SummarySpren for "S-209, An Act respecting Pandemic Observance Day"
- • The Bloc Québécois supports the designation of March 11 as Pandemic Observance Day to honor those who lost their lives to COVID-19 and to acknowledge the work of healthcare workers and essential employees who could not work from home.
• The pandemic has highlighted the importance of preserving biodiversity to reduce the risks and impact of global warming and its effects on our health, and the Bloc Québécois calls for quick action to protect biodiversity and the planet.
- • The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of care work and the need to recognize and compensate caregivers appropriately, as they are essential to the health and well-being of society.
• The Liberal government needs to take action to improve working conditions for caregivers, including making the Canada Caregiver Credit refundable and providing status for immigrant care workers, and address the systemic issues of gender discrimination and racism in the care economy.
- • The speaker is introducing a bill to designate March 11 as Pandemic Observance Day in Canada, to honor the over 6.8 million people who have died of COVID-19 globally, including over 51,000 in Canada, and to recognize the sacrifices of frontline workers and the impact of the pandemic on the health and mental well-being of Canadians.
• The speaker emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the losses and learning from the pandemic, and notes that this day of observance would not solve all the issues, but would signal the importance of recognizing the collective grief and working towards a new way forward.