Thank you.
Minister, I would like to address the Canada summer jobs program. While there are changes to address the COVID-19 crisis and organizations can now have 100% of the funding for the positions, the global funding for all of our ridings has not increased.
In my riding of Vancouver East, even in the best of times, more than half of the organizations are recommended for funding, but there's no money available to support their work in support of students. In this instance, only about a third of the organizations may be able to get some resources; the vast majority of them would not. I hope you will look at that issue and ensure that there's an increase in budget in order to support the work of students on the ground.
The other issue I want to bring up is that, for the student benefit that was just announced, the Prime Minister used the deadline of December graduation for students to qualify for it. I have a constituent who wrote immediately. She graduated in November as opposed to December 2019, and now she is out.
There are these nuanced situations, and that is hugely problematic. I hope there can be flexibility with respect to that.
Perhaps I can get a quick response from you, Minister.