HUMA committee briefing binder: Appearance of Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion - March 24, 2022

Platform

HUMA study on Labour Shortages, Working Conditions and the Care Economy

Date

March 3, 2022

Statements/quotes

The Member asked about programs and incentives for skills development and for businesses to learn more about automation. She also asked about employment workforce statistics in relation to the pandemic, seeking an accurate reflection of the 106% current employment rate.

Platform

House of Commons

Adjournment Proceedings

Date

February 16, 2022

Statements/quotes

“On November 25, I asked the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion for information relative to a BDC report that found that 64% of companies said that they had difficulty finding workers, and this was limiting their growth. RBC also reported that over one-third of businesses were having problems at that time finding employees, resulting in 870,000 vacancies across Canada. Of course, businesses need workers to make money. Therefore, what was the minister doing in an effort to resolve these labour shortages?”

“This actually feels like a small problem today compared to what we have had to deal with since that time. We have incredible instability in the nation at this time as a result of the poor leadership by this government and by the Prime Ministrer at the helm. Unfortunately, the reality is that life goes on outside the Parliamentary Precinct. I am very happy that the situations at the borders have been cleared up. The problem still exists here in Ottawa, but the reality is that life goes on outside the precinct. The labour shortage still exists.”

“Unfortunately, this is the problem with this government. There are a number of serious problems that we should be dealing with as a government and as a nation as a whole, rather than dealing with these unfortunate, unnecessary distractions, which become significant problems as a result of the lack of leadership. I think of things that are relevant to the labour shortage, such as inflation, which of course was announced this week to be 5.1%. It is a historic number, in a bad way, when inflation is over 5%. The Finance Minister stands up time and time again and talks about 4.5% GDP growth. That is just not important to average Canadians who have to buy groceries and heat their homes.”

“This leads me to the next problem that this government ignores, apart from the continuing large problem, and that is the cost of living. We have seen time and time again members of the government in the House who cannot name the price of a whole chicken and cannot name the price of bacon.”

“I have to say that we see this inability to face problems also replicated within the numbers that government members provide. They talked about 1 million jobs in the pandemic recovery. Well, these are just the jobs that were recovered naturally during the pandemic as a result of people going back to their jobs when the economy opened up across this nation. It is a completely insincere number, and we even saw this with the 200,000 jobs lost, which was another failure. They talk about a 106% employment rate. This is also insincere, given that the workforce has shrunk. Seniors have left, individuals have left, so of course we are going to have 106% employment if the workforce has shrunk.”

“We see these problems in different sectors, including agriculture, food processing, retail, hospitality and health care. I have offered solutions, such as eliminating the LMIA and providing a credit for automation, but as with all the other problems, including the most significant one just outside these doors, this government just does not acknowledge them and does not come up with solutions to them.”

Platform

House of Commons

Debate on Bill C-12

Date

February 15, 2022

Statements/quotes

“I feel completely obliged and compelled to speak about the matter before us today, Bill C-12 and the reason we are having this debate.”

“When I heard about Bill C-12, it seemed to me that the situation was familiar and I gave it a bit of thought. When the pandemic hit, the government issued a series of benefits: the CERB and the CRB. Lo and behold, unfortunately when the GIS payments were issued there was a necessity to claw them back. This was a result of the government's lack of competency with the administration and overpayment of the CRB and the CERB, by giving funds to those who were not entitled to them. This is no small matter. It affects 90,000 low-income seniors across the country who are struggling to put food on the table and to heat their homes. They certainly do not need this problem at this time.”

“I understand that the government has allocated a large sum of funds to this: around $700 million. Yesterday in the House, it actually released the date on which these low-income seniors could start to see these funds. It is April 19. The Liberals were not willing to release that information to me at committee, so I am glad they have finally come forward with it in the House, and have announced a date when seniors can expect to see these funds. They would not give me a date when I pressed them at committee.”

“As I reflected upon this situation, it occurred to me that this was not the first time we had seen this. In fact, oops, they did it again. Where has this happened before? Where have we seen this lack of administration and competency before? I am going to go all the way back to the beginning of the pandemic and Bill C-2, where we as an opposition tried very hard to work with the government to get Canadians the benefits they deserved.”

“Our current interim Leader of the Opposition was involved in those negotiations, as was the member for Carleton, who was acting in the capacity of shadow minister for finance at the time. He had the good measure to recognize the lack of oversight that was occurring with the government asking for unlimited spending. I am very fortunate that he saw that and pointed it out. What happened after that was that we had to come back to the House and amend Bill C-2 as a result of the government's incompetence and mismanagement again. We saw that the Canada emergency wage subsidy came too late. The Canada emergency commercial rent assistance did not work, because it required the approval of landlords as well as a 70% revenue reduction. As well, not a single business received funds from the government's large employer emergency financing facility. We saw it there with Bill C-2.”

“We saw it again in May of 2020, when the CBC reported that Canadians who did not qualify for CERB were getting it anyway and could face consequences, such as the ones we saw with the GIS, which thank goodness are finally being addressed today.”

“However, it does not end there. We saw it again with maternity benefits, whereby Canadian women who were pregnant could not receive the CERB or the CRB, again as a result of government error and an oversight. We saw the errors of the government once again having a significant impact on Canadians who needed those benefits at that time.”

“I wish I could say it ends there, but it does not. In fact, it goes on to Bill C-24, where we had to come back and close loopholes that allowed international leisure and other non-essential travellers to claim the Canada recovery benefit, but that made individuals required to quarantine or self-isolate under the Quarantine Act during the two-week benefit period ineligible to submit a claim.”

“Do we see the trend here that I am referring to? It is the incompetency of the government again and again. Here we are again with Bill C-12, referring to the errors of the government that deeply impacted Canadians. I wish I could say it ends there. It does not.”

Platform

HUMA Minister Khera on mandate

Date

February 14, 2022

Statements/quotes

The Member probed the Minister for assurances that the payments would fully reimburse impacted GIS recipients and that the error would not be repeated. She raised the 90.000 low-income seniors who learned of the claw back to GIS payments after the fact, and asked the Minister what date these seniors will receive this one-time payment GIS reimbursement.

She asked how much the payment will be and asked for a guarantee that every penny that was clawed back will be reimbursed to seniors. She asked the Minister if she can guarantee today that seniors will not be taxed again on the reimbursed money, and asked the Minister if she can assure her that work to ensure this type of error never happens again.

Platform

HUMA Minister Gould on mandate

Date

February 10, 2022

Statements/quotes

“Welcome, Minister. I'm going to continue on the line of questioning that my colleague Madame Goodridge began on the day care initiative. In my conversations with provincial counterparts, one great concern currently is not only the rate of inflation in the nation but the fact that fee increases are capped at 3% per year, while inflation is currently at 5% per year. This concern around the agreement certainly exists in my home province of Alberta. I'm just wondering how you anticipate provinces will deal with the rising operating costs when inflation is at 5% a year and you've capped the increase at 3% a year.”

“Perhaps you could expand on why you did not decide to have the fee increase cap reflect the current inflation rate. As I mentioned, entering these partnerships will leave operators holding the bag for the difference between the capped rate of 3% and whatever inflation continues to be. It doesn't really sound like you're coming from a place of good faith. You're saying that with this rate of inflation, whatever it might be, you don't have good faith that operators, the ones you're entrusting to implement these programs and take care of the nation's children, can provide for them under the capped 3% rate you've indicated.  (Hon. Karina Gould: We are primarily concerned with ensuring that there is good use of public funds. As you're someone who's in the Conservative Party of Canada, I would imagine it's something that's very important for you as well. We want to ensure that the funds we send to provinces and territories are going towards service provision, that they're going to‐ ward high-quality care, that they're going toward paying ECEs fair and appropriate wages. These are all things that are very important for us. We want to ensure that those funds are being put to good use. We've worked very closely with the Government of Alberta. Of course we came to an agreement, an agreement that is good for Alberta and good for families in Alberta.

“Unfortunately, Minister, I don't think your work is done as of yet with Alberta, as there still remains concern over the cost control framework. The agreement with Alberta, fortunately, unlike other provinces, allows for the expansion of these private spaces in cases that Alberta and the federal government have agreed on.”

Platform

HUMA

Date

January 31, 2022

Statements/quotes

During the HUMA study on Service Standards for Employment Insurance Claims, she addressed the victims of fraud and benefits delayed due to claimants’ frozen Service Canada accounts. She asked why the Ministers are not appearing today, whether the Ministers understand the gravity of the situation, and if Ministers provided directives to solve payment delay problems.

Platform

Oral Questions

Date

December 9, 2021

Statements/quotes

“It was reported yesterday that street gangs in Montreal defrauded Canadian taxpayers and used the Canadian emergency response benefit in order to buy illegal guns. It's unthinkable that the government is letting this happen. When did the minister learn that money that should have gone to Canadians was used by criminals?”

Platform

Letter

• Raquel Dancho, Pierre Paul-Hus and Stephanie Kusie sent correspondence to Ministers Mendicino and Qualtrough

Date

December 8, 2021

Statements/quotes

Co-signed a letter regarding fraudulently obtained taxpayer dollars via the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) to purchase illegal firearms.

“There are a number of questions regarding the issue of CERB being used by gangs to purchase illegal firearms. Were you aware this was taking place? If so, how long were you aware? If you were aware, why did you not take action on this issue sooner?

“Canada's Conservatives are calling for your government to launch a complete and thorough audit of the taxpayer dollars your government provided to criminals in the form of pandemic benefits, and that you make the Auditor General of Canada aware of your findings as their office continues to audit inadequate post-payment verification of the CERB program.”

Platform

House of Commons Second Reading debate on Bill C-2

Date

November 30, 2021

Statements/quotes

In response to Wayne Long on government programs that basically touched every individual in Canada in some way or another:

• we went along with the Legislation because despite concerns we knew that’s what Canadians needed at the time
• it’s time to move our economy from benefits to jobs
• major vacancies are occurring in sectors such as hospitality, truckers, and nursing

Platform

House of Commons

Date

November 26, 2021

Statements/quotes

A request to hold an emergency debate on labour shortages was denied by the Speaker.

Platform

House of Commons Oral Question to Minister Qualtrough

Date

November 25, 2021

Statements/quotes

Sectors across Canada are grappling with labour shortages. A Brach Directors Committee BDC report found that 64% of companies say that difficulties finding workers is limiting their growth. RBC reported that over one-third of businesses are having problems finding employees, resulting in 870,000 vacancies across Canada. Businesses need workers to make money. What is the minister doing to resolve these labour shortages?

Platform

Twitter

Date

November 13, 2021

Statements/quotes

Why should low-income seniors and families have to suffer for the government’s inability to account for pandemic assistance.

Platform

House of Commons, opposition motion on measures to help Canadian workers

Date

March 9, 2021

Statements/quotes

Unfortunately, we have seen the Liberals repeatedly putting the entire opposition in a very difficult position. Because of their lack of capacity and competence, they come up with last-minute legislation to try to help Canadians, but the result is that, first, there are many gaps for the opposition to address and second, the opposition is forced to support legislation because we really do not want to leave Canadians in a difficult position. If the Liberals had any foresight, any true consideration for Canadians or for the government working together in a team Canada approach, they would be more thoughtful in their consideration of the necessary policies and they would allow the opposition members time to consider and to respond, instead of having to continuously go along with whatever the Liberals cook up in a half-effort attempt to help Canadians.

Platform

COVI

Date

May 12, 2020

Statements/quotes

It has been 3 months since this pandemic started and the Liberals just got around to announcing help for seniors. Seniors are a priority and should be treated as such.

Why do the Liberals treat seniors as an afterthought?

Platform

COVI

Date

June 3, 2021

Statements/quotes

Canadian families who don't normally qualify for the Canada child benefit received a payment of approximately $300 per child as part of the COVID-19 CCB top-up. When Canadians call Service Canada to report the error and return the benefit, they are being told to donate it to a children's charity if they don't need it. This in fact happened to our colleague Rosemarie Falk, member of Parliament for Battlefords—Lloydminster.

Is the minister aware of this issue?

Platform

HUMA

Date

June 4, 2020

Statements/quotes

That, in the context of its study of the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Committee send for the following documents to be provided by the Government by Monday, August 31, 2020:

1. All briefing notes, memorandums, guidance and documents from and to Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Assistant Deputy Ministers and Directors related to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and dated between Sunday, March 1, 2020 and Thursday, May 28, 2020
2. All briefing notes, memorandums, and documents from and to Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Assistant Deputy Ministers and Directors related to the eligibility requirements for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and dated between Sunday, March 1, 2020 and Thursday, May 28, 2020
3. All briefing notes, memorandums, and documents from and to Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Assistant Deputy Ministers and Directors related to potential fraudulent cases of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and dated between Sunday, March 1, 2020 and Thursday, May 28, 2020

Platform

HUMA

Date

May 28, 2020

Statements/quotes

You talked a fair bit about facing youth employment and unemployment coming out of COVID-19? What do you think are the major impacts that we'll see on youth unemployment as the economy begins to reopen following COVID-19? What will be the greatest challenges in the new economy?

Statements/quotes

Regarding the one-time increase to OAS and GIS, many seniors receiving these payments aren't struggling financially due to COVID-19, given that seniors can receive OAS with an annual taxable income of up to $128,137. What is the rationale for providing this tax-free benefit so broadly, including to high-income seniors who may not be experiencing financial hardship? Why did you not decide to target low-income seniors at this time, by providing an increase only through GIS payments?

Something that has been of great concern to me is the Service Canada phone system, which has been overwhelmed for months with long wait times and an inability of people to get through. Absolutely, it inadvertently impacts seniors, as, for many, the phone is their only form of communication right now. Since Service Canada centres are closed, it makes it more difficult for seniors; and many seniors, of course, aren't comfortable using the Internet. I'm wondering what you've done to ensure that seniors have received timely access to Service Canada so that they can access the benefits they need.

Platform

HUMA

Date

April 30, 2020

Statements/quotes

Another concern I'm hearing about is that individuals who have previously contacted a member of Parliament's office and then contacted Service Canada are being told that they cannot be serviced by Service Canada as a result of previously having contacted a member of Parliament's office. I want to get assurance from you, Minister, that this is not the case and that any individual, even if they have previously contacted a member of Parliament, can receive service from Service Canada.

Platform

HUMA

Minister O’Regan on mandate letter

Date

February 17, 2022

Statements/quotes

The Member asked about skilled trades shortages (A: the Canadian economy is showing signs of recovery, boom in construction has led to labour shortages, we are investing in training), on mandate letter commitment on Labour Mobility Tax Credit, reference to Chris Lewis’ PMB (A: commits to work together to collaborate), rules on longshore workers requiring 8 hours of rest, as opposed to 6 hours (A: Canadians deserve fair rest schedules, new standards are moving ahead, need to improve worker health and safety, mitigating particular risks).

Platform

House of Commons

Statements by Members

Date

February 16, 2022

Statements/quotes

Mr. Speaker, recently a constituent of mine in Parry Sound—Muskoka told me the nightmare she experienced trying to access parental benefits after she spent weeks in SickKids hospital with her newborn. She sent her paperwork for parental benefits to Service Canada in late August 2021. She delivered her baby in September, and only yesterday finally received her benefits. Service Canada officials, at every step of the way, told her that they were overworked and were still learning how to deal with COVID. This was late 2021, 2 years into the pandemic.

In a riding like mine, where many seasonal workers and folks rely on the EI program, the excuse that Service Canada is still learning how to work with COVID is just simply not good enough. At a time when restaurants and businesses are reopening and learning how to live with COVID-19, it is time for the government to do the same and ensure the services delivered to the people who need them are done in a timely fashion.

