Thank you, Chair.
Good morning to my colleagues and thank you to our witness.
I want to talk to you about the additional weeks of employment insurance for seasonal workers in targeted regions. The 13 regions are Newfoundland and Labrador, eastern Nova Scotia, western Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Madawaska-Charlotte, Restigouche-Albert, Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, lower Saint Lawrence and north shore, central Quebec, Chicoutimi-Jonquière, northwestern Quebec, and Yukon. Obviously, if you're a seasonal worker, you can claim five weeks and up to nine weeks, depending on the conditions.
Do you think a lower number of hours to qualify for EI should be implemented? What would that number be?