It's an interesting idea to take the compassionate care out of the EI legislation. I just wouldn't want to see it put in a more vulnerable position. It's sort of nice when it's entrenched in a program that is a pillar of our social fabric in Canada.
Having said that, I'm sure that if there are to be recommendations, a question will come up, and this committee and members of Parliament will want to know what it's going to cost, so that becomes a problem. I have some concerns about the scope of the EI program at present because of the emphasis on lowering premiums over the last 20 years. We know that the government stopped contributing to EI in 1989, so I think the concern then becomes that if the intent is to increase compassionate care benefits within the scope of the EI Act, the fact that it's tied to collection of premiums might put some limitations on the will of governments to expand that program without having to increase premiums.