The earnings loss benefit is not considered earned income, but it is taxed, which is interesting. That's another one of our concerns, that we tax these benefits. It's not considered earned income for the purposes of the CPP, or for your registered retirement savings plan. Quite frankly, our sense is that this is wrong. It takes away the ability of the individual to increase their retirement benefits, and of course when they hit age 65 it ceases, it stops. It's a double whammy, if I can use that term. I think we've expressed that in the report, that you're not allowed to build up your own retirement benefits, either through the Canada Pension Plan nor through an RRSP based on this as earned income, but you lose it at tax, and at 65 you lose the whole damned thing. It's simply not a good situation.
On November 19th, 2009. See this statement in context.