Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you very much for being here today, Mr. Forbes.
Ms. Schirle, thank you also for being here.
This is not easy to understand. I am not good with numbers, but I have a lot of heart. I have listened to what you said and I really am having trouble understanding everything. However, Ms. Schirle, I understand that a public sector job is better for women, that this type of job is preferable to working as a waitress. At least female public servants receive a good pension.
Mr. Forbes, you work for the Federal-Provincial Relations Branch. When you speak with your counterparts, do you discuss the various measures which are in place? We hear from seniors, who come to our offices, and whose incomes have decreased significantly because their provincial benefits have increased a little bit. So, these seniors went up one income bracket, and as a consequence their incomes fell, both on a monthly and on a yearly basis. Several seniors have told us the same thing.
Can you tell us whether you are aware of this and whether you have discussed this with your counterparts?