The federal government's making significant changes to the country's Employment Insurance program. The changes, which were included in the Liberal Government's first budget, have drawn some criticism due to measures that expand EI in 12 regions, which were hit with high unemployment rates due to the fall in energy prices. However, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour MaryAnn Mihychuk says the changes go much further, and will have benefits for all Canadians.

"At least six national initiatives will help folks in Neepawa, Portage and Carman, and that includes the fact we're reducing the deductible. For example, just like your car where you have to pay a thousand bucks before you make repairs, in this case employment insurance makes you hold back two weeks of wages. We're reducing that and cutting it in half so that your first cheque, if you ever find yourself unemployed, will be much larger. That will help pay the back grant, get groceries on the table, and allow you to get your resume prepared so you can go out and find another job."

She says the government's also making it easier for indigenous people and women to receive the benefits, noting it could be a challenge under the previous program. Mihychuk says they're also looking to improve service Canada, with an investment of more than $92 million. The year's investment of the overhaul will be well over $1.5 billion, but Mihychuk says that won't come at at the cost of higher premiums.

"The overall program will drop EI premiums from $1.88 (per $100 dollars) to $1.61 (per $100 dollars). That's even four cents lower than what was projected in the election platform. We're very proud that we're doing it in a responsible way, saving workers and business money and providing enormous numbers of services to Canadians."

Mihychuk also says the government intends to fund these major overhauls and reduced premiums straight from the program itself. Mihychuk says the EI system has seen a constant stream of highs and lows, and they're hoping their changes will create a more sustainable, stable model.

"In the past, there was a significant surplus. We've committed in the platform that we're going to look at a seven year rolling average, and that's going to allow us to keep the EI fund basically at a balance. It's been very high, and sometimes, very low; billions of dollars in debt. What we're going to do is look at stabilizing that and ensuring the money we put in for Employment Insurance remains with the workers that need it."

She says this is just the first phase of the EI overhaul. Mihychuk says they're looking at a number of different measures to get Canadians back to work, ranging from equal parental leave for men and women, flex work, and other measures to adapt the system to accommodate the modern family.