Platform

Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Canada Labour Code

Date

December 8, 2021

Statements/quotes

Madam Speaker, I want to talk about inspiring rhetoric for a second. The minister himself, in his announcement, actually pointed out that the vast majority of federally regulated private sector workers already have more generous paid sick leave programs, and this may not have that massive an impact on those positions in the private sector.

I wonder if, in fact, we are rushing this because the Liberals felt they should have gotten it done before the unnecessary election. They had lots of time to start this process then. I do not understand why we cannot get a little more work done on this now to make sure we can make the amendments we want in order to make it more substantive and so the minister can start his negotiations with the provinces. If it is such a crushing thing, it should have been done before this unnecessary election. I do not understand why we cannot just take a few more days here.

Platform

Canadian Heritage Committee

Date

June 4th, 2021

Statements/quotes

“I want to thank Mr. Ripley for those final few comments. I automatically thought “cue the lobbyists”, because there are 9 months to try to influence things to make them the way you want them to be.

I actually want to focus specifically on that issue.... In general, it relates, I think, to my problem overall with big government programs. The bigger the government, the more interference and the greater the chance for undue influence. Mr. Waugh quite capably raised that issue. I actually want to ask the question of Mr. Manly, specifically, because he has some experience with the system as it exists today. I have absolutely zero experience with the traditional broadcasting realm.

If I could start with this question, I'm curious to know, Mr. Manly, in the process of trying to get recognized as Canadian content in the traditional system, were you aware of situations where high-paid lobbyists were clearly able to get their client's product broadcast somewhere, ahead of a smaller operation like yours?”

Platform

Budget Implementation Act, 2021, No. 1 Government Orders

Date

May 25th, 2021

Statements/quotes

“Madam Speaker, over the course of the debate on Bill C-30, there have been many points of view shared. Many of my colleagues on this side of the House have justifiably raised concerns about the deficits and levels of debt the current government is accumulating, and the impact this debt will have on Canadians for generations to come. They have skilfully illustrated that, despite the Minister of Finance's description of her budget as a plan for jobs, growth and resilience, it falls dreadfully short of a real plan for economic growth that will create jobs for Canadians.”

“While all of these issues are important and have yet to be addressed by the government, I intend to focus my comments particularly on what would appear to be the centrepiece of this budget for the Minister of Finance: a national child care program. There can be no doubt that access to affordable child care and early childhood education is a wise investment in our economy and can help ensure all Canadians are able to realize their full potential in the workforce. Personally, I believe a system designed to respect the choices of parents in the best child care options for them makes more sense than a massive government program, which, by the way, would cost $30 billion over the next 5 years, then roughly $9 billion annually thereafter. This proposal highlights yet another example of the federal government making a commitment in an area of provincial jurisdiction without the corresponding commitment of dollars needed to fund a program that most provinces simply cannot afford.”

“This budget is a buffet of spending, paid for with massive debts and designed to perpetuate the government's promises of being all things to all people. The government is not only ignoring the financial struggles of the provinces, struggles created in part by federal interference, budget 2021 seeks to push the provinces even further into debt.

We need a real plan that manages public debt and invests strategically to stimulate real economic growth that will create jobs. We need a plan that will restore fiscal balance to our Confederation. Restoring that balance will better prepare the federal treasury to manage the impending fiscal problems, grow our economy and build a stronger and more prosperous Canada.”

Platform

House of Commons – Debates

Dates

April 27th, 2021

Statements/quotes

“Mr. Speaker, in what began as a mediocre attempt at legislation to level the playing field between Internet streaming giants and traditional Canadian broadcasters, the Minister of Canadian Heritage assured us that Bill C-10 was not some draconian tool of the state to limit Canadian freedom of expression on the Internet. He actually promised that his legislation was not interested in such things as when his great-uncle posts pictures of his cats.

In the original bill, there were exemptions to protect the freedoms of Canadians posting their online content, yet just the other day the minister ordered the section removed. The minister muses about granting himself the power to remove Internet content that he deems objectionable, and now he is granting authority to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to control what Canadians post online.”

Platform

HUMA

Minister Gould on mandate

Date

February 10, 2022

Statements/quotes

Attending as a non-member at HUMA, asked the Minister about the 3,300 spaces for Indigenous child care she touched on. “What work has actually been done, and have any agreements been signed? How many spaces have been created since these agreements were signed, you said 3,300 but how many have been created as of today in the child care deals across the provinces? When will the agreements be made public?”

“1 of the questions I frequently hear from constituents is, what's going to happen after the 5-year mark? We're spending money creating these spaces, but that's only for the first 5 years. What's going to happen on year 6?” The Minister assured there would be funding beyond year 5.

“Furthermore, the mandate letter states that your aim is to have 40,000 new child care educators. What is being done to train these educators, and how many have been trained to date.”

“My big thing, and you've heard this be‐ fore, is that a lot of people are concerned about the day care deals because this is a promise that has been made and broken for decades by Liberal governments. How can we be assured that this will actually come into play?”

Platform

Twitter

Date

Twitter January 20, 2022

Statements/quotes

Families and seniors are falling behind and they see the Trudeau government doing nothing to give them a break.

Canadians deserve a government focussed on getting our economy back on track.

#JustinFlation

Platform

House of Commons Oral Questions

Date

December 16, 2021

Statements/quotes

Canadian families are already being pushed to the limit and are having a hard time making ends meet. Inflation is at 4.7%, the highest level since 1991, and the prime minister doesn't consider monetary policy a priority. When will the prime minister take the time to think about monetary policy?

Platform

House of Commons - adjournment proceedings

Date

December 6, 2021

Statements/quotes

Not only does a child care deal not kick in for about 5 years, according to the government's own plans, it is completely separate from the issue of inflation. Yes, child care costs are high, but it is not why the cost of gas, home heating, groceries, diapers and pretty much everything else is going up faster than it probably should be. In fact, I would expect that the rising prices across the entire economy will probably get worse as government spending continues to increase.

Quite frankly, child care providers will have additional costs put on them if inflation continues to increase. They have to buy groceries for the children. They have to heat their facilities. There are many additional expenditures that will go onto those child care providers, and I am very curious how they will make ends meet.

Lowering child care costs is incredibly important for families that have children in need of care, but let us face some very important facts that this is a very small percentage of the population. It will not help people who have no children or families that have older children. It will not help seniors. It will not help the family with the stay-at-home mom or stay-at-home dad. It will not help a family that works shift work whose children need overnight care.

So many families are being left behind by those answers, and I really do want to hear what the government is doing with the very real issue that is inflation. Families are coming to me and sharing their concerns about making ends meet this month.

While it is wonderful to hear that some plans are in place to help some families, this does not help the senior down the street who is really struggling with the fact that groceries have gone up in price exponentially in the last little while. It does not help the families that are struggling today. Therefore, I really want to hear an answer from the government on how it plans to address this very real concern around inflation.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

November 26, 2021

Statements/quotes

As a new mom, I'm very well aware how expensive having a baby can be. And the cost of many items like diapers are getting more expensive under this liberal government. Ever increasing inflation is making life more expensive, from gas to groceries and everything in between. When will the prime minister recognize the inflation crisis and help the many families that are struggling today?

Platform

House of Commons

Date

November 25, 2021

Statements/quotes

Universal child care is a promise that's been made and broken by liberals since I was in grade school. So forgive me for not necessarily trusting this liberal government. The cost of necessary everyday items like diapers and formula are all rising. Affordability is a priority for many working families but so is feeding their children and keeping the heat on. Will the prime minister at least acknowledge these massive increases to the cost of living are being caused by your government's policies?

Platform

Fort McMurray Today: Vincent McDermott

Date

November 10, 2021

Statement/Quotes

“Canada’s Conservatives understand that as the workforce changes, our approach to this file must also adapt to be better able to support working families,” Goodridge said in a statement upon her appointment as Critic for Families, Children and Social Development.

“A big-government, one-size-fits-all approach leaves far too many families on the sidelines. This is especially the case in rural communities, with shift-work families, gig economy workers, entrepreneurs and many others.”

Goodridge’s appointment comes 8 months after the federal government unveiled a $30-billion, 5-year plan to create $10-per-day early learning and child care across Canada. During the election, O’Toole pitched replacing the program with refundable tax credits. Benefits would be based on family income. For instance, low-income families would be refunded for 75% of child care costs up to $6,000 per child. Money would be paid out during the year so families would not have to wait until the end of the year for a refund.

Alberta, New Brunswick, Ontario, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut have yet to make agreements with Ottawa. Rebecca Schulz, Alberta’s children’s services minister, has said the province wants a deal recognizing Alberta’s large percentage of for-profit care centres. Any deal must also respect diversity of choice for child care, she has said.

Platform

CPC Platform

Date

Fall 2021 Campaign

Statements/quotes

Convert the child care expense deduction into a refundable tax credit covering up to 75% of the cost of child care for lower income families. This will increase the support that lower income families receive by thousands of dollars per year and provide more assistance to almost all families. We promise to also pay out the deduction over the course of the year so that families do not have to pay the cost of childcare and then get the money back later.

Expand the Canada Child Benefit by allowing benefits to begin at the 7th month of pregnancy rather than at childbirth.

Support parents by allowing those on maternity and parental leave to earn up to $1,000 per month to enable them to stay connected to the workforce and ease their return to work.

Support parents who have experienced the trauma of miscarriage by allowing them to receive 3 days of paid bereavement leave.

Ensure that EI parental is extended for at least 8 weeks following the death of an infant, and up to 8 weeks of paid leave from employment in the event of a child’s death or stillbirth.

Create a National Adoption Strategy, including an awareness campaign to promote adoption, and work with the provinces to ensure equal access to adoption for all children. This will include:

• supporting international adoption by working with other countries to align processes, speeding and easing the adoption process,
• creating an Employment Insurance benefit for adoptive parents, modelled on Employment Insurance maternity benefits, and
• increasing the maximum a parent can claim under the Adoption Expense Tax Credit from $15,000 to $20,000 and making the credit refundable

Immediately launch a Credential Recognition Task Force to develop new timely and appropriate credential recognition strategies. One area this task force will study is credential pre-qualification – allowing people in other countries to acquire Canadian-standard proficiency through accredited institutions overseas or distance learning with Canadian institutions.

Supporting parents through more generous maternity and parental leave by allowing those on maternity and parental leave to earn up to $1,000 per month to enable them to stay connected to the workforce and ease their return to work.

To help families and help our hard-hit retail stores recover, will implement a month-long GST holiday this fall. All purchases made at retail stores will be tax free for this month.

Double the Canada Workers Benefit up to a maximum of $2,800 for individuals or $5,000 for families and pay it as a quarterly direct deposit rather than a tax refund at year-end. This will put an average of an extra $1000 into the pockets of the most vulnerable workers, helping 3.5 million families put food on the table

Platform

House of Commons

Debate on Bill C-12

Date

February 15, 2022

Statements/quotes

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to speak tonight to the first piece of legislation in my portfolio. This legislation would amend the calculation formula for determining benefits payable under the act by deducting the amount received under 3 COVID-19 benefit acts and a portion of the Employment Insurance Act from a person's income for the year, starting in 2022. While I am thrilled that the government is taking action on this and highlighting its swift willingness to have the backs of Canadians, allow me tonight to speak to the unnecessary delay. This is not a piece of legislation that, in my opinion, the government members should be patting themselves on the back for. This, sadly, is a result of an error that should have and could have been acknowledged and remedied months ago.

I would like to acknowledge the work of the minister on this file. To her credit, she continues to show a willingness to act on this, albeit not as quickly as we would have liked, and more importantly, not as quickly as our seniors needed. As a result of the government's poor rollout of the CRB, scores of seniors have found themselves destitute after they were stripped of OAS and GIS payments through no fault of their own. It seemed as though there were continuous empty platitudes with no timely and clearly communicated solutions.

…… When ministers are called before committees, they have a document prepared for them. It briefs them on topics that may be raised. These binders are available for anyone to read.

In May 2020, the then Minister of Seniors appeared before the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities. As is standard practice, the minister was prepared a binder by department officials. In that binder, in section 7, under the heading “Questions and answers—COVID-19 Economic Response Plan: Support for Canadians and businesses”, and under “Interaction with CERB and GIS”, the following question appears: “Will income from the Canada Emergency Response Benefit be used in the calculation of Guaranteed Income Supplement benefits?” The answer is as follows:

It is considered to be taxable income and must be considered when determining entitlement to the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) and the Allowances.

This being said, this will not affect the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) and the Allowances for about a year. Income received...in 2020 will only affect GIS and Allowances benefit amounts beginning in July 2021, as those benefits will be based on 2020 income.

This is a verbatim quote from our government, from their own briefing binders, proving that the government was aware of this for at least 21 months and chose not to act. Flags had been raised and tens of thousands of seniors have been affected.

Platform

House of Commons Oral Questions

Date

January 31, 2022

Statements/quotes

Inflation, coupled with the government's clawback have financially crippled many of Canada's hard working seniors, forced to spend their golden years in a labour market just to make ends meet. Our vulnerable seniors need to know that Ottawa is listening. That is why the conservative opposition called on the government to reversals the Canada Pension Plan tax hike. Mr. Speaker, when will this government stand up, rise up, lean in to Canada's hard working seniors and help them meet.

Platform

House of Commons Oral Questions

Date

December 3, 2021

Statements/quotes

Elder abuse manifests itself in many forms. Financial, emotional, mental and physical abuse is rampant against Canadian seniors and it is only increasing. In the last Parliament, this House unanimously agreed to M-203. Among other things, this Conservative-led initiative calls for legislation to combat seniors fraud. This was over 2 years ago. When will this government take meaningful action and introduce legislation to protect Canadian seniors?

Madam Speaker, last week I rose in this place to ask the government when they were going to rectify their Guaranteed Income Support claw back that is currently crippling vulnerable seniors. The Deputy Prime Minister, in the process of deflecting the question, Canada one-time payment of $500 as some sort of compensation. Our seniors are losing up to 9 times that amount because of this clawback. I ask again: When will this government show compassion and step up? Our seniors need it, and they deserve it.

Platform

House of Commons Oral Questions

Date

November 26, 2021

Statements/quotes

Canada’s aging population has been the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in almost every conceivable metric. Instead of providing the compassion, empathy and support that the seniors who built our country deserve, the Liberal government has sadly penalized Canada’s seniors who took Canada Emergency Response Benefit by lowering their old age security payments.

Could the minister please tell me when the government will rectify this cruel decision and allow our seniors to collect what they have earned and give them the dignity they deserve?

Platform

Napanee Beaver

Date

November 10, 2021

Statements/quotes

“COVID-19 to be honest has been devastating for all Canadians but seniors, to be more specific, the government has fallen short of our long-term care system. We have such an aged population. Coming from financial services I can recognize that Canadians are living longer and there’s a shortage of long-term care beds. That’s something I think is really important that the federal government has a responsibility to work collaboratively and support provinces in their efforts because it is definitely a relationship there. Fixing the long-term care system is huge, there are concerns with the GIC eligibility. With so many seniors collecting CERB, it was a financial lifeline for them. That has to be addressed. I think the question of helping seniors stay in their homes, that’s another area. There’s so many areas whether it’s additional support for personal support workers and just protecting people’s pensions.”

“I have full intent to take the partisan hat off and approach the Minister of Seniors and work across the board with my colleagues, with the Liberal minister and see how we can move forward with this because seniors is not a political agenda.”

