Finance committee  In terms of unpaid wages and contributions for existing employees to pension plans, it's the Wage Earner Protection Program Act legislation, which I think was approved recently under Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act as well. That amounts to $3,000.

Finance committee  Madam Urquhart did it, so I'm sure she would.

Finance committee  The answer is no, they have not.

Finance committee  Since the Speech from the Throne and the budget, no, we have not been approached.

Finance committee  I'll hand it over to Diane, but certainly the priority for money, I understand, is the top of the pecking order above secureds, and that's what's been given in the case of the WEPPA legislation. Our request was very specific: to fit below secureds, but above the unsecureds, at th

Finance committee  Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Chair. My name is Don Sproule. I am the National Chair of the NRPC, or Nortel Retirees' and Former Employees' Protection Committee. We me is Bernard Neuschwander, NRPC Quebec Region Chair. If we could just move to chart 2, please, very quic

Finance committee  You certainly can. Our actuaries are working on it. Certainly on the pension plan that's well understood, but we're trying to get an estimate now on the remaining items. We will certainly table those numbers for you. Some may be estimates, and some will be exact figures.

Finance committee  I'll hand it over to Diane in just a second. In terms of balance, from an OECD point of view, there are studies out there that basically show certain countries doing quite well, where in bankruptcies the pensioners do get priority protection. In other jurisdictions, where there'

Finance committee  Could I respond to the sophistication aspect? If the bondholders are not sophisticated, then I'd hate to say what I am. I don't have the assets or the resources to investigate; they, when they investigate, look to see if the company is going to go bankrupt. I don't, as an individ

Finance committee  Indirectly. The question is, where did the company go wrong? It's been six years since I left, and I don't know. Certainly the legal issues from an accounting point of view did not help the company. Then we had a period when I think senior management was probably creating an air

Finance committee  Not at all.

Finance committee  I thank all members of the committee for this opportunity to speak on behalf of retirees and former employees of Nortel. The committee I represent includes Nortel retirees and former employees and was formed after Nortel filed for bankruptcy protection on January 14. We represe