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<blockquote data-quote="klein" data-source="post: 623617" data-attributes="member: 23950">Yup, here is 1 example :&nbsp;EI surplus balloons to $51 billion (EI is our unemployment Insurance - now renamed Employment Insurance)&nbsp;The surplus in the employment insurance fund has grown to $51 billion, according to briefing notes done for Human Resources Minister Monte Solberg.The notes were released under Access to Information, according to published reports on Thursday.<img src="http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/charts/2007/02/23/ei-graph.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />CBC
A Human Resources Department spokesperson confirmed that the fund grew by $2.2 billion in the government&#039;s 2005-06 fiscal year. That included $800 million in excess premiums and $1.4 billion in interest.In 2004, the surplus stood at $44 billion.The Conservatives regularly criticized the Liberals when they were in office over the size of the EI surplus.However, now that they are in power, the Conservatives have not offered any plans on what they are going to do with the massive surplus.EI premiums fell on Jan. 1 by seven cents to $1.80 per $100 in insurable earnings. The premiums are now set at a maximum of $720 annually. The employer rate was cut by 10 cents to $2.52 per $100.&nbsp;Finn Poschmann of the C.D. Howe Institute called the large surplus a &quot;10-year trainwreck&quot; but pointed out that there is no slush fund sitting around waiting to be spent, as successive governments have used the EI surplus to balance their books.Poschmann said the $51 billion figure dates back to March 2006 and he estimated that the fund has now grown closer to $53 billion thanks to strong employment growth.&quot;The money is still rolling in,&quot; he said.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="klein, post: 623617, member: 23950"] Yup, here is 1 example : [B][SIZE=4]EI surplus balloons to $51 billion[/SIZE][/B] (EI is our unemployment Insurance - now renamed Employment Insurance) The surplus in the employment insurance fund has grown to $51 billion, according to briefing notes done for Human Resources Minister Monte Solberg. The notes were released under Access to Information, according to published reports on Thursday. [INDENT][IMG]http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/charts/2007/02/23/ei-graph.gif[/IMG][I]CBC[/I] [/INDENT]A Human Resources Department spokesperson confirmed that the fund grew by $2.2 billion in the government's 2005-06 fiscal year. That included $800 million in excess premiums and $1.4 billion in interest. In 2004, the surplus stood at $44 billion. The Conservatives regularly criticized the Liberals when they were in office over the size of the EI surplus. However, now that they are in power, the Conservatives have not offered any plans on what they are going to do with the massive surplus. EI premiums fell on Jan. 1 by seven cents to $1.80 per $100 in insurable earnings. The premiums are now set at a maximum of $720 annually. The employer rate was cut by 10 cents to $2.52 per $100. Finn Poschmann of the C.D. Howe Institute called the large surplus a "10-year trainwreck" but pointed out that there is no slush fund sitting around waiting to be spent, as successive governments have used the EI surplus to balance their books. Poschmann said the $51 billion figure dates back to March 2006 and he estimated that the fund has now grown closer to $53 billion thanks to strong employment growth. "The money is still rolling in," he said. [/QUOTE]

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