Human Resources committee  I think that it is possible. We will do our best.

Human Resources committee  We will do everything in our power to make it available as soon as possible.

Human Resources committee  I just want to say that in fact maternity and sickness are treated the same way in that basically the earnings are taken into account dollar for dollar. I just wanted to add that clarification. For the other type of benefit, there's a threshold that people can earn.

Human Resources committee  For compassionate care, I think the rule is that you could get six weeks of benefits if the relative is at risk of death during the next 26-week time period. Basically, you could use the six weeks of benefits during that 26-week period. If the person does not die and you have not used up the six weeks, you can reapply with a new doctor's certificate.

Human Resources committee  I will need to confirm that for compassionate care.

Human Resources committee  Yes, there are not a lot of cases. There are a couple of examples in Europe where there are different tests used--bankruptcy--that provide for some of the regular benefits. In terms of special benefits in the U.S., California has a model whereby a subgroup can access some sickness benefits, but there aren't a lot of models.

Human Resources committee  You have to remember that the $1.73 amount represents the current rate.

Human Resources committee  The amount of $1.73 is what the employees must pay, and the plan is that this will also be the rate paid by self-employed workers. Currently this amount is set by the government and we know that it will not be sufficient to pay all of the costs. It will probably change, because the new crown corporation will be determining the rates needed to finance the employment insurance program in future.

Human Resources committee  Yes, it does. Everything is included in the cost. Under the principle that has been established, self-employed workers will pay exactly the same rate, so that it will eventually become the break-even rate for the employment insurance program as a whole.

Human Resources committee  He said that the net cost would be $70 million.

Human Resources committee  No, what I'm saying is that 21% of claimants will exhaust their benefits. Of the 120,000 claimants in total, 21%, not 30% will reach the end of their benefit period.

Human Resources committee  No. What I was referring to was the average number of unemployed workers on an annual basis. I have not calculated the exact number of unemployed workers for 2009 and 2010.

Human Resources committee  For the purpose of this exercise, it is important to know that on an annual basis, if we say that there are 500,000 people out of work, most of them will not receive EI benefits for 52 weeks. We agree on that.

Human Resources committee  So then, this means that for each unemployed worker, I will have different claimants more than once. Basically, I have 2.5 clients for each unemployed worker. If, on an annual basis, I had 500,000 unemployed workers, taking into account the number of claimants, I would multiply 500,000 by 2.5, which would give me, if I'm not mistaken, about 1.3 million claimants for the year.

Human Resources committee  Quite the contrary. In all, 20% of claimants reach the end of their benefit period. According to our information, 20% of claimants exhaust their EI benefits. You have turned the situation around by starting with those who have reached the end of their benefit period and then asking, of those who have exhausted their benefits, which ones meet the definition of long-tenured worker.