Thank you very much, Ms. Chabot.
I'm proud to be here with you today. As you said, volunteer work is a lot of work. I must say I do support a lot of people.
The seasonal industry is the core of the New Brunswick economy, especially on the Acadian Peninsula and in rural regions. Working in the seasonal industry means you can't pick blueberries, strawberries or raspberries in winter. It also means you can't go to ice cream parlours or seasonal restaurants in winter.
In 2018, when we got organized and went to work with Ms. Sirois and all the other committees, a lot was happening at home in Caraquet. A lot of frustrated people were protesting. That's what brought on the five-week pilot project, which was a good fit for the needs at the time.
Today, with the unemployment rate in the great economic region of Restigouche-Albert, the five-week pilot project no longer reflects the needs of the people, who need a lot more weeks of employment insurance benefits. The present situation really doesn't reflect the economy of workers in the seasonal industry in New Brunswick, especially those on the Acadian Peninsula and in the rural regions of the Restigouche-Albert region.
You should know that a $5 million study was conducted on the subject. We worked hard with all the major players for an employment insurance reform, which still hasn't been adopted. Ms. Chabot, you often rose in the House to speak on our behalf and to request that reform, which had been promised, but that was a promise not kept.
However, the government has all the necessary tools to introduce the reform but no will to do so. I remember a meeting that the minister attended. He didn't want to state the reasons to the provincial Conservative government at that time, but I think that was misplaced pride. In the meantime, our people have been left to suffer. You mustn't forget the misery our people are experiencing.
Consequently, the pilot project no longer meets the needs of seasonal industry workers, who need more weeks of benefits. As my colleague Line Sirois and I have said, we need 15 weeks added to the pilot project. We also need recognition and increased protection for seasonal workers. We're talking about 420 hours of work to qualify, 15 weeks added to the pilot project and 35 weeks of benefits.
You need to know that we have a tourism industry in our region—