Evidence of meeting #53 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was families.
A recording is available from Parliament.
10:25 a.m.
Some hon. members
Oh, oh!
10:25 a.m.
Liberal
Rodger Cuzner Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS
I'll make a comment that really sprang from the last witness. Perhaps I could direct this to Mr. Moreau. It's with regard to the stacking provisions, and I'll use a line that's often used by the government benches, ad nauseam. On the stacking provisions, as I understood it...I was reaching to find where the big benefit was for the witness, because I thought those provisions were already there. I got clarification from Ms. Leitch on it.
Mr. Moreau, in your testimony you said those stacking provisions already existed under former Bill C-49, which was presented in the House in 2002 and which the Conservatives voted against. The Conservatives, the Reformers, the Alliance—whatever they might have been at that time—voted against those provisions.
You said, and you made reference that you've successfully argued this point, that those provisions exist.
Can we have your comments on it?
10:25 a.m.
Lawyer, Cavalluzzo Hayes Shilton McIntyre & Cornish LLP
My comment is this. I don't want to be too partisan, Mr. Cuzner, but I will say—
10:25 a.m.
Lawyer, Cavalluzzo Hayes Shilton McIntyre & Cornish LLP
—I do support Bill C-44 because it's clarifying the existence of this sickness benefit during a parental leave. If you want the absolute, frank, honest truth—as in, what does the law provide for today, with or without Bill C-44?—since March 3, 2002, by removing the anti-stacking or by removing what we call the caps, it has already provided for the provision of a sickness benefit during parental leave.
On the example you mentioned about a case...Ms. Rougas was my client. She was given a sickness benefit even though she got cancer in the middle of her parental leave. She was given that because of the Liberal amendments in 2002 to Bill C-49.
10:25 a.m.
Liberal
Rodger Cuzner Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS
Great. We appreciate that. Thank you.
Ms. MacEwen, I'd like to give you an opportunity, if you could, to speak about the disproportionality for women, and the impacts. You said that two out of five or three out of five don't qualify for EI right now. Could you elaborate more on the disproportionality of the impacts on women?
10:25 a.m.
Senior Economist, Canadian Labour Congress
Sure. Right now it's actually men and women. Fewer than two out of five workers qualify for EI right now, for regular benefits. It's again because women more often work part time. When they work full time, they work fewer hours. On average, women work 30 hours a week, and they tend to have lower wages, so when they do qualify, their benefits are lower. On average, women's benefits are $60 a week lower than men's. They're less likely to qualify. I think about 35% of unemployed women right now qualify for benefits, and 39% to 40% of men qualify for benefits. These men and women are not in isolation; they're in families.
10:30 a.m.
Liberal
Rodger Cuzner Liberal Cape Breton—Canso, NS
Yes. That would have an impact, because I still think the primary caregiver remains....
10:30 a.m.
Senior Economist, Canadian Labour Congress
It does very often, partly because of the wage gap. If you're going to forego an income, very often the choice is to forego the lower income. More often now, that is the male income. More and more men are taking parental leave, but still the overwhelming majority, 74%, of compassionate care benefit recipients are women and 90% of maternity and parental benefits are women.
10:30 a.m.
NDP
The Vice-Chair NDP Chris Charlton
Thank you very much, Mr. Cuzner.
Thank you very much, Ms. MacEwen and Mr. Moreau. It's been a pleasure having you here this morning. Thank you very much, particularly for your testimony with respect to the changes to EI.
We'll now move on to other committee business.
Mr. Butt.
10:30 a.m.
Conservative
Brad Butt Conservative Mississauga—Streetsville, ON
Madam Chairman, are we suspending or are we just going into committee business?
10:30 a.m.
NDP
10:30 a.m.
Conservative
Brad Butt Conservative Mississauga—Streetsville, ON
Okay, thank you. I would move that we go in camera to deal with committee business.
10:30 a.m.
NDP
The Vice-Chair NDP Chris Charlton
All right, then. I'll suspend for a couple of minutes so that we can move in camera.
[Proceedings continue in camera]