Finance committee  Presently you have to have low earnings for a period of two months or no work at all.

Finance committee  What amount are you referring to, sir?

Finance committee  I am Dominique La Salle, Acting Senior Assistant Deputy Minister at Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.

Status of Women committee  No, that is in addition. This dropout provision is the one that is going to increase with the changes that are being proposed for the CPP.

Status of Women committee  It's through the general drop-out provision. That general drop-out provision, which is 15%, translates to roughly seven years. Seven years in your life when you have, say, zero income is taken out of the equation for the purpose of calculating the pension.

Status of Women committee  I'll do my best. It gets technical very quickly. Let me put it to you this way for starters. The biggest part of the cost is on the GIS benefit. Once you're eligible for OAS, you're eligible for GIS; you're eligible for the guaranteed income supplement.

Status of Women committee  They don't want to be helped.

Status of Women committee  In fact, they are completely separate. The Guaranteed Income Supplement rate is set in accordance with your income. For Quebeckers, if indexation has occurred, an increase in the Quebec Pension Plan, and there has been no increase in the Guaranteed Income Supplement because there

Status of Women committee  It's not integrated—

Status of Women committee  No, no, they're not integrated, it has nothing to do with integration.

Status of Women committee  That's the only reason why.

Status of Women committee  No. If it were just the OAS.... One-fortieth is what, $30?

Status of Women committee  That's the thing with the issue of elder abuse; it takes many forms. It's under-reported and there's a taboo of sorts around it. That's why the government is making an effort here. It was the subject of discussion at federal-provincial meetings of the forum of ministers responsib

Status of Women committee  Yes, we're working with the national organizations.

Status of Women committee  I am not an expert in this program, but there are several parts to it. It provides assistance, with regard to real property, objects, tables, etc. Another aspect deals with awareness about elder abuse; this then relates to how a community is organized. There is also an aspect rel