SUMMARY

(a) a person who has worked at least 300 hours during her qualifying period eligible for special benefits;

(b) maximum weekly insurable earnings are calculated in accor dance with the standards set out in the former Unemployment Insurance Act;

(c) weekly insurable earnings are the average insurable earnings of the claimant for the number of weeks, set out in a table, in which the claimant had the highest insurable earnings in the rate calculation period;

(d) section 15 providing for a reduction in the weekly benefit rate payable to a claimant is repealed;

(e) Schedule I (Table of Weeks of Benefit) is modify;

(f) the obligation for the Canada Employment Insurance Commis sion to fix the premium rate with the approval of the Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Minister of Human Re sources Development is amended and the Commission sets the premium rate by itself;

(g) On September 1 of each and every year, the amounts received in the preceding financial year by the Consolidated Revenue Fund under the Employment Insurance Act that have not been used by the Consolidated Revenue Fund to meet its obligations under this Act during that financial year are credited to the Employment Insurance Account;

(h) the concept of a new entrant or re-entrant to the labour force is repealed;

(i) the threshold for insurable employment above which employees' premiums are refundable is increased from $2,000 to $5,000; and

(j) The portion of earnings, received by an employment insurance claimant during a period of unemploment that may be retained by the claimant is amended.