Bill C-15 (Historical)

Canada Emergency Student Benefit Act

An Act respecting Canada emergency student benefits (coronavirus disease 2019)

This enactment authorizes the payment of Canada emergency student benefits to students who lost work and income opportunities for reasons related to the coronavirus disease 2019.

Canada Emergency Student Benefit Act

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I want to pick up on what my colleague said about the investments that we need to make. This is not just some kind of stop-gap emergency. The whole Canadian notion of our economy and our social life has broken down and the investments we make will pave the way for a stronger and more resilient Canada.

One of the areas that has always concerned me is the breach of trust with post-secondary students who have enormous debts and have come out into the gig economy. We see contract professors barely making minimum wage. When COVID-19 hit, within two weeks, many people who had post-secondary degrees, who had put so much effort into improving themselves, did not have enough money to pay for rent and to get through, and yet we have the Prime Minister saying they should call on mom and dad to help them out. To me, it speaks to an attitude. The Prime Minister believes that this middle class exists. It has not existed for a long time. It is the gig economy, it is the precarious economy.

What steps will we take coming out of this to learn the lesson that never again should Canadians be left in such a precarious situation with so little financial support at the end of the month, particularly if they have spent so much in student debt to better themselves?

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Timmins—James Bay has touched on a lot of what we need to consider when we move forward.

We have seen in this crisis a lot of the glaring inequality laid bare. It has shown what we have known for a long time and has made it abundantly clear that what happened in the past was not good enough, the precarious employment that people suffered, the lack of social programs and a social safety net that was not designed for the realities that people are facing right now. That is why we need to not only waive interest on student debt, but also need to look at supports.

People no longer have the benefits they once had. That is why we need a head-to-toe health care system that covers people when it comes to their mental health, medications or dental care. We need to make sure that we are investing in people, and we have an opportunity to do that right now. When we make choices in the following weeks, months and years, we can make choices to build a better future, not to return to normal but build a better future, where we do not see some of these inequalities laid bare again, but where we are more resilient and have a fair society where people can achieve their greatness and full potential.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is a rare opportunity to ask a follow-up question of the hon. member for Burnaby South.

As we look to the post-pandemic world, we may all agree in this place that we may not want to bounce backwards, but instead bounce forwards. Looking at where these social inequalities were laid bare, I want to speak to the ones that we now see, to our shame, with seniors homes. We have too much of what looks like the for-profit warehousing of seniors in a situation where we would have thought that our elders would be treated with greater dignity and as part of our health care system.

I would just like to ask the member for Burnaby South for his thoughts on this.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for this question because it gives us an opportunity to talk about the impact of decades of neglect of our health care system.

Decades of federal government cuts, Conservative or Liberal, to health care have resulted in health care provincial systems that have been starved of funding. The worst examples of this neglect, the horrible toll of this neglect, are the conditions in long-term care homes, where seniors who should be able to retire with dignity, safety and security, where family members should have confidence in knowing that their loved ones will be cared for are now, instead, seeing these as sites of some of the worst conditions. As the member pointed out, it is often and mostly the for-profit and privatized long-term care homes where we see some of the worst conditions.

More than ever, we need to commit to no longer allowing the for-profit model of health care, particularly for vulnerable people like seniors. We need to invest more in our health care system and make sure that workers at long-term care homes are paid a good salary so they do not need to work at multiple homes where there is an increased risk of the spread of an infection. We need to do a lot more to treat the people who have sacrificed so much, the seniors who have given their whole lives to this country. They should be able to retire with dignity, and long-term care homes should be places of security and safety, not what we have seen, places where COVID-19 has had the worst toll.

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by acknowledging my constituents in Ottawa—Vanier who have stayed in touch with me since the beginning of this crisis and shared their ideas and concerns. It is truly by working together in our community that we can support Canadians and especially those in my riding, Ottawa—Vanier.

I am also grateful to be able to address the House on COVID-19 and the supplementary measures we are taking to further help Canadians throughout this unprecedented situation.

During these extraordinary times, the realities of the job market change every day. The government continues to look for ways to offer programs and support that work for all Canadians, including students and young people, as we deal with this pandemic.

Through the Canada emergency response benefit, the government has created a financial aid package to support Canadians in these unprecedented circumstances. This benefit provides Canadians who are no longer working because of the COVID-19 pandemic and those whose hours have been considerably reduced an amount of $2,000 every four weeks for up to 16 weeks.