Platform

Twitter

Date

November 9, 2021

Statements/quotes

“I’m excited to build on the work of Rosemarie Falk”

Falk introduced the motion to study the Impact of COVID-19 on Seniors, which was adopted by the HUMA on February 2, 2021. The committee examined measures announced in Budget 2021, in particular, the increase in Old Age Security (OAS) for those 75 and older, which has sustained interest on this Topic and context from all parties. In particular, opposition parties are advocating for an increase in OAS to extend to those aged 65-74. The Conservatives have accused the Government of manipulating seniors before an election by offering them $500. Ms. Falk questioned the use of OAS instead of GIS to increase financial support for seniors. The committee’s last meeting with witnesses was held on June 22, 2021. The committee did not release (or perhaps complete) its report before the election was called.

During the HUMA study, Ms. Falk also advocated for a need to stabilize the Long Term Care (LTC) sector, including the protection of personal support workers, recruitment and training, and the need for the government to change its perspective with respect to the value of providing more support and services to enable seniors to live longer in their homes.

Falk took an interest in the issue of seniors and elder abuse, and the $400 M budget funding to create a temporary Community Services Recovery Fund. She questioned when widows and widowers can expect an increased CPP survivors benefit as promised by the Government in 2019.

Platform

CPC Platform

Date

Fall 2021 Campaign

Statements/quotes

Double the direct federal investments in palliative care, noting that the Canadian Hospice and Palliative Care Association has estimated that under 30% of Canadians who need it have access to palliative care services.

Amend the Criminal Code provisions on failing to provide the necessities of life to make clear that the operator of a licensed care facility shall be presumed to have a legal duty to the residents of that facility.

Help seniors stay in their own Homes by:

• amending the Home Accessibility Tax Credit by increasing the limit from $10,000 per dwelling to $10,000 per person
• allowing seniors or their caregivers, including their children, to claim the Medical Expense Tax Credit for home care instead of only allowing them to claim attendant care if they live in a group home
• introduce a Canada Seniors Care Benefit that pays $200 per month per household to any Canadian who is living with and taking care of a parent over the age of 70

Invite the provinces to help develop best practices for Long-Term Care homes, such as the National Building Code, which would provide guidance for provinces without intruding on their jurisdiction. Meanwhile the party would help seniors receive the care they need by:

• devoting $3 billion of infrastructure funding over the next 3 years to renovate LTC homes in all provinces and territories to improve the care that residents receive, and encourage partnerships with private non-profits that have historically provided a significant amount of LTC
• boosting the Number of Personal Support Workers
• providing priority in immigration programs to those who can work in LTC or homecare
• promoting these careers through immigration and refugee settlement programs

Make work pay for our seniors by doubling the Canada Workers Benefit up to a maximum of $2,800 for individuals or $5,000 for families and pay it as a quarterly direct deposit rather than a tax refund at year-end. This will help seniors who choose to continue working past retirement and it will provide a $1/hour raise for low-income seniors including many who choose to work part-time to supplement their retirement income.

Better protect pensions by:

• changing legislation to ensure that pensioners have priority over corporate elites in bankruptcy or restructuring
• preventing executives from paying themselves bonuses while managing a company going through restructuring if the pension plan is not fully funded
• no longer forcing underfunded pension plans from being converted to annuities, something that currently locks in losses and results in workers getting less money
• requiring companies to report the funding status of their pension plans more clearly

Platform

House of Commons

Debate on Bill C-12

Date

February 15, 2022

Statements/quotes

Mr. Speaker, I am so glad to be in the House today to talk about this important motion. We are talking about the guaranteed income supplement and what we need to do to ensure that seniors can make it through life in Canada right now…..

……I want to go back to looking at why people get the guaranteed income supplement in the first place. These are our seniors who are over the age of 65 and are not making enough money to pay their bills. They are looking for a little extra because the cost of living continues to rise. They are, in many case, on fixed incomes. They may have some annuities and they may have things like that. Many times they know that, at the end of the month, on the third day, on the last business day of the month, they are going to receive their old age security, their CPP and the top-up of their GIS, if they are low-income.

I know at the beginning of this pandemic, like all of the members in the House, we had phone calls from everybody. There were phone calls coming from small businesses. There were parents calling, who needed to go to work and there was no place to put their child. There were a lot of things happening at that time. It was important that we worked along with the government to find resolutions and to find solutions for seniors who were having a very difficult time and for people across the country who were having a very difficult time.

Just last year, of course, the government continued to talk about how they gave every senior $500. Well, it was great, because on behalf of my campaign, I would like to thank the many people who said they did not need that money. This was a universal input. They said they did not need the money and they gave it to my campaign or gave it to charities.

However, what is important here is that there are seniors who, from cheque to cheque, from month to month, know what their incomes are going to be but they do not know what to expect from their costs. A lot of this comes from the cost of inflation…

…..I would like to say to the government that of course I am going to support the change to the GIS. Of course, I supported these things coming out, but the government should have fixed it last year. Please get back on track so the future generation is not lost like the Liberals have don to this generation.

Platform

House of Commons Debate on Bill C-2

Date

December 16, 2021

Statements/quotes

We know that low-income seniors are really falling behind financially. What does my colleague suggests with regards to the GIS and what this government can do?

Platform

Oral Questions

Date

December 13, 2021

Statements/quotes

Canada’s youth are in the middle of a mental health crisis. Fewer that half of youth survey respondents now report excellent or very good mental health. That is down 20% from pre-pandemic days. Increased substance use and heightened anxiety are on the rise for youth struggling with their mental health. We need to reverse this trend.

What concrete steps is the government takin g to uplift our youth and put them back on track for success.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

December 9, 2021

Statements/quotes

Voted in favour of passing Bill C-3 at second reading debate in the House of Commons.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

December 9, 2021

Statements/quotes

Spoke on the following Opposition Motion on housing supply:

That, given that,

1. the government has failed to increase the housing supply in Canada
2. the government's $400 billion of new spending has produced a surge of inflationary pressure that has driven home prices more than 30% above pre-pandemic levels

the House call on the government to:

1. review and consolidate all federal real estate and properties in Canada in order to make at least 15% available for residential development
2. ban foreign investors from purchasing Canadian real estate, and
3. commit to never introducing a capital gains tax on the sale of primary residences

“I am going to refer back to the motion. When we talk about giving up some of the federal assets so we can build land, we are talking about, sometimes, open spaces. I think of my own downtown in St. Thomas. It is about 2 kilometres long. We know that there are a lot of offices. We know that there are a lot of private and government spaces that could be used for housing.”

“We know that one of the top barriers is inflation. Before I finish, I will say that we have an issue. It is not just a housing crisis, but it is also the inflationary issue. If people are going to be putting money into their RRSPs so they can save money, the cost of living needs to be reduced. Therefore, I am asking the government to please step forward and help the next generation.”

Platform

House of Commons Second Reading Debate

Date

December 6, 2021

Statements/quotes

“I am going to quickly switch gears and talk about the other part of this, about extending health benefits for sick days to federally regulated employees. Here in Canada we have approximately 910,000 federally regulated employees, and the majority of them are here in our government. We know that there are 18,000 employers whose labour rights and responsibilities are defined by the Canada Labour Code, and these types of organizations include our Crown corporations, Canada Post operations, port service, marine shipping, ferries, tunnels, canals, bridges and pipelines.”

“I think it is very important, as we saw through this pandemic, that when we are sick we have the ability to take time off. It is very important that when we are looking at this we understand that, if somebody is sick, they do not go to work. We do need to have some sort of backup plan. I know in many of the federal government policies that there is time and space for that, but for others, not so much. I think it is a great opportunity to have this discussion.”

Platform

Twitter

Date

November 15, 2021

Statements/quotes

I am hearing everyday about affordability, border regulations, immigration inquiries, GIS cut due to CERB….Let’s get back to work for Canadians. #CPC

Platform

House of Commons Second Reading debate

Date

October 8, 2020

Statements/quotes

Spoke on Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Judges Act and the Criminal Code.

“…when I was a member of the status of women committee, one of the things we discussed was how we could improve the lives of young women and girls, as well as the young boys who have also been affected by sexual assault. One of the things we looked at was education…what we should do when it comes to the education system and the education of our youth in respect to young women and girls...how we can teach empowerment and at what levels we should work at that. To me, the core of the issue has to start through education”

Platform

HUMA study on Labour Shortages, Working Conditions and the Care Economy

Date

March 3, 2022

Statements/quotes

Gender in the workplace: Are there federal strategies for women, youth with disabilities and under represented workers?

Is there disaggregated data collected on these programs? For those that work with personal support workers are having a hard time finding workers due to housing prices, is there data around youth, the labour market and housing? Is there additional disaggregated data on the difficulty of keeping skilled workers due to problematic working conditions and the gendering of work?

Pay equity, immigrant and minorities hold lower wages. What tools does the government have to help with the pay gap.

What kind of disaggregated data is collected and what is the fastest business type right now? Women of colour make up a large portion of Canada’s overburdened and underpaid workers, could you talk about what the rising violence looks like towards nurses and workers in the care economy? In regards to the care economy commission, could you speak to what should be addressed? Expand on the need for care economy commission.

Platform

HUMA

Min O’Regan on mandate

Date

February 17, 2022

Statements/quotes

The Member asked if there will be disaggregated data (gendered)

On 10 days paid sick leave. (A: The collective agreements need to be adjusted and employer systems need to be updated.)

On free menstrual products in federally regulated workplaces (A: They are essential products, looking to amend regulations, consultations report is available online)

Was there consultation on toilet paper being added to regulations (A: unknown), Will there be a gender-based analysis on vaccine requirement data (A: Yes).

Platform

HUMA

Min Khera on mandate

Date

February 14, 2022

Statements/quotes

The Member commented on lack of planning that led to the antiquated IT infrastructure. She asked what MPs can do collectively over the next couple of weeks to get the GIS one-time payments out before May. The Minister spoke the fix in Bill C-12 that would prevent this from happening again. Mr. Groen spoke about the challenge with the delivery some of which has to do with technology. There is a plan to replace it (Benefits Delivery Modernization). The project underway. She explained that it also coincides with tax season, and the renewal period for the GIS, adding that the government is doing everything it can to advance the one-time payment as soon as possible.

She asked if we will see National Seniors Strategy in budget and if the Minister agrees that there is need for it given all the findings of COVIC-19. She asked the Minister if GBA is considered when working with seniors, noting that LGBTQ2 is often missed in supports, so she would like to get an understanding of the expert panel and what it would look like.

Platform

House of Commons

Debate on Bill C-12, An Act to amend the Old Age Security Act

Date

February 15, 2022

Statements/quotes

Mr. Speaker, can I get clarity from the Member on when the first payments will go out to seniors, based on this Bill?

Platform

HUMA

Min Gould on mandate

Date

February 10, 2022

Statements/quotes

The Member asked about the plan for children and youth plan with respect to working with other ministries. She sought assurance that mental health supports are accessible to children and youth given that it’s provincial jurisdiction for the service delivery and that there are multiple Ministers who have this in their mandate letters.

She asked about the availability of these supports in rural communities, how disaggregated data is being collected and if there are any learning to date on the impacts on children and youth on their mental health. The Minister said she would defer to Minister Bennet who is leading. Minister Gould addressed her work with her on the development of the strategy and hoping to get out to speak to children across the country.

On the timing of the national food program and the roll-out of its operations, the Member asked about community partners and reaching outside of schools to reach children who need meals.

She requested more information on the advancement of the service recovery fund, including information on the timing and operating funds.

“I'm going to ask som questions around the implementation of the community services recovery fund. I'll start by saying that “urgency” was definitely the keyword over the last 2 years in my community. We have relied very heavily on small, agile and vital not-for-profits and charities in my community to get food onto people's tables.

Could I get some more information about the part of the mandate letter that says, “Advance the implementation of the Community Services Recovery Fund”? What does that look like and what's the timing?”

“There are a couple of things, but I'm just going to ask specifically about operating funds. I think the biggest thing that has been missing for some of these organizations is operating funds. I want to preface this by saying that the NDP would rather see taxation increased, especially among the wealthiest people in Canada, so that we wouldn't have to rely so heavily on community groups. We love to see community groups out in the community surviving and being able to plan ahead, so operating funds are a big piece. Is that part of this fund or that RFP, or is this strictly to distribute funds?”

Platform

House of Commons Debate on Bill C-8 Economic and Fiscal Update Implementation Act, 2021

Date

February 4, 2022

Statements/quotes

The member spoke today on health care. Yesterday, I took a study request to HUMA about the care economy. I am hopeful that the Conservatives will support recommendations that come out of that study in the future. I anticipate that there will be an ask for new investments highlighted that we require for health care.

HUMA Motion: “That pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee undertake a study of the labour shortages and workers’ conditions within the entirety of the Canadian economy, including but not limited to the care economy, including health care workers, personal support workers and child care workers who had been in the front line of covid-19, to examine how the Government, in collaboration with provinces and territories, could improve working conditions in the care economy, that committee proceed to an overview on the impact of labour shortages in the Canadian workforce on the first meeting of the study, that the committee invite the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, experts and departmental officials to testify, that the committee hold at least 6 meetings, that the committee report its findings and recommendations to the House, and that pursuant to Standing Order 109 the government table a comprehensive report.”

Platform

House of Commons Reply to the STFT

Date

February 1, 2022

Statements/quotes

Would my colleague endorse a greater support for the care economy as a way to deal with the labour shortages, such as through more supports for daycare and through health transfers?

Platform

House of Commons Reply to the STFT

Date

February 1, 2022

Statements/quotes

Salaries must increase in Canada.

The employment rate for people living with disabilities fell from 24.8% all the way down to 13% at one point during this pandemic. We need to protect the income of our most vulnerable workers and would the member support a guaranteed liveable income for Canadians, starting with people with disabilities?

Platform

HUMA

Date

January 31, 2022

Statements/quotes

During the HUMA study on Service Standards for Employment Insurance Claims, Ms. Zarrillo enquired about victims waiting over the 4-week service standard time and if there is a unique liaison phone number where the claimants can reach out to.

She also asked about the dedicated teams addressing integrity issues and whether there are proactive educational material on identity fraud for constituents.

Platform

House of Commons Debate on Bill C-2, An Act to provide further support in response to COVID-19.

Date

November 29, 2021

Statements/quotes

I stand for affordable housing. Too much housing stock has been redeveloped into luxury condos, and the federal government has not invested enough to keep and build co-operative and non-market housing.

I stand for people living with disabilities. People living on provincial and federal disability payments were already struggling before the pandemic, and it has gotten worse.

We can work together to build a better Canada for all, and repair the eroded safety nets.

The government cut support for almost 9,000 Canadians and began clawing back GIS and the child tax benefit.

When you factor in the cuts to CRB and the claws back to GIS and CCB, the only options for too many people will be to seek help from already stretched food bank charities.

What workers need now is the extension of the CRB to $500 per week.

I talked on enhancements to C-2 and the gaps. We cannot send workers to work if they are sick, we need these 10 paid sick days for workers.

Platform

NDP Platform

Date

Fall 2021 Campaign

Statements/quotes

Uphold the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and strengthen the Accessibility Act to cover all federal agencies equally, with the power to make and enforce accessibility standards in a timely manner.

Expand income security programs to ensure Canadians living with a disability have a guaranteed livable income. While the Liberal government spends years talking about a new federal disability benefit, New Democrats will get to work immediately to deliver it.

For Canadians facing a serious illness, we’ll make EI work better by extending sickness benefits to 50 weeks of coverage, and creating a pilot project to allow workers with episodic disabilities to access benefits as they need them.

