Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thanks very much to all of our presenters today. I think we've heard some really interesting ideas.
I have a couple of comments and then a couple of questions. I'll talk and then open it up for answers.
One of the things that's been said here several times today is that most people don't choose to be unemployed and sit around. I think we all agree with that. We all represent people in our ridings, who we know struggle to find jobs and keep employed.
Ms. Dépatie, I really commend you for coming here and telling us your story. As has been said, unfortunately it's not a one-off. There are many stories similar to it. I congratulate you on your strength and the way you have handled the issues, as well.
It's also been said that the EI system is based on how much is contributed. I think, Ms. Byers, you are the one who said that. If that's not right, then what should it be based on, and how would you fund the system? That's one question.
Second, when I was doing my research I know the Canadian Labour Congress put forth several recommendations for reform. One was increasing the period for benefits to 50 weeks, which is something we have recommended. Investing part of the surplus on better training and labour adjustment programs is something we also recommended. I wonder if you could comment on why you would support those measures and how those two in particular will help Canadians.
The other thing I want to point out is the discrepancy in the stats that we have to deal with. We talked about women working part-time. The stats we got at our last meeting said that 78.4% were voluntary part-time women, and men were less, 75.4%. I find it really difficult to make complete sense of the situation when we're dealing with different stats all the time. These are Stats Canada figures.
I make those comments, and I'll open it up for answers, please.