Over 1.9 million applications have been processed to date under EI and the Canada emergency response benefit. These numbers are simply incredible and give us an idea of the number of people who are financially impacted by this pandemic. However, the government realized that certain Canadians were falling through the cracks and were not eligible to get the help they needed with the existing CERB criteria. This is why today we are proposing to take the next step in our approach to supporting all Canadians who need it most during this pandemic.

It is now time to look more closely at the situation of Canadian students, because they need specific help and support. Right now, as they are self-isolating like everyone else in the country, many Canadian post-secondary students are left wondering how they are going to provide for themselves. Even students from the University of Ottawa and La Cité Collégiale in my riding have been reaching out to find out how we will support them.

Whereas they would usually ask their parents for help, they now have to face the harsh reality that mom and dad are probably having a hard time meeting their own needs during this crisis.

Some students are eligible for the Canada emergency response benefit. Students who earned less than $5,000 in the past year and those who were working but lost their jobs because of COVID-19 are eligible, but many other students are not. More than one million post-secondary students may not be eligible for the COVID-19 CERB.

Students are facing some serious problems. Their studies have been interrupted, they have fewer job opportunities, and all of their co-op, internship and community service opportunities are up in the air. As a result, young people are worried and wondering what to do.

The government wants to make sure that young people know they matter and that we are there for them in these difficult times. That is why we are proposing this complementary bill to the Government of Canada's COVID-19 economic response plan, which already commits $146 billion in direct support for Canadians and businesses through these unprecedented times. It is the next logical step.

Our comprehensive package of measures for students will allow the government to implement a range of measures designed to help three broad groups of young people: students, job seekers and youth looking for service opportunities. As the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion previously explained in more detail, the Canada emergency student benefit is the largest piece of the framework. It will provide immediate help to support students right across the country.

In a nutshell, it would provide $1,250 a month, from May to August, to post-secondary students and recent graduates who cannot find summer employment due to COVID-19. Students who care for dependants or have a disability would receive an additional $500 a month for a total of $1,750 a month. High school graduates entering post-secondary education would also be eligible. The government expects that more than one million students and recent graduates would benefit from this financial support.

To help students with fall tuition, the Canada student loans program would double student grants, lower expected contributions and expand eligibility for student loans and grants. This would be in addition to the six-month interest moratorium on repayment of student loans. All student loan borrowers automatically had their repayments suspended until September 30, 2020. No payment is required and interest will not accrue during this time. All of these measures will make students' lives a little less stressful during these difficult times.

Since our government rolled out the CERB, questions have been asked in the public sphere regarding the concept of a national universal basic income. We are listening. These questions deserve to be properly considered and debated in due course, but now is not the time.

From the beginning of this crisis, we have had to adapt to the changing reality of the pandemic. Given the urgency of the situation, the government had to act quickly, very quickly. Millions of Canadians needed financial assistance so they could pay their rent, buy groceries and support their families. Fortunately, many Canadians are still getting a paycheque and do not need emergency funds to pay the bills.

However, we needed to provide support quickly for those who needed it, and our biggest priority was making sure that the help got to those who needed it the most. This being the end of April and the beginning of May, now is the time when post-secondary studies and school terms end and when students are looking for summer jobs. Of course, that is not going to happen as easily this year and these students might not be eligible to apply for the CERB. That is why we require Parliament's approval to move forward with the Canada emergency student benefit, which is the next logical step to help more Canadians in need to get through this pandemic.

By tabling Bill C-15, our government is telling Canadian students that they are important, that their plans for the future are important, and that we are here to help them and support them. We are all in the same boat, and we remain committed to helping all Canadians in these difficult times.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this is Bill C-15. Bill C-13 was the first wage subsidy and first emergency bill, which the government did not get right. It listened and brought Bill C-14 forward. I am hoping, therefore, that we might see a bill C-16 so that we can actually fix this new project.

With half of the $9 billion the Liberals are committing overall to student relief, they could massively increase the Canada summer jobs grant and allow half of that investment to trickle down to small and medium-sized businesses and farms and provide relief for many of the front-line essential services, as well as jobs for students in return for the money. There would still be enough money left over for a $1,000 tuition credit for all students, at half of the overall cost of this program.

For the minister in charge of the middle class and those working hard to join it, why is the government's program so structured to prevent people from working? We should incentivize work, and wherever that government investment in students can trickle down to small businesses and farms, why would we not do it that way?

