Evidence of meeting #11 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was income.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Kate Young Liberal London West, ON
In your speech at the start of this committee, you mentioned the pilot program for marginalized women, and you said that it was going to be a game-changer. What will make it so special?
Liberal
Carla Qualtrough Liberal Delta, BC
Again, taking a broader, inclusive approach to our programs, we recognize that we have to take broad measures that will target all workers. As examples, we had employment programs for indigenous individuals and persons with disabilities. We had a women's entrepreneurship initiative, but not really a project targeting women and the barriers they face to get into the workforce.
This is exactly what this does, providing tailored support for women, whatever that looks like, and piloting it, trying to figure out the best ways we can help remove those barriers, help provide those wraparound supports, working from the perspective of the worker at the centre who is a woman. I think we've never done this before, and it was time to do it.
Liberal
Liberal
Carla Qualtrough Liberal Delta, BC
Yes. I don't even think that's up for discussion anymore. As I've said before, this pandemic has sidelined our women and it has front-lined our women. We have women being the hardest hit by the economic side of this and being at the forefront of our public health response at the same time. We absolutely risk losing a lot of the gains we've made in the women's movement if we don't very strategically target and support women to recover from this pandemic.
Liberal
Bloc
Louise Chabot Bloc Thérèse-De Blainville, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good evening, Minister Qualtrough.
Thank you again for being available and for being here. We would have liked to meet with you in person.
I'll continue along the same lines. I don't doubt your sensitivity towards people with disabilities. However, as you just said, we have concerns about the status of women in the labour market. My questions won't surprise you, since I asked them in the House.
We have a major concern tied to this issue. This concern has nothing to do with the quality of officials at either Service Canada or the Canada Revenue Agency. It involves employment insurance and all the women who must wait—I say “women” because most of them are women—because they've been on maternity leave under the Quebec parental insurance plan in the past few months. Some people have been waiting for 10 weeks, and others for two months. These people are no longer employed, and there are no prospects. This is a problem.
Can you ensure that, within a few hours or days, or before Christmas, this gap in file processing guidelines will be addressed?
Liberal
Carla Qualtrough Liberal Delta, BC
I know that our offices have been working very closely together on the issue. The specific issue I think you're referring to is when individuals transition from the Quebec parental insurance program to EI, and the delay that people have been experiencing. We know this is unacceptable.
I'm pleased that many of the files of people in these circumstances have been resolved. We believe we're at the point now where we've streamlined the process. The reality is that we have to independently and manually verify—it is not an automated process—both that the individual hasn't been receiving two types of benefits at the same time, that the individual hasn't exceeded the 50-week total they're entitled to, as well as the interplay, if any, between having received CERB and.... It's not that it would impact their entitlement to weeks of benefits, but of course, you can't be receiving benefits at the same time. Having all of that in the mix means it is taking longer for people to get their benefits. That's unacceptable.
I think we're there, Madame Chabot, but I'm sorry it's taken us so long.
Bloc
Louise Chabot Bloc Thérèse-De Blainville, QC
A few cases have been resolved, and this has been acknowledged. However, there are still hundreds of cases left. Not all of them have been brought to your attention. The issue is the same, so the response should be the same. I urge you to remain vigilant in this area.
I have another concern. It involves employment insurance. The Auditor General clearly stated today that the employment insurance fund deficit could amount to $52 billion.
Can you reassure us about this? As you know, the system couldn't sustain this type of deficit.
Can you tell us whether there's another accounting approach? A large portion of this amount is related to emergency measures, and not to the regular employment insurance system.
Can you give us any answers?
Liberal
Carla Qualtrough Liberal Delta, BC
I'll quickly answer the first part of the question and say that absolutely I am watching these files personally and am committed to getting these dollars out as quickly as possible.
I'm going to ask either Mark or Graham to answer the EI account question, because their answers will be much more succinct than mine.
Mark Perlman Chief Financial Officer and Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Department of Employment and Social Development
I could take that one.
Chief Financial Officer and Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Department of Employment and Social Development
With the EI account, initially what was happening is that charges related to the EI emergency response benefit were coming out of the EI account, just because of the way our systems were laid out. But there was an announcement made by the government to reimburse the EI account for the impacts of the EI ERB, so it will be held harmless. Any amounts that were used for that particular purpose will be reimbursed.
Bloc
Louise Chabot Bloc Thérèse-De Blainville, QC
Thank you.
I have one last question for you, Minister Qualtrough.
Are you currently working on a comprehensive employment insurance reform?
Liberal
Carla Qualtrough Liberal Delta, BC
We are absolutely looking to modernize and improve the employment insurance program—for sure.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sean Casey
You have 30 seconds left, Ms. Chabot. You can ask a quick question if you want.
Bloc
Louise Chabot Bloc Thérèse-De Blainville, QC
Okay.
Regarding Canada Summer Jobs, the fall 2020 economic statement noted that there would be changes. You seem to want to renew the program put in place for COVID-19.
I want to know whether this is accurate and, if so, whether it would be for the current year.
Liberal
Carla Qualtrough Liberal Delta, BC
Very quickly, the fall economic statement committed to 120,000 Canada summer jobs next year. There will be flexibility put into this program similar to the ones that were in place for COVID, but I believe responsive to the feedback we got from MPs about how we managed the program this year. This year, it was really tough, because we did the call and we had employers express interest, and then the pandemic hit. Then we had to change [Technical difficulty—Editor] the program and it was a lot of work and confusion. It won't be that way this year.
I apologize, Mr. Chair, for the audio. I'm getting a ton of feedback in my ear. I'm hearing myself three times.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sean Casey
Okay. Perhaps we can take a short break to try to get that resolved, Minister, because it's important that you have good sound quality—