Canadians living with disabilities shouldn’t need to worry about the cost of prescription medication, dental work, how to find housing, or how to get their mail. In addition to putting in place a universal, publicly funded national pharmacare and dental care program that will offer full benefits to all Canadians, we will restore door-to-door mail delivery, and create affordable, accessible housing in communities across the country.

Work with Autistic Canadians to develop and implement a national Autism strategy that will coordinate support for research, ensure access to needs-based services, promote employment, and help expand housing options.

Provide better access to quality home care and long-term care by ending private, for-profit long-term care, and by developing national care standards.

Platform

Twitter

Date

February 23, 2022

Statements/quotes

Women shouldn’t be punished for bearing children under #EI rules. They pay premiums to insure against job loss and that insurance should be there for them when they need it, whether they had a child recently or not.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

February 16, 2022

Statements/quotes

Voted with the rest of the Members to unanimously pass the bill in the House, despite being displeased at the time it has taken to reverse the effects of the GIS claw-back.

Platform

Twitter

Date

February 14, 2022

Statements/quotes

Many seniors have experienced incredible hardship because the Liberals refused for months to correct a problem that led to pandemic benefit claw backs from seniors on the #GIS. When they finally admitted there was a problem, their solution would not come until May, June or July.

Today, New Democrats successfully concluded negotiations to have the reimbursement of clawed back benefits delivered by April 19th, and the most severely affected seniors may get help by mid-March. Moving up the timetable on these payments will save lives.

Platform

House of Commons

Oral Questions

Date

February 10, 2022

Statements/quotes

The Omicron wave has resulted in 200,000 Canadians losing their job over the last month. The inadequacy of the Liberals’ new pandemic scheme is clear. Too many people do not qualify for the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit. Those who qualify are having to wait too long for help.

When they do get help, $300/week is not enough to make ends meet.

The @NDP and I are ready to work with the Liberals to raise the CWLB to $500/week, and to make sure that Canadians actually have access to the help they need.

Platform

House of Commons

Oral Questions

Date

February 8, 2022

Statements/quotes

Mr. Speaker, just last week, Statistics Canada reported a job loss of 200,000 jobs during the omicron wave. That is 200,000 Canadian families who are struggling with a benefit system the Liberals created that is inadequate to the task. It does not pay $500 a week, people are waiting far too long to get access if they qualify, and even the special measures that the Liberals brought in just days after passing the bill are set to expire in the next few days.

What is the government's plan, and will it work with us to increase the benefit to $500 a week and make sure that all those Canadians out there who are experiencing job loss, still as a result of the pandemic, actually have access to help instead of—

Platform

House of Commons reply to the SFT

Date

February 1, 2022

Statements/quotes

There needs to be more important payments made into the CPP so that Canadians seniors can have a good pension fund.

Platform

House of Commons Oral Questions

Date

January 31, 2022

Statements/quotes

The problem with that answer just as the problem with the minister's answer in the fall economic statement is that it does not in any way do just to the urgency of those seniors who have lost their home because the government decided to claw back their guaranteed income supplement and are not getting Rhys level. They're on the street and freezing in the cold. We've heard reports of people who lost their lives. The fact is that waiting until may is not good enough. We call for an emergency payment for those people and to make sure that there's a fund to get them housed right away not in may --

Platform

House of Commons Debate on Bull C-2

Date

December 16, 2022

Statements/quotes

We know seniors need help right now. Reimbursement for GIS losses will not be made until next May. What does my colleague think? Regarding seniors, the liberals support one-time payments rather than structural reforms. (translated)

Bill C-2 is not a big, bold move. It actually abandons Canadians who still need support.

The Prime Minister cancelled the CRB in October with just 2 days’ notice. Canadians who relied on the program were abandoned.

The delay for the payment to compensate GIS recipients is too long. Many of those seniors cannot wait until the month of May.

The EI system cannot keep up with the current reality of Canada’s job market.

People living with disabilities are not being supported adequately.

The government seemed to believe that students do not deserve supports. The government tried to implement a jobs program, which became the WE Charity Scandal. Students could just rely on a reduced benefit, the CESB.

It is absurd that it will take 10 months of work for Canadians to be able to rely on 10 sick days. The idea of that program is to protect Canadians in the context of the pandemic.

Platform

House of Commons Oral Questions

Date

December 7, 2021

Statements/quotes

Raising the GIS just to claw it back again isn't going to do anything for people like Emanuel and that answer isn't going to pay his rent so we've been asking this question for some time now. We see a government that's clawed back the GIS, the Canada child benefit, they have cut the CRB for 900,000 Canadians just as we're seeing COVID case counts go up and financial support isn't there for all of those 900,000 people who need it, Mr. Speaker. So when is it that the government's going to stop building the recovery on the backs of the financially vulnerable and actually look for some of the money at the top like the publicly-traded companies that took the wage subsidy and haven't paid anything back except to their shareholders?

Platform

House of Commons Debate on Bill C-2

Date

November 26, 2021

Statements/quotes

The NDP has been very clear. We believe that the CRB should have been maintained and restored to its original level of $500 a week. We opposed the cut to $300 this summer. The government decided to reduce the weekly supports from $500 to $300 even though the cost of living has increased.

The government believed that by reducing the supports, it would have incited Canadians to return to the job market. However, as I said earlier, there are other factors affecting the labour shortage. There may be more early retirements as more workers are called back to their workplace and employers begin to end work-from-home mandates. The government should help provide trainings to workers so that they have the skills to take the available jobs.

We have known for a long time that there are structural problems with the EI system and the government has done nothing to resolve those problems.

The CRB replacement program does not actually cover the time between the end of the CRB and the creation of the new program. The government failed to implement a low-income CERB repayment amnesty. There were many low-income Canadians who took the government at their word when they were told to apply to the CERB that will now face clawbacks. Seniors who received the CERB did not get pandemic support, they got an advance on their GIS, but they were not told. Many will not be able to pay that money back. It is not the pandemic support programs that are causing the problems in the labour market. We had a labour shortage before the pandemic. There is a need for education and training so that workers’ skills are suitable for the needs of employers.

The government should also fix the claw backs on the CCB.

Platform

Print Media Winnipeg Free Press

Date

November 24. 2021

Statements/quotes

“As I write, Parliament has yet to resume. You can rest assured that putting an end to this assault on seniors will be a top priority for me and the rest of the NDP team in Ottawa.”

The New Democrats have been critical of the Liberals' decision to drop the CRB amid a fourth wave of the pandemic. The party is calling for an end to clawbacks facing low-income seniors and families, who are seeing support payments drop because they received other forms of aid during the pandemic. NDP finance critic Daniel Blaikie told the Star that ending those clawbacks would be a sticking point for the party to support any bills the Liberals introduce this fall.

Platform

NDP Website, Twitter

Date

November 17, 2021

Statements/quotes

N/A

Platform

Rachel Blaney and Daniel Blaikie sent Correspondence to Ministers Qualtrough, Khera, Lebouthillier

Date

November 2, 2021

Statements/quotes

“We have heard from many seniors across the country who were shocked to learn they would be losing the benefits they rely on to get by. Canadian seniors deserve much better than the treatment they have gotten from the Liberal government”.

Link to letter

Platform

1. Twitter
2. HUMA
3. House of Commons
4. HUMA

Date

1. August 11, 2021
2. June 15, 2021
3. March 12, 2021
4. March 11, 2021

Statements/quotes

1. “Canada needs an EI Sickness Benefit that covers sick people for 50 weeks. It’s the right thing to do and past time Liberals understood this.”
2. I tried to introduce an amendment so that the employment insurance program would provide 50 weeks of sickness benefits. The Liberals insisted that the NDP did not understand the software that processes sickness benefits, that it is really difficult to make changes to it, and, for that reason, they did not support my amendment. They considered that it would make no sense at all to provide a royal recommendation for the amendment. In Bill C‑30, the government proposes to increase the benefit period from 15 to 26 weeks. It will be a year or 2 before that measure comes into force. The Liberals were opposed to my amendment because they said it was difficult to make changes to the software. Now they are committing to make a change to the software. So why do they not extend the period to 50 weeks now instead of extending it to 26 weeks?
3. I do not know what more it would take to get this extension of the EI sickness benefit done. We have unanimity, apparently, in the House of Commons. We have a bill designed to reform the EI Act. We have a very simple legislative change that needs to be made. It needs to be implemented and although there can be complications in its implementation, let us get the ball rolling. It cannot be implemented until we make the legislative change. We have the commitment now in Parliament. Let us get the legislative job done and assign a date for government to implement it by.
4. With all due respect, Minister, it has been over a year since the House of Commons passed a motion calling for an extension of the EI sickness benefits. Your government committed to an extension of the EI sickness benefits in the last election. How much more time do you need?

Platform

1. House of Commons
2. Twitter
3. House of Commons

Date

1. August 12, 2020
2. December 10, 2020
3. April 19, 2021

Statements/quotes

1. Canadians living with disabilities are exposed to many barriers that keep them from gainful employment. This is why they are often overrepresented in various kinds of social assistance programs. We have seen, during this pandemic, that people living with disabilities face additional costs. This is also true for students living with disabilities. A basic income of $2,200 would provide the resources needed for disabled persons to live up to their full potential.
2. Moves a motion seeking unanimous consent to introduce a new benefit of $2,200 per month to lift people living with disabilities out of poverty. It was not agreed to.
3. NDP: The federal government should immediately introduce a new benefit of $2,200 per month to lift people living with disabilities out of poverty. Liberals: How does a 3-year study and extensive consultation sound?

Platform

House of Commons C-29 debate, second Reading

Date

April 29, 2021

Statements/quotes

Condemns the Government for introducing legislation without trying to resolve the situation between the parties.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

April 21, 2021

Statements/quotes

The NDP has long recognized that seniors are struggling and that they require more assistance through programs like the OAS. We must ensure that the announced supplement to OAS occurs not from the age of 75, but from the age of 65.

Platform

NDP 2021 Platform

Date

Fall 2021 Campaign

Statements/quotes

Make EI available to people who quit their jobs to go back to school, to provide necessary childcare, or to protect their health or the health of immunocompromised family members.

Extend sickness benefits from 15 to 50 weeks, and create a pilot project to allow workers with episodic illnesses and disabilities to access EI sickness benefits a day at a time.

Bring back the former Extra 5 Weeks pilot project and make it permanent, restore the economic regions in the territories and PEI to their 2014 boundaries.

Bring in a new special leave that allows parents to take shorter parental leave at a higher replacement rate. Allow self-employed workers to opt-into parental benefits at any time before taking the leave, and move to double leave for parents of multiples.

Establish a Service Guarantee that will make departments responsible for establishing and publishing binding service standards for programs like EI, veterans support, Indigenous services, passports, Canada Revenue Agency call centres, and other services. Ministers will be held responsible for delivering on these targets.

Platform

House of Commons Oral Questions

Date

March 3, 2022

Statements/quotes

Mr. Speaker, the cost of living is going through the roof, and yesterday the Bank of Canada raised interest rates. Paying rent, buying food and medicine is seriously concerning for seniors.

Some of the most vulnerable seniors have been anxiously waiting for months to get their GIS paid back. The government is doing the bare minimum to help people get by, and time is running out to fix the government's GIS mess. Will seniors be left out in the cold again because the Liberal government could not fix the problems it created?

Platform

House of Commons

Debate on Bill C-12

Date

February 15, 2022

Statements/quotes

We are here tonight to talk about seniors and the fact the government made a colossal mistake that really impacted seniors profoundly. Working seniors did what every other Canadian did. They lost their jobs because of the pandemic and they applied for pandemic benefits to help tide them over during this very difficult time.

As we have these discussions, I hope we recognize seniors across this country, the most vulnerable of them, the ones who are receiving the guaranteed income supplement, are hitting a crisis point. Even with this payment that I am very grateful to see happen, it is far too late. July of last year was when these seniors lost their GIS, some partially and some completely. During that time, they have not only lost this amount of money but lost the provincial benefits that are automatically given to them because they qualify for the guaranteed income supplement.

I talked about those people in the House of Commons repeatedly, because it is important all of us as legislators understand the impacts we have when we make decisions, the impacts the government creates when it makes decisions without really looking at the ramifications, especially for those of us who are challenged the most.

Even with this money coming sooner than we expected and opening up stores so Service Canada can work with members to identify the seniors who are the most vulnerable and get them the money even sooner, we know they have lost so much during that time. I think of the many seniors who lost their homes. They lost the places where they lived and are now put in a bad situation. We all know in this place, because we are hearing in all our communities and constituencies, that the cost of living is going up dramatically. The cost of housing is one of the most profoundly expensive costs we have.

When we look at some of these low-income seniors, they lost their housing when they lost their GIS. They lost the stable housing they could afford and are now living in vehicles or in someone's basement. They are living an experience they hoped they would never have to. Something I will also think about when I remember this time is how many seniors said they never thought they would be in this position in their eighties.

Here they are now and they are finally getting a one-time payment. They are going to be retroactively paid, and then into the future we are being promised by the government that there will be no more cutbacks, that they will return to their normal GIS and that things should continue. However, they have already lost so much, and now they are having to pay a lot higher rates for their rent. In some cases, they have lost their health because they have not been able to afford their medication.

I do not know about the other members in the House, but as the senior spokesperson for the NDP, I am hearing not only from my constituency but from seniors across Canada who are writing to ask if they will be punished again in the next tax season. They are asking me if this is really going to be over and if I can promise them this is going to be over.

I really hope that the Minister thinks about that as this rolls out and that we make sure that seniors across this country are educated so they know that things should get better. More than anything I hope that of course this place will make sure that this does not happen again.

It does really outline something that I believe this place has to take more consideration of and that is the growing poverty across our country. Persons living with disabilities and seniors are some of the poorest people across our country. We need to look into that and figure out how we can do much better. All of us have been shaken by this. When we recognize that, for single seniors, the GIS tops them up to just over $19,000 a year and if they are in a partnership just over $25,000 a year, most of us cannot imagine, especially with the cost of everything increasing, living on that low income.

I hope I have encouraged the Minister to start talking meaningfully about a guaranteed basic livable income. We need to have this conversation. As we see the world changing and see automation increasing, we need to see the bar of dignity extended and not dismissed as it has been.

We also have to have big conversations about how long seniors are working, some by choice and some because they do not have a choice, and make sure that the tax system works for them. We know a lot of seniors are working into their mid-seventies and when they hit a certain point in their seventies, they are no longer able to pay into the Canadian pension plan. That can be a big deterrent for people who have good health and want to keep working.

I also want to talk about the GIS and one of the big faults that it has. Every year between 20,000 to 30,000 seniors in July lose their GIS. They lose it in part because they filed their taxes a little too late, because somebody they loved was ill, because they themselves were ill, and sometimes because they are having an onset of dementia. There are multiple reasons that happens.

I have asked the Minister to consider a bill I presented that would look at making sure that every senior who received the GIS had a one-year amnesty. If they got their taxes in a little late, they would not be worried about being able to pay their rent in July.

When I was first elected, I had a call from a senior who was 84 years old, telling me that she got her taxes in a little late because she was sick with the flu during tax time. She had lost her GIS and did not know when it was coming and was going to be evicted from her apartment. I do not think anyone in the House wants to see an 84-year-old evicted simply because she was ill.

My bill would look at creating a space for people to be secure in their income, for those like this amazing senior who was so brave to reach out. For seniors to have to humble themselves, who have worked hard their whole lives, the vast majority of seniors receiving GIS are single women or the working poor. That is who they are. They have worked hard all of their lives. They do not want to ask for handouts. They want to look after themselves, so this has been really hard. We were able to work with the senior, her landlord and with the CRA to make sure that she got her money quickly and assured the landlord she would be able to pay her rent, if a little late.

