Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
First of all, I would simply like to remind Committee members of one thing—and I am always the only one saying this. Health care is, first and foremost, a constitutional responsibility that has been devolved to Quebec and the provinces. In everything that is done or said, it is essential to bear that in mind and abide by that principle. I am always the only one at this table to make that point. Having said that, I have a question for Mr. Baribeau.
I am sure you know that Marie-Hélène Dubé, a woman who has cancer, is currently leading a wide-scale mobilization campaign in Quebec and across Canada to have Employment Insurance benefits for people with serious illnesses extended to 50 weeks, from the current 15, and to ensure that this particular group is treated the same way as other beneficiaries. Based on what you have said, people affected by chronic illnesses, such as yours, have episodes, which means that it is impossible to predict things. What is worse, there is no way to know how long an individual will have to be away from work. I think we have to delve more deeply into the kinds of reforms that are needed to the Employment Insurance program, in order to meet the specific needs of people with multiple sclerosis, in particular.
I would just like to ask for one clarification. What I understood from your testimony is that 15 weeks may be enough over short periods, because an episode may last between zero and 15 weeks, but that we also need to ensure that people can be away from work for short periods, depending on how they are affected by the disease.