44th Parl. 1st Sess.
September 20, 2022 10:00AM
- Sep/20/22 2:41:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the day we have been fearing for months is upon us. The temporary EI measures will end on September 25. The minister has yet to present a comprehensive reform of the system. Workers will fall right back into the EI gap as the system reverts to the status quo, leaving six in 10 workers behind. That is not an option.
September 25 is in five days. The minister needs to get moving. Does she at least plan to renew the temporary measures in the meantime?
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- Sep/20/22 2:42:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, during the pandemic, we put in place temporary EI measures to help address the extraordinary economic circumstances at the time: shutdowns, lockdowns, job losses. We continue to move forward with our economic policies that focus on addressing labour shortages and that focus on making sure Canadians have money in their pockets, such as the one-time increase in the GST credit and the dental care program.
Workers continue to have access to EI. Workers who are currently on EI are not impacted by anything, moving forward. We are winding down COVID measures, but I can assure every worker in Canada that they still have access to EI.
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- Sep/20/22 2:42:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that is not true, and it is a shame that we are forced to demand that the government renew the temporary measures because the minister did not do her job. She needs to completely overhaul EI. She was mandated by the Prime Minister himself. It is clearly set out in her mandate letter. Not only must the minister present a plan, but she was also meant to implement reforms by summer 2022. Summer 2022 is over and the minister has once again shown up empty-handed.
When will she present a comprehensive EI reform?
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- Sep/20/22 2:43:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in recognition of the fact that seasonal workers are still struggling, we are extending the seasonal worker pilot to make sure that we address the black hole. We are committed to modernizing the EI system. We are working very hard, through the consultations, to make sure stakeholders have a say. Workers, unions and businesses, everybody is at the table. I have committed to putting forth this vision by the end of this year and we will do just that.
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- Sep/20/22 2:44:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what will it take for the minister to make serious reforms to EI?
Workers' groups have been consulted. There have been two consultations, so the problems and solutions have been identified.
The minister has a mandate, so what more will it take? Why is she abandoning workers?
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- Sep/20/22 2:44:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to remind everybody in the House of our commitment to extend EI sickness benefits from 15 to 26 weeks. That will be in place by the end of the year. By the end of this year, workers will have access to 26 weeks of EI sickness benefits.
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- Sep/20/22 2:50:40 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, this Liberal government will change the rules for EI, making it harder for workers to get the benefits that they have earned.
Canadian workers are caught between a rock and a hard place. On one side we have the Liberals punishing workers by cutting EI and keeping their wages at rock bottom, and on the other side we have Conservatives intent on abandoning workers altogether who are hardest hit by this economy. At a time when workers are struggling with the rising cost of living, this Liberal government is choosing to make them suffer more.
Will this Liberal government immediately stop the changes to EI and finally fix the broken system?
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- Sep/20/22 2:51:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as our COVID pandemic economic measures wind down, I can assure everyone in this House that we continue to support workers and we continue to be there for workers. We are working very hard to modernize the EI system. EI for sickness will be in place up to 26 weeks by the end of this year.
I would also remind everyone here that we have recovered 113% of the jobs lost during the pandemic. We have an incredibly low unemployment rate. Our economic rebound has been incredibly extraordinary given everything this world is going through at this time.
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- Sep/20/22 3:01:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we are a bit hesitant to take advice from that side on EI considering that when the current Leader of the Opposition was in charge of EI in 2015, workers paid 20% more into EI than they do today in a system that was not as generous as it is today.
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