Finance committee  In 2010 the government closed the EI account and opened the EI operating account. Again, I emphasize what I've already said a few times: it's part of the consolidated revenue fund, so it's a bookkeeping entry and it is how the ins and outs of the EI account are calculated. That

Finance committee  Well, as I noted earlier, currently the EI operating account is in cumulative deficit.

Finance committee  I believe the $57 billion was the bookkeeping entry in the EI account. That's in our public record.

Finance committee  It was $57 billion....

Finance committee  No, no, it was $57 billion. The last year that the EI account was in operation or was used as a bookkeeping entry, it was at $57 billion, yes.

Finance committee  The government effectively changed the bookkeeping entry and how it tracked the ins and outs.

Finance committee  The EI account was a bookkeeping entry as a way of tracking the ins and outs of EI premium revenues versus EI benefits. All of the accounts are consolidated with the consolidated revenue fund and are part of general revenues, so it wasn't a matter of moving cash from one account

Finance committee  It wasn't a cash entry. It was a bookkeeping entry. I'm afraid I'm not an accountant, so I can't speak specifically to how that would be qualified in general accounting terms.

Finance committee  If the question you're asking is whether benefits paid out exceeded the amount of premiums that were collected on the part of the government—

Finance committee  —then yes. People were not denied benefits as a result of the fact that benefits paid out exceeded premiums that came in.

Finance committee  On hand....

Finance committee  Once again, the EI account is consolidated. It's general revenues. With respect to your question, if you're asking whether workers will be denied benefits as a result of the account being at zero—

Finance committee  The break-even point is when the EI operating account reaches cumulative balance. That means the debt is repaid to the EI operating account, which again I point out is consolidated.

Finance committee  We can say that the costs of the suspension of the board will not be borne by premium payers and that it does, as a result, make for a more efficient rate-setting process.

Finance committee  I should point out that the EI account is actually part of the consolidated revenue fund, so the funds actually do go into the government's general revenue. It is all part of the same calculation.