I hope as we go through this experience all of us remember it is our job here as legislators to make sure that the most vulnerable in our country are cared for. When we look at the processes that we are putting into place, we need to think first of those who need us to think of them and not think of those who have so much that they can fill in those gaps when they need to.

It has been said to me many times that we know who we are by how the people who are the most vulnerable in our communities are doing. Canada must do better. We have seen this example for seniors. Let us make sure that we no longer punish the poor for simply doing the hardest work they can to look after themselves.

Platform

House of Commons Oral Questions

Date

February 14, 2022

Statements/quotes

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government made a huge mistake when it cut some of the most vulnerable seniors off the GIS, which they rely on to purchase basic things like housing, medication and food. They feel hopeless and they feel abandoned. The New Democrats have been asking the government since before the last election to fix this problem. Finally the Minister announced a one-time payment, but it is not until May.

Seniors are in desperate need now to stave off hunger and eviction, so again I am asking this: Will the Minister support seniors at risk and immediately release emergency funds?

Platform

House of Commons Oral Questions

Date

January 31, 2022

Statements/quotes

The cost of groceries is up, gas and heating is more and more expensive and the price of housing is soaring. In a recent poll 60% of Canadians were having difficulty feeding their families. Liberals are not making it better for Canadians. Especially vulnerable seniors who are told they must wait months for their GIS payment. When will this government help hard working Canadians who are struggling every day just to get by.

Platform

House of Commons Reply to SFT

Date

January 31, 2022

Statements/quotes

Many working seniors who lost their job because of the pandemic have lost much of their GIS because they have applied for supports. We have seniors who are losing their homes and who are unable to pay for medication or food.

Platform

House of Commons Oral Questions

Date

December 16, 2021

Statements/quotes

Seniors across the country who had their GIS cut off can't afford food, medicine, heat, rent. Some are already homeless and some are at risk to be homeless soon. For months, the NDPs asked this government to fix the problem. Finally, there was an announcement that gave seniors across this country hope for a one-time payment. Sadly, today we found out that payment isn't coming until May. This government should be ashamed. Seniors are losing everything, and they are doing nothing. When will the Prime Minister stop turning his back on the seniors of this country?

Platform

House of Commons Oral Questions

Date

December 10, 2021

Statements/quotes

This government has a pattern of punishing the poor and rewarding the rich. After clawing back GIS, finally the deputy minister committed to fixing this quickly but in many cases this is far too late. Working seniors across this country are already living on the streets. Stop punishing seniors with red tape. Will have this government promise to get it done now so seniors get this much-needed amount of money immediately.

Platform

House of Commons Oral Questions

Date

November 26, 2021

Statements/quotes

Mr. Speaker, seniors in Canada who received the guaranteed income supplement are some of the poorest in this country. Many work to subsidize their meager income. Like he -- every other working Canadian, they asked for help during the pandemic. Now they are being punished. Seniors like David, 71 years old. $1,000 cut off his income. He cannot afford his food. He cannot afford his medication. How can the minister of seniors sleep at night knowing that these seniors are going hungry and are not getting their medications every day here?

Platform

1. Rachel Blaney and Daniel Blaikie sent correspondence to Ministers Qualtrough, Khera, Lebouthillier
2. NDP News Release
3. Twitter

Date

1. November 2, 2021
2. November 3, 2021
3. November 5, 2021

Statements/quotes

1. “We have heard from many seniors across the country who were shocked to learn they would be losing the benefits they rely on to get by. Canadian seniors deserve much better than the treatment they have gotten from the Liberal government”. Link to letter
2. Jagmeet Singh stated a similar message in a News Release.
3. Thank you to @CanAgeSeniors for speaking out on this GIS seniors crisis hope @KamalKheraLib and the Liberals are listening #SeniorsAtRisk

Platform

Twitter

Date

October 1, 2021

Statements/quotes

It's #NationalSeniorsDay! Looking forward to returning to the House soon to continue to push the government so that all seniors in Canada have access to the housing, benefits, and care that they need and deserve.

Platform

Twitter

Date

August 20, 2021

Statements/quotes

Trudeau promises 10 days sick leave for federal workers? Now, when it was needed so much for the pandemic? And makes the promise in a grocery store - workers who have been vulnerable front lines workers during the pandemic, but who will not qualify for this benefit.

Platform

NDP Platform

Date

Fall 2021 Campaign

Statements/quotes

Advocated for a National Seniors Strategy to make seniors health care a priority, reduce isolation and tackle seniors’ poverty. This will include a funded national dementia strategy, and an elder abuse prevention plan developed with seniors to put an end to abuse and neglect in our communities.

Promised a 1-year delay to help seniors at risk of having their GIS benefits suspended for being unable to make the required income statement.

Recommended a Canada Caregiver Tax Credit refundable as well as safe and affordable housing units. Promised to tackle seniors’ isolation by improving seniors’ access to technology and support to stay connected with family.

Promised better access to quality home care and long-term care, ending private, for-profit long-term care and developing national standards.

Platform

NA

Date

NA

Statements/quotes

Mr. Speaker, let us be real. The Liberals offered $1,000 for CERB and it was the NDP who moved them to increase it to $2,000, so I would remind the minister of that.

In the next 3 weeks, the government is cutting the CERB support to Canadians across the country almost in half. I am asking the minister how he expects people to buy food, pay their rent and cover their bills on $1,200. That does not pass the test in Canadian cities.

The government gives billions of dollars to oil and gas companies, refuses to tax the ultra-rich, but is fine to nickel and dime everyday people. Instead of working for the ultra-rich and huge corporations, when will the government step up.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

June 11, 2021 April 23, 2021

Statements/quotes

“Right now, the government is setting up a two-tiered system for seniors. We have the senior-seniors, who will receive an increase in benefits, and junior-seniors that get paid less. I believe this is unfair.”

Platform

News Release and Letter to former Seniors Minister

Date

April 24, 2020

Statements/quotes

“A universal approach would have gotten seniors and everyone else falling through the cracks of the CERB right now the help they need. Instead we’re now dealing with a whole slate of programming that is confusing and still difficult for people to access, with some being left out entirely. This is not the approach of a government that is truly concerned about the wellbeing of seniors.”

Platform

House of Commons C-29, Port of Montreal Operations

Date

April 28, 2021

Statements/quotes

The right to strike is a pillar that has taken years to build, and we must absolutely protect it. It is a right for workers to improve their conditions of employment and their wages, and creates important things for our whole economy.

Platform

House of Commons

Oral Questions

Date

March 3, 2022

Statements/quotes

Mr. Speaker, workers at the Office of the Auditor General have been on strike for 3 months and without a contract for more than 3 years. The President of the Treasury Board's absence and silence are not helping the situation.

The strike is dragging on and that is having a negative impact on performance audits of this government on important issues like emergencies, cybersecurity, homelessness and vaccine spending. It is time for the minister to get involved.

Will the minister step up and do something to ensure that these professionals get a fair and equitable contract?

Platform

House of Commons

Debate on Bill C-10, An Act respecting certain measures related to COVID-19

Date

February 14, 2022

Statements/quotes

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from La Pointe-de-l'Île for his speech. I obviously agree with him that our public health care system has really been devastated by the Conservatives' cuts to provincial transfers, cuts that the Liberals maintained.

However, my colleague and I do not quite agree on the impact of a universal public pharmacare program, which would not only enable the public health network to save money on drugs, but would also help workers and businesses save too.

My colleague does not agree with the FTQ, the CSN, the CSQ and the Union des consommateurs du Québec that there should be a universal public pharmacare program to ensure better coverage for everyone and reduce the cost of drugs. It would also mean savings for Quebec's health care network.

Platform

House of Commons

Debate on Bill C-3

Date

December 3, 2021

Statements/quotes

The NDP has been insisting for at least 18 months that we must give workers 10 days of paid sick leave. In 2020, the leader of the NDP spoke about this 22 times in the House. He asked the Liberals 22 times when this was coming and why they were not taking action, and he reminded them that this change was needed in order to protect people, institutions and our communities. However, the government only kicked the can down the road. It remained evasive, saying that this measure was not needed and that it was doing something else.

The 10 days of sick leave is a protection for workers that the NDP has been calling for for a long time. The Liberals were a bit late to the game, but they finally saw the light, had a road to Damascus moment, had a revelation.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

April 28, 2021, second Reading

Statements/quotes

This bill is very similar to others that the NDP supported in 2007, 2009 and 2011. We introduced 2 similar bills ourselves. We may not agree on the process or way of doing things, but we do agree on the objective, which is fundamental for any francophone in Quebec and North America.

However, I do want share some valid concerns from the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada, which wonders whether the approach taken by the Bloc Québécois might open the door for other provinces to give precedence to their own provincial laws on official languages. This could ultimately undermine the rights of francophone linguistic minorities elsewhere in the country. Would it not be wise to look at this issue from the perspective of ensuring that workers have equal rights in the workplace, regardless of whether the workplace falls under federal or provincial jurisdiction?

It might be much simpler and safer for the Canada Labour Code to give Quebec workers the same protections laid out in Quebec's Charter of the French Language without compromising the potential recourse available under the Official Languages Act to minority francophones.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

April 28, 2021

Statements/quotes

If I recall correctly, in the Saskatchewan case, in 2015, the Supreme Court of Canada declared that the right to strike and to take job action is a fundamental right, even a constitutional right. Why would my colleague want the Liberals to violate the constitutional rights of workers when pressure tactics are part of modern labour relations?

Platform

House of Commons

Date

April 26, 2021

Statements/quotes

The Liberals have upset this balance in the Port of Montreal strike. As usual, the Liberals have threatened workers with special legislation even before the strike gets under way.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

September 24, 2020

Statements/quotes

The crisis has shown how important sick leave is. People who do not feel well and have COVID symptoms should not to feel forced to go to work. They should be able to stay home, because that is a fundamental right in terms of workers' health and safety.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

December 4, 2020

Statements/quotes

With regard to the design and implementation of programs and spending measures relating to COVID-19, broken down by program and spending measure: (a) have contracts been awarded to private-sector suppliers and, if so, how many, and (b) what are the details for each contract in (a), including the (i) date the contract was awarded, (ii) description of goods or services, (iii) volume, (iv) final contract amount, (v) supplier, (vi) country of the supplier?

Platform

NDP 2021 Platform

Date

Fall 2021 Campaign

Statements/quotes

We believe that it’s time to update the Canada Labour Code to enhance safeguards for workers so that everyone can stay safe and healthy at work. We urgently need to do more to make sure that people can access paid sick leave when they need to take time off from work due to illness.

Platform

Twitter

Date

February 16, 2022

Statements/quotes

The cost of living is out of control - prices are rising much faster than wages.

My message to the Liberal govt: stop the corporate giveaways, expand income supports for workers, families and seniors who are struggling to make ends meet.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

February 16, 2022

Statements/quotes

Voted along with the rest of the Members to unanimously pass the bill in the House, despite being displeased at the time it’s taken to reverse the effects of the GIS claw-back.

Platform

House of Commons

Debate on Bill C-12

Date

February 15, 2022

Statements/quotes

Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Winnipeg North often defers to provincial NDP politics to deflect his government's failures, including with seniors. I would like to read a story from 1 senior, who wrote, “Our GIS has been cut off and the $1,300 per month that we receive from the government is not enough to keep the shelter over our heads. I feel weak and depressed. Having no energy, I spend many sleepless nights crying.”

In the last session, the member's government voted against the NDP's universal pharmacare bill, when seniors are literally choosing between medication and rent. There are people in my riding who, as a result of the government's callous choice, have had their GIS cut from $600 a month to $60 a month. My party fought for a guaranteed livable basic income for seniors, not a guaranteed income supplement, but one that is livable, to lift people out of poverty. His party is nowhere on the map on that. I am proud of my colleague from North Island—Powell River, who fought really hard to get the Liberals to pull back on their brutal clawbacks on seniors.

I am wondering if my hon. colleague can respond to these concerns and not deflect.

Platform

House of Commons Debate on Bill C-8

Date

February 3, 2022

Statements/quotes

Poverty is a human right violation, which is even more appalling when it is a policy decision.

Many places in the world have embraced guaranteed liveable basic income and it would be a game changer for people in my riding.

Platform

House of Commons Oral Questions

Date

February 3, 2022

Statements/quotes

Mr. Speaker, under the liberals soaring food prices are squeezing families who are struggling to make ends meet. This is resulting in children across Canada, including my riding of Winnipeg centre going to school hungry yet we are the only g7 country without a national school meal program. Mr. Speaker, no child should ever have to go to school hungry. Will the liberals commit today to implementing a national school meal program?

Platform

House of Commons

Date

February 2, 2022

Statements/quotes

It’s no secret that the pandemic continues on and that it is getting harder for families to make ends meet. Families are struggling, yet the government has cut back supports and in fact has clawed back supports from seniors. The Liberals have not gone after their corporate friends. They have actually gone after seniors and families trying to make ends meet.

I am wondering where my colleague is on the current cutbacks that have been made by the government, and whether he is willing to at the very least give a one-time payment in the interim to seniors who have been impacted by GIS cutbacks, some of whom are actually ending up on the streets. As our colleague for North Island – Powell River indicated, we actually lost a senior due to poverty yesterday.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

December 16, 2021

Statements/quotes

Introduced Bill C-223, An Act to develop a national framework for a guaranteed livable basic income.

This enactment requires the Minister of Finance to develop a national framework to provide all persons over the age of 17 in Canada with access to a guaranteed livable basic income. 

Platform

House of Commons Oral Questions

Date

December 14, 2021

Statements/quotes

In the last 2 months, food banks across Manitoba have seen a 70% increase in individuals accessing services compared to last year. Instead of the Liberal government choosing to help people, it continues to claw back GIS and CCB payment from individuals and families already living in precarious situations. We are in a food security crisis. When will the government implement a national food strategy and immediately end claw-backs to GIS and CCB? Choosing to help

Platform

House of Commons Oral Questions

Date

December 3, 2021

Statements/quotes

Madam speaker, this week a PBO report showed women are still not being paid equally in Canada and many won't see pay equity until 2029. That is 8 years from now. Remember when the Prime Minister said gender equity was important because it was 2015? 6 years later, this Liberal government and women are still waiting for pay equity because of their failure to act. Incremental justice is unacceptable. When will the Liberals correct course so women get pay equity?

Platform

House of Commons Oral Questions

Date

November 29, 2021

Statements/quotes

Last week campaign 2,000 released a report that showed that 4,000 children in Winnipeg Centre live in poverty. Now, instead of addressing high poverty rates, this government is clawing back benefits from low income families causing food and housing insecurity. The liberals didn't claw back pandemic supports from rich corporations that doled out bonuses to their shareholders. So why is this government cutting CCB payments from the lowest income families in Manitoba?

Platform

NDP News Release MP website

Date

October 28, 2019

Statements/quotes

NDP MPs in Manitoba, Leah Gazan, Niki Ashton and Daniel Blaikie are calling on Justin Trudeau to get back to work before November 22 and to reverse his decision to take away help for Canadians to get through the pandemic in the middle of the fourth wave.

“I’ve heard from families and seniors in my riding who are at risk of becoming unhoused for the first time as a result of the CRB being cancelled. The impacts of the pandemic are not over,” said Gazan. “1 constituent, who is immunocompromised, is unable to work as a result of the pandemic, jeopardizing his ability to provide for his family. He was shocked when the Prime Minister provided only 48 hours’ notice before cutting the benefits he depended on. The Prime Minister needs to immediately reverse this callous decision.”

