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It took an Access to Information request by Canadian Press reporter Jordan Press to reveal the precise criteria the federal Liberals had used as requirements: a region’s unemployment must rise two percentage points above a benchmark for three months straight and not later fall to within one per cent of that benchmark.

Based on this reporting, and on new data, it was clear three more regions qualified. Trapped by this reality and political pressure, the Liberals agreed to extend benefits in Edmonton, Southern Saskatchewan, and B.C.’s Southern Interior.

But that’s it, they said. No more. Ever. And that’s a problem. Because, while the list is evidently now fixed, economic conditions certainly are not.

Thunder Bay and Yellowknife may meet the government’s criteria with new data released early next month. A month after that, it might be Regina’s turn. They’ve all crossed the magic two percentage-point threshold. The only remaining question is: will they stay there? If they do, why shouldn’t they also qualify?

It gets worse. The government’s method is not only unresponsive to new data; it is also flawed.

Consider Thunder Bay. That city has experienced a 2.6 percentage-point increase in unemployment since March 2015. It has also been above that for the past three months.

So, Thunder Bay workers should qualify. But they don’t, due to an unfortunate fluke.

The benchmark unemployment in the formula is the minimum rate between December 2014 and February 2015. At that time, Thunder Bay’s unemployment was temporarily high. Had March been in the benchmark period, Thunder Bay would have qualified. It missed qualifying by one month, and all due to a random blip.