My purpose today is to speak to the changes occurring as a result of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 22, 2017, specifically changes to the maternity and parental leave benefits from the Employment Insurance Act and Canada Labour Code.
For those of you who are not familiar with my story, it was the inspiration behind MP Mark Gerretsen's private member's bill, Bill C-243, an act respecting the development of a national maternity assistance program strategy and amending the Employment Insurance Act.
In 2014, I unexpectedly became pregnant. At the time, I was working a dangerous job. I was not able to continue in my position with my employer while pregnant, due to the many hazards of the job, and my employer was not able to offer me accommodation by way of a suitable temporary position. I discovered then that there was no coverage, federal or otherwise, for an early pregnancy leave from a dangerous job. I became very entangled in our system, dependant on programs that weren't designed to sustain me in my situation.
I campaigned the issue to the 41st Parliament, without result. Not one to give up easily, once the 42nd Parliament had settled in, I took the issue up again with my new local MP. From there, in an effort to amend the issue, Bill C-243 was created.
My early maternity leave and parental leave was a tumultuous time in my life, wherein I a gained a lot of insight into what it's like to be a vulnerable person, failed by our social system. I am now in what I call “the hamster wheel of poverty,” having to constantly concern myself with housing, moving, affording basic needs, and parenting, with little energy and resources left to actually improve my situation.
This is the result of a social system that has not kept up with both the cost of living and the diverse needs of the population. This is what happens when cost of living is not delivered, and it's worth considering that I am more expensive to society in the hamster wheel than if I had just had a proper leave program to begin with.
I hadn't expected to fall into a federal aid gap. I didn't know there was one. To say I am disappointed with my maternity leave experience is an understatement. I am devastated, but I'm also solution driven, and playing a part in improving the system is giving purpose to my pain and allowing me to move on. While the upcoming changes to the maternity leave from the budget tabled on March 22, 2017 are what can be best described as a small step forward in the right direction, they are most welcome all the same.
I've noted a common theme from families and professionals offering feedback on the maternity and parental leave program in Canada, and that is simply the ability to customize a leave that works best for their growing family. Our circumstances, abilities, priorities and aspirations are so varied in this country. As Canadians, we need options that acknowledge those diverse needs.
I am pleased to see this budget allows for the addition of an extended leave option and more flexibility in timing the start of maternity leave. I must, however, criticize the payment of parental benefits over a long period, at a lower benefit rate of 33%. The lower rate disincentivizes use and is less likely to be found as a viable option to low-income or single-parent families, but it is an option that adds flexibility for some families, and with the attitude that it can be improved upon in the future, I support it.
While I understand that protecting the 15-week maternity leave period from the pressures of work for the purpose of safeguarding health and allowing child-parent bonding is extremely important, I encourage you all to look at parental leave a bit differently, because 33% of most people's income is not going to meet their cost of living. Either the federal government needs to meet the cost of living, or the regulations restricting income earning on parental leave need to change. People from low-income households especially are being alienated from these services. Adding flexibility for low-income people, without added cost to the government, is key in broadening Canadians' abilities to customize their parental leave.
I am not aware of an EI program that allows for a combination of receiving benefits while partially working, but if the federal government cannot afford to offer the cost of living during parental leave, then it's not useful to low-income families. For these families, or even parents in competitive careers who are torn between quality time with their children and not falling behind at work or on bills, please consider it. Consider, for example, that in a typical 40-hour work week, 22% of pay—the difference in this case—comes from just nine hours of work.
Consider allowing a recipient of parental leave, who does not otherwise receive a top-up from work, or whose income is below a threshold, to select the 18-month leave and top themselves up by working up to 18 hours in a biweekly period, or 22%, if they wish.
This flexibility would benefit low-income families. The result would be six days a week with their child instead of forgoing the program and only getting an average of two. While working to strengthen the middle class, let's make sure we're dropping ladders down the poverty pit, so that the middle class is not strengthened on the backs of people in poverty.
I applaud Minister Morneau's tabled budget changes for maternity and parental leaves and the government's efforts in improving the system.
Thank you.