnesses will perhaps want to deal with the question more globally. I feel they will have a broader view of the issue. They will probably want to deal simultaneously with matters like eligibility, the income replacement rates, the number of hours needed to be eligibility for special benefits, and the employment insurance black hole. I don't think that, by slicing the problem up, we will be able to limit witnesses who want to address the issue globally, because it is all one and the same.
Ms. Gazan, with all respect, I feel that the New Democratic Party's often-stated position on a basic minimum income, a guaranteed income, or whatever form it takes, is a debate in itself. We can't get into an overall debate of that nature; it goes far beyond the employment insurance program, which was established for workers who lose their jobs. It's not intended to replace a series of social programs that exist in the provinces and in Canada. It is an altogether different debate. If you want to get into it, in my opinion, we would have to do so outside the framework of this study.