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, also as associate minister of finance, I have been looking at different ways to help students from different fields and different realities across the country, to see how our supports can help them during this summer period and also prepare them for the fall. We have developed different measures to support these students. In the youth employment and skills strategy, we are investing $153.7 million to help youth develop the skills and gain the experience they need to successfully transition into the labour market. We are also changing the youth employment and skills strategy, Canada's summer jobs program, by extending it until next February to make it more flexible. As well, we are creating the student work placement program to support up to 20,000 post-secondary students across Canada to obtain paid work experience. We have looked at the needs of students across the country, and that it why we are proposing these measures.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, when COVID hit, university students started saying that their future was in peril. Suddenly, their work disappeared, and their student debts are massive. We see that the federal government has actually started telling students who they normally hire for research that it is not hiring them this year because of COVID, and so the federal government is not stepping up. Yet, for a 15-year-old who made $5,000 last year, he or she would be eligible for $2,000 a month. For a full-time post-secondary student who is now unable to work, he or she would get $1,250 a month. That makes no sense, and it speaks, I believe, to an attitude about university students that they are somehow there for a lark. When so many of them have had to go back to school, and so many of them have massive levels of debt already, to say that $1,250 is enough to get by just does not make sense.

How does the government justify this two-tier standard in response to emergency measures, given that for other people the government has recognized that a bottom line of $2,000 a month is the minimum that one needs?

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for the conversation we are having today, and I believe that we have a broad set of programs and supports for students all over Canada.

The member mentioned research. I can tell him that we are increasing by $291.6 million, through the federal granting councils, to support up to 40,000 student researchers and post-doctoral fellows. This is really important for students who are in research to continue their studies, and we will continue to support them.

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Minister of Small Business]

Mr. Speaker, it is incredible for us to be debating this today.

Today's youth are tomorrow's leaders, and, indeed, they are the future of Canada. For me, it sort of hits to the heart, because before coming to this place I spent many years at an incredible post-secondary institution. I saw these incredible young people contribute their ideas, service, research and entrepreneurship to create that next venture and contribute to Canada's economy.

COVID-19 has been really hard. It has been hard for our young people and hard for students. I would love for the minister to talk to us about how this benefit is going to help those incredible young people and students here in Canada.

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his question. I will answer in French to make sure there is a balance in the House.

I would like to say that, in preparing these emergency measures for students, we consulted with student associations. We talked to students across the country to find out how we could better support them in this time of crisis. That is why we are offering this series of programs that will help them to get through the summer and prepare for the fall.

I would like to say that the Canada summer jobs program is a solution that will help many students. What is more, many other programs, such as the Canada student service grant, will help many students across the country gain volunteer experience and get experience in their field.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I know the minister has a warm place in her heart for Oshawa and I hope to welcome her there for her next tournament, perhaps when this pandemic is over. I know that she believes in students and our young people, as we do on this side of the House. I like the fact that she is reaching out for the conversation side of things because here, in the Conservative Party, we have different ideas. The hon. member for Durham put forward a good idea.

Conservatives have proposed that the government create a program to match students and youth employees with jobs in the agriculture sector. It would be like the Canada summer jobs program where the program would cover the minimum wage for the new student, but then the wage could be supplemented by an employer. Of course, the employers would look after health and safety, but this way the student would get a higher salary for their job, put more money into their pockets at the end of the summer, but also allow employers who need that labour to get out there.

Is the minister open to supporting a program like that? I would love her answer to that question.

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for his invitation. I have been in Oshawa many times in the past year for volleyball tournaments and it is always a great honour to go to his riding. My kids were playing volleyball, of course, but I support them, I am a mom.

Let us get back to the seriousness of this. We know we need to enhance these programs and we have to identify jobs that will give these students an opportunity to work during the summer. I believe the agriculture sector has been encouraging students to go and work. We will help by encouraging students to go work in the agriculture sector during the summer.

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, one of the interesting comments that my hon. colleague made across the way during her speech, was that now is not the time for this benefit to become universal and maybe they would look at it again at some point. I cannot imagine any other time than now to ensure that everybody is covered and has the supports that they need.

The Liberals had four years in government before to bring forward a universal basic income, but they failed to do that. Hopefully it is something that they move forward with seriously. We come back here time after time to fix these issues that arise from the fact that all of these people are falling through the cracks.

Could the minister explain why not making this a universal benefit is the best policy?

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as I was mentioning in my speech, we think that we should have a conversation at some point, but this is not the time. Currently, we are unwavering in our commitment to support Canadians who are facing hardship during this challenging time. Rather than sending a modest amount to every Canadian, we chose to send money to those who are impacted by COVID-19. As the Canada emergency response benefit helps by providing $2,000 a month to those who have lost income, that is one of the solutions.

We are also making sure that employers, who have been hit the hardest, will continue to pay their employees with the Canada emergency wage subsidy. We will continue to work with our hon. colleagues to make sure we can support all Canadians.