Madam Minister, it is essential that the system be modernized if we want to provide a safety net. The EI system is the best economic stabilizer in a crisis.
I just want to remind you that people pay premiums. In addition to paying premiums, some people do not have access to benefits because the eligibility rules are too rigid. Also, those who are entitled to receive their benefits wait months and months.
There is an absolute need to modernize the system. I think you know that. It takes political will. There was a commitment made in 2015, another commitment in 2019, and another commitment in 2021, in the mandate letters of the respective ministers.
You always tell us that indeed it needs to be modernized, that you are committed to it, and that you will work on it. However, there are no real horizons. That is what we are asking you for, Madam Minister, and we are anxious to hear the answer.
Last week, at the Canada Employment Insurance Commission's Workers' Commissioner's Forum, workers' groups were disappointed, too, that they had no response after being consulted.