At least 900,000 people discovered last week that their benefits would be eliminated and replaced with a patchwork solution, but details still need to be released and it's unclear if those people would even be eligible. New Democrats have committed to push to extend help for people like the CRB until we are no longer in a pandemic.

Platform

NDP Platform

Date

Fall 2021 Campaign

Statements/quotes

Introduce legislation that enshrines Canada’s commitment to high-quality, public child care in law. Public early childhood education and child care that is affordable and available to all families.

Build a universal, $10 a day child care system that’s there for all parents.

Respect, support and resource Indigenous jurisdiction over child welfare systems and commit to ending discrimination against Indigenous children, young people and families by fully implementing the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal orders.

Cap and reduce tuition fees, and build towards making post-secondary education part of our public education system, and move away from loans and permanently double non-repayable Canada Student Grants.

Funding to expand training options. Large employers will be required to spend at least 1% of payroll on training for their employees annually.

Build towards a guaranteed livable income for all Canadians starting this work immediately by lifting every senior and person living with a disability out of poverty.

Make affordable, quality cell phone service and high-speed broadband for all, declare high-speed internet an essential service, and put in place a price cap on cell phone and internet bills.

Remove barriers for persons living with disabilities such as guaranteed livable income, publicly funded pharmacare and dental care, restore door-to-door mail delivery and created affordable, accessible housing in communities across the country.

Create at least 500,000 units of quality, affordable housing in the next 10 years, with half of that done within 5 years, and provide immediate relief for families that are struggling to afford rent in otherwise suitable housing, while we bring forward long-term solutions to the housing affordability crisis.

Platform

House Debate

Date

June 15, 2021

Statements/quotes

“Can the member comment on the lack of supports for seniors since the beginning of this pandemic?”, fueling CPC member Alice Wong to elaborate on her speech on seniors who she claims have been isolated by the pandemic and unable to seek assistance, making them more vulnerable to fraud, underscoring that the government has done nothing to combat this issue.

Platform

1. House of Commons MP website
2. HUMA study on the Impact of COVID-19 on Seniors

Date

1. May 25, 2021
2. May 25, 2021

Statements/quotes

1. Presented unanimous consent Motion 46 which has a broad base of support from MPs and Senators from all parties, unions, health leaders, seniors, academics, the music and creative sector, small businesses, farmers, young people, students, Disabled persons, faith groups, Indigenous Peoples, and civil society. Individuals across Canada have been mobilizing in support of M-46, including the over 40,000 Canadians who have signed the petition.
2. Questioned why the Government is paying $90 million for the Age Well at Home program rather than paying people a living wage.

Platform

HUMA study on the Impact of COVID-19 on Seniors

Date

May 25, 2021

Statements/quotes

Questioned the Government’s choice to rely on a “chosen” volunteer and asked why they didn’t introduce a guaranteed livable income instead.

Questioned how the Government will achieve it goals of attaining autonomy with its Age Well At Home initiative. She asked for the deadline for a call for proposals, who will be targeted for eligible funding, and what type of activities is the Government considering for funding eligibility,

Platform

HUMA study on the Impact of COVID-19 on Seniors

Date

May 25, 2021

Statements/quotes

Consistently advocating for more support for seniors, questioning research models that led to the determination that only seniors aged 75 and older needed additional support, asked the Seniors Minister:

“Why do you believe that it's appropriate to provide seniors with such little direct support during the pandemic when they've been the most impacted, yet you have millions and millions—in fact, billions. There was $18 billion for TMX pipeline of support for big oil and big corporations.”

“If the government is trying to target seniors most in need, might I add mostly women who don't benefit from a pension, why have you not specifically aimed OAS increases to low-income seniors?”

Requested the research and data that was used to withhold payments for seniors aged 65 to 74, as well as gender specific data and specific research with Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities with respect to poverty amongst senior women.

The department provided the committee with a written response. Note that data on the impact of this measure on Indigenous and racialized communities are not currently available.

Platform

HUMA study on the Impact of COVID-19 on Seniors

Date

May 25, 2021

Statements/quotes

Took an interest in the one-time, $400 million investment to help charities and non-profits adapt and modernize. She got the following questions on record for when the information becomes available: breakdown of enrollment across the country, which colleges are running the program, how he department will be tracking completion rate, how the program compares with other investments in training like the Ontario accelerated PSW, and if these programs are complimentary.

Platform

HUMA study on the Impact of COVID-19 on Seniors

Date

May 25, 2021

Statements/quotes

Because the rates of poverty within certain groups of seniors are higher, asked “Has been data collection on the social determinates on health and the impact of the pandemic on Indigenous and Black seniors.”

This data is not currently available.

Platform

House Debate

Date

March 23, 2021

Statements/quotes

“Covid-19 has been an especially tragic time for the people working and for the people living in long-term care. 12,000 persons living or working in long-term care has died since the beginning of the pandemic.”

“Many persons living with disabilities have been denied proper care due to the profit model. There must be a care guarantee for seniors and for persons living with disabilities.”

“Young persons with disability are often in the situation where the only facilities that can meet their needs are long-term care homes.”

“Disability advocates are right to say that disabled Canadians are denied their dignity in many ways, such as housing. This also true with regard to the lack of proper access to home care.”

“It is alarming that while for-profit care homes only have a quarter of senior care facilities, they account for 44% fatalities in the context of the pandemic.”

“Long-term care workers deserve safe working conditions, the availability of sick leave and respect.”

“National care standards with accountably systems tied to federal funding are needed. We must put an end to for-profit long-term care.”

“When we look at expenditures that could save lives, such as implementing standards in long term care, I believe such measures are overdue and seniors deserve better.”

In response to LPC MP, Lamoureux who recognized that long-term care needs national standards but also recognized that the provinces, as providers of services, have a critical role, asked if the NDP received any provincial support for this particular initiative: “There is nothing stopping the federal government in establishing those standards to protect disabled persons and seniors.”

“We often speak about the vulnerabilities of seniors, and it is too rare we mention their value.”

Platform

House of Commons

Oral Questions

Date

March 3, 2022

Statements/quotes

Mr. Speaker, even now, in 2022, new mothers who lose their jobs when their parental leave is up cannot collect EI.

Even though 6 brave women fought the federal government in court to end this injustice, even though they won, Ottawa is appealing. Imagine. The government is appealing a court ruling because it wants to leave young mothers who have lost their jobs out in the cold. Will the government cancel the appeal?

Platform

HUMA study on Labour Shortages, Working Conditions and the Care Economy

Date

March 3, 2022

Statements/quotes

How do you collect data on labour shortages, both nationally and regionally?

Are there examples of similar measures being put in place by other provinces? You mentioned that labour is a provincial jurisdiction. Could we have some data?

In Quebec, educational child care services are much broader than day care. It takes training and certain qualifications to get a position as an educator. I wonder if we are comparing comparable data?

Why are there federal pilot projects for LTCs training when training is provincial jurisdiction, who asked for these, would it not be better to health transfers?

Elaboration on the “Modernization” of the temporary foreign workers program as a solution to the labour shortage. Les petites entreprises doivent rendre leur équipement plus moderne mais en terme de virage numérique est ce qu’il y a des choses à mettre de l’avant (des programmes) pour accompagner les PMEs.

Platform

HUMA

Minister O’Regan on mandate letter

Date

February 17, 2022

Statements/quotes

The Canada Labour Code needs to be modernized, when will the 10 day sick leave be implemented with Bill C-3?

She asked a question regarding preventing the hiring of replacement “scab” workers (Answer: the Canadian Labour Code prevents replacement workers, respect the collective bargaining process)

Platform

HUMA

Minister Khera on mandate letter

Date

February 14, 2022

Statements/quotes

The OAS increase discriminates based on age. The increase should be applicate to seniors starting at age 65. The Minister addressed the main factors considered in the decision taken by the government such as seniors living longer, and that they are more likely to be widowed or disabled and facing larger medical expenses.

Platform

HUMA

Minister Gould on mandate letter

Date

February 10, 2022

Statements/quotes

How will the government will manage the implementation of the EI benefit systems so that will be reliable and to make sure it’s accessible no matter where someone lives in Canada. EI claimants have been waiting for months. She asked the Minister if she thinks the system is currently efficient. The Minister addressed the recent progress made and the unusually number of claims currently.

Workers who pay EI expect service and expect benefits in time, and there needs to be a change in culture at Service Canada. She asked how the Community recovery funds will be distributed, and about the criteria to share the funds equally across the country and the timeframe. The Minister said it would be equal representation across the country and will share the information with the committee when we have it.

Asked how many of the 3000 staff hired during pandemic are still at Service Canada. Ms. Chabot said she was told there were only half of the staff left there. The Minister said it must be a miscommunication.

Platform

HUMA Committee Business

Date

February 3, 2022

Statements/quotes

Proposed the following motion which she later withdrew due to the committee’s previous report on the topic, because the committee will be hearing from the Ministers, and to finish the seniors study first, adding that maybe this is not the time to have a broad study on the TFW program.

That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the committee undertake a study on the effectiveness of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and on the processing of Labour Market Impact Assessment, that the committee invite the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, that the committee hold at least 4 meetings, and that the committee report its findings and recommendations to the House.

Platform

House of Commons Debate on Bill C-8

Date

February 3, 2022

Statements/quotes

The government has implemented a two-tier system for the main universal plan for seniors, the OAS. (translated)

Platform

House of Commons reply to the SFT

Date

February 1, 2022

Statements/quotes

What should the government's priorities be to support workers hurt by the pandemic? (translated)

Platform

HUMA

Date

January 31, 2022

Statements/quotes

During the HUMA study on Service Standards for EI Claims, Mme. Chabot asked when the Ministers become aware of the issues and when were they briefed on it, as well what Service Canada is doing to address payment delays and the number of files pending processing beyond the 4-week service standard.

She addressed the need for solutions for those currently without income focussed on solving the payment problem in the short and long term.

Platform

House of Commons’ Oral Questions

Date

December 9, 2021

Statements/quotes

Emily lost her battle with cancer in 2020. The fight for employment insurance that supports seriously-ill workers until the end of their treatment continues. 2 years ago tomorrow, Emily met with the prime minister who promised her to increase the number of weeks of benefits. But since, nothing's changed. Mr. Speaker, 15 weeks is not enough. 26 weeks is not enough either. When will the government realize that sick people need 50 weeks?

Amongst the people who are continuing Emily's fight is Jessica. She is here in Ottawa. And she is in good position to see if this government takes its commitment seriously. The prime minister promised Emily that he would increase the duration of benefits. He has the duty to honour that promise for all the other sick people like Emily. They need 50 weeks of EI coverage to recover. Will the government finally meet their needs?

Platform

House of Commons Debate on Bill C-2

Date

November 29, 2021

Statements/quotes

The government is saying the bill is essential and urgent. Urgent is not the right term. The government waited until the last minute to get this done. The situation became urgent because they waited too long.

In 2020, another Bill C-2 for pandemic measures was adopted and because the House was prorogued for 5 weeks, we were in such a rush to pass the bill to support workers. Once again, rather than continuing the work we were doing in parliament, the government decided to hold and election, and here we are in an urgent situation again.

The problem is that anyone who works in the performing arts are freelancers and are not entitled to those supports, so those who are not in a lockdown situation need support.

This bill does nothing for the independent workers.

There are 2 types of solutions: We need to overhaul the EI system. In C-2 we have the opportunity to help those workers. We can’t abandon them.

We would like to take the time to study this properly is committee and come back to the House with a more serious and responsible bill.

Platform

BQ Platform

Date

Fall 2021 Campaign

Statements/quotes

Proposes coverage to self-employed workers and improved coverage for seasonal workers, 2 much needed improvements to the EI program in Canada.

Proposes to increase the transfer for workforce training by $1.4 billion a year.

As part of a proposed package of measures to fight the labour shortage, the BQ will propose measures to encourage the work of seniors with their invaluable expertise, by allowing low-income seniors to work more without penalty and by involving Aboriginal nations, in addition to encouraging the settlement of newcomers and graduates in the regions.

Platform

House of Commons Debate on Bill C-30

Date

June 22, 2021

Statements/quotes

Sick workers relied on the government to take action and increase special sickness benefits from 15 to 50 weeks. There was no reason to miss this opportunity. The government abandoned 150,000 people by taking only half a step by increasing the duration of benefits to 26 weeks.

Wait times for the unemployed have been enormous and the EI system needs to be reformed.

The budget proposes a single eligibility criterion of 420 hours for the duration of a year. That is not enough.

HUMA did a broad study on Employment Insurance and the government will have all the solutions and information to testify to the flaws in the system.

Employment Insurance's computer system is so outdated that the minister responsible has stated that a reform of the system will take at least 7 years. This is unacceptable.

The pandemic is still having an effect on several sectors and the government has no short-term answers for the most affected people.

We must establish a real EI program that does not discriminate against workers.

There are measures in this budget that we support and we will vote in favour of C-30. It is unfortunate, however, that the measures in this budget are mostly temporary measures.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

June 15, 2021

Statements/quotes

For language of work, for businesses under federal jurisdiction, isn't the best solution to apply Bill 101?

Platform

House of Commons

Date

June 14, 2021

Statements/quotes

Second Reading debated: I will not comment on the substance of the matter, because a guaranteed basic income, or minimum income, has potential advantages. However, I have to point out that it is up to each province to introduce it. The social assistance programs we are talking about, the income assistance programs, ultimately, and other social programs are a provincial jurisdiction. Rather than reflecting on these conditions for the 21st century, there are 2 things the government could do right away. First, it could strengthen and reform the employment insurance system for workers. Second, it could stop discriminating against some seniors and increase old age security for all seniors aged 65 and over.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

May 31, 2021

Statements/quotes

Madam Speaker, federally regulated workers have long been unfairly treated. I want to talk about the lack of provisions in the Canada Labour Code preventing employers from hiring scabs during strikes or lockouts.

Striking is an essential tool that allows workers to stand up for their fundamental right to free collective bargaining. Allowing employers to hire scabs deprives workers of that right. This practice has been banned under the Quebec Labour Code since 1977. It is high time that it was banned at the federal level.

I join my voice to those of the workers at Unifor, who launched a campaign on May 13 for the enactment of federal anti-scab legislation. It is high time to address this injustice and join the 21st century.

Platform

Raised a question on EI Reform House of Commons

Date

May 26, 2021

Statements/quotes

The Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion said something rather disturbing recently. She said it would take 7 years to reform the EI program because the computer system could not support it. In another life, I used to say that sometimes you have to make what is politically desirable technically possible. It is politically desirable to reform the employment insurance system, which leaves workers in seasonal industries, women and young people out in the cold. If we want this to be just temporary, we have to improve these temporary measures, at least.

Platform

HUMA Seniors Minister and ESDC

Date

May 25, 2021

Statements/quotes

Questioned if any studies were done on the impact of the pandemic on seniors aged 65 to 74, and asked for data the Government used to draw a distinction between expenses for seniors expenses over and under age the age of 75. ESDC confirmed that the work was conducted based on the Minister’s mandate, being for seniors aged 75 and older.

Asked about policies on action plans that exist in the provinces for elder abuse and if the Government thought about consulting the provinces so that they could assume the responsibility.

Platform

HUMA Seniors study kick-off mtg.

Date

May 13, 2021

Statements/quotes

Reminded of the BQ position, which remains against the Government imposing any long-term care standards on provinces. In addition, they have renewed calls for additional health transfers to provinces.

Sought opinions on PHAC not having updated guidance prior to pandemic, and how we could have been better preparation and reduced the level of death and injury.

