Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My thanks to the committee members for being here today and for inviting ministers Hajdu, Qualtrough, Tassi and myself to join you. I would also like to acknowledge the presence of officials from Employment and Social Development Canada.
We are gathered on the traditional territory of the Algonquin Nation.
Let me begin by acknowledging the wonderful work your committee has done on private members' motion M-110. The motion asked you to undertake a study on the impact of infant death on parents. It is a highly sensitive subject, but you handled it with great respect and diligence.
I would also like to take a few moments to review the measures we have recently taken to help workers, parents and family caregivers access EI benefits in a more flexible, inclusive and easier way.
Firstly, let me point out that decreased premiums mean that workers will have paid up to $70 less for premiums in 2019, compared to what they paid in 2015. In addition, by October 2019, nearly 5 million claimants will have benefited from the reduced waiting period, which has gone from two weeks to one week. The figure is correct: 5 million claimants.
Finally, families can now choose to receive parental benefits for 12 months, or 18 months at a lower benefit rate. New support measures are available to help care for a family member with a serious injury or illness.
As you can see, our government is working very hard to keep its word. We promised to implement measures that would help middle-class Canadians first and foremost. We want to help more people join the middle class and that is precisely what we are doing and will continue to do in the coming months.
By October 2019, an estimated 57,000 parents will choose the extended parental benefits option to better meet their family needs. Approximately 61,000 families will receive shared parental benefits, which will promote equality between men and women, among other things. About 24,000 caregivers will use the new caregiver benefits to provide support to a loved one.
In short, employment insurance now offers more choice, flexibility and generosity to families and caregivers. I am proud of these major improvements that we have implemented together. I am equally proud of the progress we are making to reduce poverty in Canada.
Once again, I would like to thank the committee for its valuable work during its study entitled “Breaking the Cycle: A Study on Poverty Reduction”, the report for which was tabled in the House of Commons in May 2017. Your report provided very useful and relevant recommendations to the government and was most helpful in our joint efforts to develop the first Canadian Poverty Reduction Strategy.
Last August, we launched “Opportunity for All: Canada's First Poverty Reduction Strategy.” With this in mind, we also drafted and introduced Bill C-87, An Act Respecting the Reduction of Poverty. Our goal is to reduce poverty by 20% by the year 2020, and by 50% by the year 2030.
Allow me also to mention the Canada Child Benefit, the first ever National Housing Strategy in our country's history, and the Reaching Home Program, which is a key component of our country's new National Housing Strategy.
In closing, I would like to say how proud I am of the work we have done together to improve the social and economic well-being of all Canadians in the middle class, and those working hard to join it.
We have kept our promises so far, but much remains to be done. Our collective efforts will enable us to get there.
I look forward to continuing the excellent collaboration we have had with you to build on this momentum for the benefit of all Canadians.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.