Sought opinions on financial security for seniors and on the government’s proposal to increase OAS for seniors 75 and older.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

May 11, 2021

Statements/quotes

The Minister of Labour is implementing a mandate commitment to amend the Canada Labour Code to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour. This is a good signal for workers.

With respect to contract flipping, the Canada Labour Code will include the word "airport". This was an important demand for workers in the airport sector. However, it is a half-measure because it would only protect wages. We must go further and protect working conditions, union recognition, insurance plans and pension plans.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

1. April 28, 2021
2. April 29, 2021

Statements/quotes

1. The Bloc Québécois is all about finding solutions. We are not voting no just to be contrary, and we are not voting no for ideological reasons. We are voting no because this is not the right solution. What is happening is quite a harsh solution, because we, as parliamentarians, are denying workers their rights. There are other solutions.
2. Those in favour of heavy-handed back-to-work legislation often claim that it will improve the social climate. I think the opposite is true.
3. Ensuring peace requires balance, and workers, along with unions, play a major role in social justice and balance.
4. How can the government justify saying that this special legislation will ensure a balance of power between the parties?

Platform

House of Commons

Date

April 19, 2021

Statements/quotes

Do we want to be seen as a society that abandons the most vulnerable, or as a fairer and more equitable society, one that provides support and comfort and is compassionate and humanitarian towards workers and the sick? It is with the latter image in mind that I ask for the unanimous support of the House for this bill to extend EI sickness benefits from 15 to 50 weeks. Not only is it a question of fairness, but it will allow people to take care of themselves with dignity.

Platform

Written Question

Date

April 12, 2021

Statements/quotes

With regard to the Canada Summer Jobs program: (a) for each of the 338 ridings in Canada, how much money, how many positions and how many hours of work were requested for fiscal year 2019 to 20, (b) for each of the 338 ridings in Canada, how much money, how many positions and how many hours of work were allocated for fiscal year 2019 to 20, (c) what is, in mathematical terms, and defining all variables, the formula that was used in fiscal year 2019to 20 to determine the funding allocated to each riding, and (d) what is the share of overall funding, expressed both as a percentage and in dollars, that has been allocated to ridings in Quebec, broken down by fiscal year, since 2015 to 16?

Platform

HUMA study of Estimates

Date

March 16, 2021

Statements/quotes

Will there be permanent EI measures starting in September or will there be strengthened measures, and how did you determine the amounts?

Will additional funding be provided for the Canada Summer Jobs program?

Are there any substantial measures to help disabled individuals aside from the amounts they received up until now?

Training and skills has decreased by $20 million in the Main Estimates. It’s essential to have literacy skills.

Platform

Oral Questions

Date

December 7, 2020

Statements/quotes

Madam Speaker, this was already a problem before the pandemic. It is unacceptable that new mothers are not entitled to EI if they lose their employment at the end of their parental leave. They are workers like any other and deserve to be supported. In some cases, it is already possible to count weeks worked in the past 2 years instead of the past year in order to qualify for EI. That is the case for prisoners. Will the government do the same for new mothers?

The problem is that EI has never been adapted to the Quebec parental insurance plan. The mothers being abandoned by the federal government are Quebeckers. Because Quebec is feminist and has a more generous program so that Quebec women can balance work and family, Quebec women are being abandoned when they lose their job. This government claims to be feminist. Will it fix EI so that it stops penalizing mothers who are benefiting from a feminist parental leave program?

Platform

House of Commons

Date

October 6, 2020

Statements/quotes

Mr. Speaker, my question relates to some of the member's comments on the throne speech.

He talked about numerous solutions introduced to transition from the CERB to a more flexible employment insurance system or to the 3 new economic recovery measures. He and I both know that these measures are temporary because they are only going to last a year.

Here is my question. Will the government commit here and now to completely overhauling our employment insurance system? It is Canadians' primary social safety net, and it failed during this crisis.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

September 28, 2020

Statements/quotes

In my speech, I wanted to show that even before the CERB was introduced, we knew that the main social safety net, the EI program, would not meet needs in the event of a crisis. The program has been slashed repeatedly by government after government over the past 25 years. If we had taken the time to have this conversation, we would not be in the situation we are in today, neither when the CERB was active nor today.

Platform

Question Period

Date

February 28, 2020

Statements/quotes

Madam Speaker, the work is seasonal, but the workers' needs are not.

EI needs to become a true insurance plan for the families in Quebec's regions that depend on seasonal industries. It is also important that the eligibility criteria reflect the reality in those regions. Workers should qualify after 420 hours of work, and benefits should be based on the workers' 12 best weeks. This would improve the pilot project.

Will the government make its project permanent and adapt it to people's reality?

Platform

House of Commons

Date

February 18, 2020

Statements/quotes

This is a motion we need to adopt, but the EI system needs a complete overhaul. There are other types of benefits, such as those for seasonal workers. In the previous Parliament, the government promised to overhaul the system, which has not seen substantial change in 40 years. An in-depth study could be done in committee, but I think we can take action now on sickness benefits without pilfering from the fund.

Platform

House of Commons

Statements by Members

Date

February 15, 2022

Statements/quotes

Mr. Speaker, La Ressource is an organization in my riding that does amazing work helping people with disabilities maintain everything they have achieved and take full advantage of the financial resources available to them.

To keep providing these services, La Ressource needs money and relies on various funding sources, including donations. All year long, it organizes fundraisers and events. Fortunately, the organization can count on people like Pierre Tremblay to help reach its goal.

A few weeks ago, Mr. Tremblay kicked off an event in collaboration with Domaine du Lac Parent, a virtual fishing tournament to raise money for La Ressource's telethon. People from all over Abitibi—Témiscamingue and elsewhere were invited to send in a photo of their catch for a chance to win a prize.

In closing, I am appealing to the generosity of people in my region. I invite them to donate to La Ressource in honour of its 25th anniversary so it can help as many people as possible.

Platform

House of Commons

Government Business No. 7 - proceedings on Bill C-12, An Act to amend the Old Age Security Act (GIS)

Date

February 11, 2022

Statements/quotes

I just want to point out that seniors were the first to be affected by the pandemic. This came at a time when they were isolated, living with anxiety and losing money.

There were also the retired nurses and health care professionals who decided to return to work but whose GIS payments were clawed back as a result.

I could also talk about the 2 classes of seniors this government has created: those aged 65 to 74, who have been abandoned to live in financial insecurity, and those aged 75 and up, who have been recognized by the government.

What does the member think we could do with this bill to address these 2 classes of seniors?

Platform

House of Commons Reply to the SFT

Date

December 2, 2021

Statements/quotes

As everyone knows we are currently batting inflation. There are 2 solutions right now, specifically, child care and affordable housing. What is the government doing? It seems to be dragging its feet.

What do you plan to do to help this situation, to help families buy their first home? Will you, the government, finally do something to fight inflations?

Platform

Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee

Date

1. June 17th, 2021
2. June 15th, 2021
3. June 10th, 2021

Statements/quotes

1. “I'm going to continue along the same lines as Mr. Powlowski. You talked about colonization, systemic discrimination and support for communities.”
2. “According to your research, what can we do to better support communities in response to human trafficking?”
3. “The article does not mention indigenous women and human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation. Can you give us any data on human trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation?”
4. “Minister, in Winneway, Chief Steeve Mathias has been negotiating with the federal government for several years to have his community recognized as a reserve within the meaning of the Indian Act. Even though no one here likes that act and it is kind of a perfect example of systematic discrimination, it has to be admitted that such recognition could allow the community to get better funding and to get public utilities. In this case, the problem revolves around the Oblate lands.”

Platform

House of Commons – Debates

Date

May 12th, 2021

Statements/quotes

“Experience shows that lack of consent to project development is often the cause of indigenous crises. That is what happened with the Oka crisis and again this winter with the Wet'suwet'en.”

Platform

House of Commons Oral Questions

Date

March 4, 2022

Statements/quotes

Mr. Speaker, at the moment, it just looks cheap.

The minister cannot hide behind the commission. It is up to Parliament to amend legislation, as the commission itself pointed out. It is entirely the minister's responsibility.

There are exceptions to the law that allow people claiming EI to calculate their income over 2 years rather than 52 weeks. People who cannot work because they are sick, injured or incarcerated are entitled to this.

Why are new mothers who have lost their jobs not entitled to the same thing? It seems pretty simple to me.

Platform

House of Commons Oral Questions

Date

March 3, 2022

Statements/quotes

Mr. Speaker, this is embarrassing. During the week of March 8, a day when we celebrate women's rights, this government, which claims to be feminist, is in court to retain the right to deny employment insurance to new mothers who lose their jobs. Let us just think about that for a moment. I could not even make this stuff up.

Women had to sue the Canada Employment Insurance Commission because the government has refused to correct the situation for years. Even though the women won, this government wants to appeal. Because of this government, they have to continue to fight. Is this the fight that a self-proclaimed feminist government should be waging today?

Platform

House of Commons Debate on Bill C-8

Date

February 3, 2022

Statements/quotes

As early as August, the Bloc Québécois wrote to the Minister of Seniors to denounce the cuts to the GIS for seniors who received the CERB. What does my colleague think of the proposal to provide assistance to seniors and increase OAS from the age of 65?

Platform

House of Commons Debate on Bill C-2

Date

December 16, 2022

Statements/quotes

The Bloc Québécois supports Bill C-2.

It has been announced that the loss of income from SRG by seniors due to the fact that they received CERB will not be settled until next May. Seniors are impoverished more than ever in the light of Christmas. May is too far away.

Seniors on GIS are the most vulnerable seniors and waiting until May to offer them compensation means they won't have any flexibility for months.

Poverty does not wait 75 years. OAS must be increased from age 65

The government is in denial about the financial situation of seniors. Spot checks are not enough. It is necessary to set up recurrent and reliable aid from the age of 65.

Platform

House of Commons Oral Questions

Date

December 10, 2021

Statements/quotes

There are too many seniors being left behind. The government is refusing to help those under 75 and attacking working seniors getting the guaranteed income supplement or GIS. It's cutting benefits for those who lost their jobs in the pandemic and who got CERB. We have the figures. We're talking about more than 183,000 seniors who will have to lose $3,500 on average. The government is cutting all of the GIS for 83,000 people. 83,000 people who are going to be in a precarious financial situation while food costs are exploding. Why is the government attacking those who are most vulnerable?

We learned yesterday that groceries will increase by 7% next year. It being it will cost nearly $1000 more for a family. This is extremely bad news also for seniors between the ages of 65 and 74. And the government is refusing to increase the old age security for them. With the increase in prices they're creating 2 classes of seniors. Literally forcing people to take groceries out of their cart and putting them back on the shelves and go line up for a Christmas basket. What will it take for the government to understand that it needs to increase the pension for all seniors?

Platform

House of Commons Oral Questions

Date

December 1, 2021

Statements/quotes

The lowest paid seniors have been plunged in to poverty by Ottawa. Those who lost their job during the pandemic and who had to claim the CERB are getting their GIS clawed back because CERB benefits are treated differently from employment income even though they're supposed to do just that, replace employment income. For example, for the same $10,000 in income, a worker who would have had 100 clawed back from the GIS now loses over 400. That is $300 less per month. Will the prime minister fix this injustice?

The Bloc alerted the ministers of seniors and finance months ago. Nothing has been done. The Prime Minister has to get involved. The CERB should be treated like employment income and all seniors should be allowed to have their benefits recalculated based on their current income. It is simple. This administrative mess is plunging people into poverty. And some are suffering a decline in their health. There are even some seniors who are having to choose which of their medications to skip because they can no longer afford them. Is the prime minister going to take charge of this file?

Platform

House of Commons

Date

November 26, 2021

Statements/quotes

I would like to hear my colleague come back to the issue of seniors. The government is sending the wrong message to seniors by cutting the GIS for seniors who have worked and those who have received the CERB (translated)

Platform

BQ Platform

Date

Fall 2021 Campaign

Statements/quotes

Reclaim the hike of health transfers for the provinces. It reminds the provinces to insist on making health transfers cover 35% of provincial health expenses instead of 22%. That increase would add around $30 billion of expenses to the federal budget. The Bloc argues that without these changes, provincial budgets will remain unsustainable.

Proposes to increase old age security to $110/month, indexed, and to abolish some discriminatory restrictions against people who marry after 60. These measures would add over $7 billion a year to federal government costs.

Proposes a tax credit for caregivers that would cost about $650 million a year.

As part of a proposed package of measures to fight the labour shortage, the BQ will propose measures to encourage the work of seniors with their invaluable expertise, by allowing low-income seniors to work more without penalty and by involving Aboriginal nations, in addition to encouraging the settlement of newcomers and graduates in the regions.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

June 22, 2021

Statements/quotes

The increase in OAS from age 65 is a request from seniors and the Bloc Québécois. Precariousness does not wait 75 years to strike the elders.

Platform

House of Commons Statements by Members

Date

June 15, 2021

Statements/quotes

“It is an opportunity to speak out about the suffering that some seniors experience. It’s a problem that tends to be under-diagnosed. Many people suffer abuse and mistreatment, but they do not even identify their situation and are afraid of reprisals if they report their abusers.

Therefore, June 15 is an ideal opportunity to raise public awareness of this social issue, to encourage people to recognize it and to prevent all forms of elder abuse. The 7 types of abuse include physical, psychological and financial abuse, as well as ageism.

We know that COVID‑19 has caused a lot of isolation and additional financial stress for seniors. In addition to being the main victims of the health crisis, they were at increased risk of poverty and age discrimination. Seniors have the same rights as all other citizens, and we must allow them to age with care, compassion and dignity.”

Platform

HUMA

Date

May 25, 2021

Statements/quotes

While replacing Louise Chabot at HUMA, expressed much frustration over the OAS increase not extended to seniors aged 65 to 74, arguing that in order to age well at home, younger seniors need the financial support.

“Madam Minister, seniors are still angry. What you are proposing is clearly not good enough for them. I have heard you talk about aging with dignity. But seniors' groups, including FADOQ in my community, are telling me that, in order to age with dignity, to live and not just survive, the old age security pension for all seniors must be increased as soon as they turn 65.

You said yourself that their savings are depleted. That happens from the time they stop working, which is at 65. You talked about the number of people working, but there are also people not working. Do you know what it would cost to give people the 10% increase in the old age security pension at age 65 instead of age 75? Do you have any figures on that?”

Platform

House of Commons

Date

May 6, 2021

Statements/quotes

I would remind you that my party will vote for this Bill C-30 at second reading.

We are calling for an increase in OAS for seniors from 65 years of age. There is unanimity of frustration among seniors over the government's choice to create 2 senior classes.

The monthly increase of $63 in OAS is insufficient, and it will not be implemented until 2022. The BQ is more in favor of an increase of $110 per month.

A one-time payment of $ 500 will be paid to seniors over 75 in August 2021, but this is an election approach and seniors are not fooled.

Financial vulnerability does not wait 75 years and OAS should be a universal power for all seniors.

Increasing OAS for all seniors would have cost only $4 billion more.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

May 6, 2021

Statements/quotes

The expenditure authorization for the daycare services program does not appear to be valid until the next fiscal year. Is it a question of being able to cover the costs of establishing and improving the childcare program while awaiting the signing of asymmetric agreements with the provinces?

Any agreement with Quebec on the issue of child care must be accompanied by unconditional compensation for the total costs of the program measures

There are attempts in this budget to interfere with the provincial government. In Quebec, we have developed expertise on the issue of day care centers and we do not need this interference.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

1. April 22, 2021
2. April 21, 2021

Statements/quotes

1. The government maintains its election commitment to only increase OAS allowances for seniors over 75. This increase will not be applied until 2022, when the only new amount planned for 2021 is a one-time payment of $500 this summer.
2. It is important to increase the number of residential models providing care for the elderly. I urge caution, because what is currently being proposed by the government is to impose standards on Quebec when it comes under provincial jurisdiction.
3. I would like my colleague to tell Quebec seniors frankly that seniors aged 65 to 74 have received sufficient federal assistance and tell them that they are not vulnerable enough to get help in a future budget.
4. How can this member from Quebec ignore the demands of the elders of Quebec? What do they think of the fact that FADOQ deplores the fact that seniors aged 65 to 74 are also vulnerable and will not receive the increase in OAS before the age of 75. Why are seniors under 75 excluded from the one-time payment of $500?
5. Stéphane Lauzon (LPC) responded: I am proud to be a member of Parliament from Quebec and the 2021 budget will help seniors a lot. I have met FADOQ and AQDR and I can tell you that they are very happy with the progress we are making. FADOQ also told us that any gesture to help seniors is welcome.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

March 22, 2021

Statements/quotes

National standards are dictated by the federal government and long-term care does not apply to this level of government. We have seen a decline in health transfers for years.

Platform

FEWO Pay Equity study

Date

1. February 04, 2021
2. February 25, 2021

Statements/quotes

1. Took a keen interest in the status of pay equity in federally regulated workplaces, focussing on economic recovery and the extent to which pay equity in the government sector is expected to influence pay equity in the private sector.
2. Concerned with the delays with the implementation of the Act, asked how the government decided on 3 years for employers do develop a pay equity plan. She asked how stereotypes and myths may have delayed the implementation of the Act, and questioned what tools and guidelines are available for employers to develop plans, educational tools and training.
3. Stated her support for the bill moving forward.
4. Sought solutions from ESDC to accelerate the timelines and the process to implement pay equity in federally regulated workplaces.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

February 25, 2021

Statements/quotes

We note that the elderly have been the people most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. We also recall that too many seniors live in financial precariousness.

We are calling on the government to increase the OAS pension to $ 110 for people 65 and over as of the next budget.

During the 2019 election campaign, the Liberal Party pledged to increase OAS benefit amounts by 10% for seniors 75 and over. Nothing has been done and we consider this proposal to be insufficient. Poverty does not wait 75 years.

The OAS program is the federal government's primary vehicle for supporting seniors. The 2 main components are the OAS and the GIS. A recipient of these benefits would have an income of less than $18,648.

The problem is twofold. The amounts of seniors' pensions are so low that they condemn anyone who has only this income to live on to be pushed below the poverty line. As of October 2020, an individual receiving OAS and the maximum amount of GIS will have an annual income of $18,358.92. It’s a minimal substance that barely hits living costs.

The indexation of benefits is not representative of the cost of living of seniors, who have to face expenses separate from current products which are taken into account to keep up with inflation.

A good percentage of elders work, especially for older women, which illustrates the need for the reforms requested. This shows that the current benefit amounts are insufficient.

FADOQ people consider the government's small increase in OAS as insulting.

The Bloc Québécois is asking for the GIS of $50 per month for individuals and $70 for couples.

Yes, there was a one-time payment of $300 for those collecting OAS and yes, there was a GST and HST credit, but these measures were only one-off. We need lasting measures.

Indexing existed before the pandemic.

Seniors are severely isolated and more at risk.

Seniors do not want national standards imposed on CHSLDs (centres d’hébergement de soins de longue durée).

When will you get vaccines for seniors from 65?

Seniors must have more decent incomes and have their purchasing power increased.

The governments of Quebec and Ontario do not want federal standards for long-term care.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

December 1, 2020

Statements/quotes

These are not national standards that CHSLD staff really need. They need more resources.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

November 27, 2020

Statements/quotes

Isn't the issue of lack of care for people with disabilities linked to the lack of funds transferred to the provinces by the federal government?

Platform

House of Commons

Date

October 20, 2020

Statements/quotes

Women were hard hit by the pandemic - especially senior women. We have a motion to incorporate the work we did in the summer and now the government wants to go to the polls. Why not let us do our work on the WE scandal so we can get to other important work?

Platform

House of Commons

Date

September 23, 2020

Statements/quotes

Why not increase old age security from age 65 rather than from age 75 so as not to create 2 senior classes? During the pandemic, the only support measure for seniors was a one-time payment. We want an increase from age 65. Why 75 years?

Platform

House of Commons

Date

July 20, 2020

Statements/quotes

Last month, the Bloc Québécois proposed splitting Bill C-17 to provide people with disabilities with financial support. Does the member agree that it is too bad that the refusal of elected Conservatives to vote for this measure delayed this support?

(Cheryl Grant (CPC): It was the Liberal’s attempt to force other legislation within C-17 that stopped it from getting our support.)

Platform

House of Commons

Date

June 15, 2020

Statements/quotes

Improving the purchasing power of seniors decreases their chances of being abused. That is why increases in old age pensions and GIS must be extended beyond the pandemic. In 3 weeks, seniors will receive a first check when they should receive a second. We must also announce a date for the “New Horizons” program.

Platform

House of Commons

Date

May 19, 2020

Statements/quotes

The aid announced by the government to help seniors has several issues that raise questions. Are the one-off payments of $200 and $300 taxable, therefore included in the old age pension program, or will they take the form of a non-taxable tax credit? We also want to know when the check will arrive. (Min. Deb Schulte: It’s a tax-free payment made to OAS and GIS recipients.)

Can the government assure us that it intends to improve the GIS supplement so as not to penalize beneficiaries who have received the additional old age pension payments next year? (Min. Deb Schulte: Those that are already on the GIS did receive a top-up. I also want to say that seniors that are on the OAS and GIS will receive a tax-free payment soon.)

Platform

House of Commons

Date

April 29, 2020

Statements/quotes

Financial challenges faced by seniors, especially for women even before the pandemic. Will the government agree to increase OAS, including a GIS boost?

Seniors are the most vulnerable during the pandemic. Will the Government commit to increase the health transfer?

Seniors living at home struggle financially and during the pandemic, their expenses also increase but are on fixed income. Will the Government commit to help them and increase their benefit by $110?

Platform

House of Commons

Date

February 18, 2020

Statements/quotes

The coalition of the sans-shirts calls on the government to go further in its reform of employment insurance.

The coalition also called for an increase in the number of weeks of sickness benefits.

Seven bills have been introduced to address this problem, but nothing has changed yet.

Agrees with Alexandre Boulerice's suggestion to consider hours worked over a longer period when a woman has recently been on maternity leave in order to compensate for the weeks that have just been used.

The choice of 50 weeks is based on the principle of equity

Platform

House of Commons Reply to the SFT

Date

January 31, 2022

Statements/quotes

Processing times for EI applications are too long. However, I was pleased to learn that more resources would be allocated to Service Canada to deal with this problem.

Reform of the EI program is needed.

Many citizens contact me because of EI delays. People are in distress and it is our responsibility to offer these people solutions. (translated)

Platform

Twitter

Date

Nov 12, 2021

Statements/quotes

Really a pleasure to have met the youth delegates of @YMCAQuebec whose participation in #COP26 was made possible thanks to @AQOCI. Great talk. (translated)

Platform

House of Commons Debate on BIA, 2021

Date

May 25, 2021

Statements/quotes

When I see all the different Canada-wide programs that are being announced, such as the national child care program, I realize that it may be good news for the provinces that do not have this type of program. However, Québec already has a day care program.

The government is increasing pensions for seniors aged 75 and over, but only by roughly $60. a month, which we think is not enough. We in the Bloc Québécois have been asking for an increase of $110. per month, and we will continue to lead that debate.

Platform

House of Commons Debate on Bill C-12

Date

February 15, 2022

Statements/quotes

The Bloc Québécois has always supported targeted assistance programs that respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the fact that the Liberal government failed to be proactive. We voted for Bill C-12, which was hastily passed in the fall, in order to quickly help the groups most affected by this pandemic. One of our conditions for supporting that bill was that Ottawa stop penalizing working seniors who receive the guaranteed income supplement, or GIS, by treating the Canada emergency response benefit, or CERB, as employment income for the purpose of calculating the GIS.

At the parliamentary committee, the Minister of Finance even admitted that this was a significant problem, but, like senior officials of the Canada Revenue Agency, or CRA, she stated that it was a complex issue that would be difficult to resolve because of the computer system. She nonetheless made a commitment to resolve it.

Here we are today with a bill that would finally correct this injustice being inflicted on our seniors, but that is still disappointing on several counts.

First of all, this bill will ensure that GIS recipients will not be penalized as of July 2022. This may sound good at first glance, but this substantial reduction of their cheques has been going on since July 1, 2021. These seniors have been watching their finances worsen since last summer. Our party made several proposals to the government, urging it to act quickly to ensure that the recipients affected can obtain relief as quickly as possible—as of March 2022, as my colleague from Abitibi—Témiscamingue hammered home. The government said that this was not possible for technical reasons, more specifically because of computer issues at the CRA. These so-called “computer issues” are pretty surprising for a G7 country.

Furthermore, Bill C-12 does not include the retroactive one-time payment that the government promised in the December 2021 economic statement as compensation for the reductions that have already been made. We unfortunately do not have details on how the payment will be calculated, but we hope that it will be paid automatically and that the seniors affected will not have to do anything at all. One thing is for sure, seniors have had to wait far too long for this compensation and for their full benefits to be restored. The government only made the announcement on December 17, 2021, in a news release that stated the following:

The CERB and the CRB were designed to provide financial support to employed and self-employed Canadians directly affected by COVID-19. The Government of Canada recognizes that some GIS and Allowance recipients are now facing lower benefit payments this year because of the income they received from these pandemic benefits.

It took the government several months, way too long, to admit there had been a mistake, and now it is taking way too long to act. It is deeply disrespectful to these senior workers who have been impacted by this problem since July. The problem is affecting their financial resources and their ability to buy essentials.

What is really disappointing is that the government is once again attacking a deeply vulnerable population. Everyone knew CERB was taxable income, but when people's income is low enough to qualify for GIS, they do not pay much tax. For GIS beneficiaries who collected CERB, the problem is a simple one. For every CERB dollar they got, the federal government would claw back 50 cents from their GIS. That amounts to a federal tax rate of 50%. We can all agree that is too high.

It is important to note that no one in the federal government informed GIS recipients that their CERB income would literally melt away their GIS benefits. The Bloc Québécois sees this as a major injustice that constitutes prejudicial and appalling treatment. The FADOQ network described the situation as a tragedy. Compensation is urgently needed. The government has known this for a long time, but has not acted accordingly.

Need I remind members of the huge inflationary surge that occurred in 2021? The inflation rate in December was 4.8%, the highest it has been in over 35 years. Prices went up even more for many essential goods. Grocery prices rose by 5.7% year over year, the largest increase in a decade, while housing prices rose by 9.3% relative to December 2020.

It is the most vulnerable, especially people living on fixed incomes, such as seniors, who feel the greatest impact. It is outrageous that the government is doing this to our seniors.

Another big disappointment is that Bill C-12 will not end the inequity between GIS recipients who applied for CERB through the CRA and those who applied at Service Canada. It is important to remember that CERB was administered by the Canada Revenue Agency and Service Canada.

In certain circumstances, when pension income is reduced from 1 year to the next, claimants may request that their benefits be recalculated on the basis of an estimate of their income for the current calendar year. This is known as the “GIS option”.

We have criticized the fact the “GIS option” is available only to claimants who received CERB through Service Canada, not those who received it through the Canada Revenue Agency.

Indeed, only CERB benefits issued by Service Canada have been legally constituted as EI and are eligible for a “GIS option” review. CERB should be treated the same for all GIS calculating purposes, whether it was issued by Service Canada or the Canada Revenue Agency.

Pandemic-related assistance programs were brought in quickly. However, by the summer of 2021, in other words 15 months after the pandemic began, there were no more excuses for the government to keep reproducing this inconsistency to the detriment of seniors. The government should have used the bill to correct this gap, but clearly it missed the boat yet again.

In conclusion, the COVID 19 pandemic has affected a lot of people and businesses since the beginning of 2020, but that is nothing compared to the consequences it has had on the senior population with respect to both their physical and mental health, as well as their financial health.

The government is offering a solution that can be described as too little, too late. Once again, that shows that the government is MIA when it is time to help seniors. I would remind the House that this is the same government that chose to create 2 classes of seniors by increasing OAS only for those 75 and up.

Let us not forget that financial insecurity does not wait for a person to turn 75 to strike. To fix the problem, the Bloc Québécois has proposed that the OAS be increased by $110 a month for all seniors 65 and up. What do the Liberals propose?

They propose a 1 time, non-recurring cheque for $500 for seniors who will be 75 or older as of June 2022. Pre-election smoke and mirrors: such is the Liberal way of governing. With that decision, the Liberals are sending a very negative message to the 970,000 pensioners in Quebec aged 65 to 74, telling them that they do not matter.

In my opinion, Bill C-12, as presented and without the changes proposed by the Bloc Québécois, demonstrates that the government is ignoring the most vulnerable seniors, and that is deeply disappointing. When we watch what this Liberal government is doing, we have the impression that it is downplaying the problem and expecting it to fix itself, which seems to be the norm recently.

We have before us a bill that does seek to fix a problematic situation, but it is flawed. We expected better from the government, after it took so long to address such a serious situation. The people who spent their lives building the society in which we live today deserve more respect from the federal government. The Bloc Québécois will always be there to stand up for seniors.

Platform

House of Commons Debate on Bill C-2

Date

November 29, 2021

Statements/quotes

Madam Speaker, we welcome the fact that the tourism and hospitality sectors were included in Bill C-2. However, the bill does not currently cover upstream industries in the supply chains of those sectors, such as aircraft or bus manufacturers, or those that manufacture goods for the tourism and hospitality sectors.

My question is this: Do you think that the list currently included in Bill C 2 is exhaustive?

Platform

House of Commons Debate on Bill C-2

Date

November 26, 2021

Statements/quotes

The Bloc Québécois is very concerned about seniors. The Bloc Québécois is fighting to put an end to the 2 age groups being used to determine eligibility of the benefits. As members know, the pandemic hit seniors hard, in terms of both finances and their health.

Platform

House of Commons Debate on Bill C-2

Date

November 26, 2021

Statements/quotes

The self-employed in the field of culture are the great forgotten of this law. They are no longer covered by the emergency measures.

The Bloc Québécois is also very concerned about the labor shortage. Although this situation existed before the crisis, we know that certain measures such as the PCRE have aggravated this situation. That is why we are calling for more targeted measures, because we still need to help workers in hardest hit sectors.

The government is sending mixed signals by abandoning certain sections of the population. I would add that the Bloc Québécois has been asking for a reform of Employment Insurance for a long time. We need to have a system that is accessible to self-employed people.

The Bloc Québécois is campaigning for there to be no more 2 sections of seniors. We want to study the bill in committee to address these issues.(translated)

Platform

BQ Platform

Date

Fall 2021 Campaign

Statements/quotes

Proposes improvements t the EI program, offering coverage to self-employed workers and improved coverage for seasonal workers.

Platform

Interview with news outlet

Date

October 22, 2021

Statements/quotes

“One thing I'd like to see is more targeted initiatives and programs for entrepreneurs, for businesspeople. I think they've received a lot of help, but actually some of the help was counterproductive,”

“The wage subsidy is one thing, but then on the other hand, the individual help that some people are receiving is actually making the shortage of workers even worse.