Evidence of meeting #20 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 workers.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sean Casey
Yes. That is a good idea.
We'll suspend for five minutes and then we will come back for committee business.
5:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sean Casey
We are in committee business. I'll remind you that we are in public, not in camera.
The first item of committee business we need to deal with, or one of the items we need to deal with is the report of the subcommittee on agenda and procedure. You have been provided with a report of the committee's deliberations for your consideration. I would like to point out a couple of things.
Since the committee met, some events have overtaken it, namely the availability of ministers. As you can see, the subcommittee report called for the ministers to appear on the mains today. That didn't happen, but two of them have indicated their availability for Thursday.
I think the rest of it does line up with our expectations. The only other piece of information I can provide to you is that the Minister of Seniors has agreed to appear on the 23rd.
The report is before you. I would ask you to use the raise hand function if someone wishes to move acceptance of the report with the changes I just set forward that would probably be in order.
The floor is open for discussion.
Ms. Dancho, please.
5:45 p.m.
Conservative
Raquel Dancho Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
As you point out, the subcommittee report isn't accurate now. I would say that I was under the clear impression that Mr. Vaughan was going to be reaching out to committee members last week, and that did not happen. I just wanted to express my disappointment on that. It sort of makes it difficult to collaborate and to trust that what's being said is going to be done.
I would like to have a collaborative nature on this committee. I've been on two other committees now, and we managed to work together quite well. I would like to see that on this committee, but I did want to express my frustration of having been under the impression that we were going to be reached out to, and then the onus was ultimately on us to do that.
I would just ask that when commitments are made they be followed through on so that we can maintain goodwill, and then perhaps we won't have to deal with having a subcommittee report that's obviously not accurate come out at 5 p.m. the day before. I would just ask that committee members consider that.
5:45 p.m.
Liberal
Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON
I'm sorry. I thought I got the subcommittee report out to all members to sort of look at in translation. If that didn't happen, I truly apologize. It was my understanding that it happened, but I'll take responsibility for that. As I said, you have an expectation for me to follow up, and when I don't follow up, I take responsibility. I take that responsibility seriously and I do apologize.
That being said, events have overtaken that communication anyway, as we find ourselves today in the situation we are. I will move what the chair suggested, which is the schedule with the amendments identified. It is what it is in terms of the parliamentary schedule. I think I'm right. I think I heard.... I'm sorry that I got here a little later than the start of the meeting. I'm prepared to move the motion that the chair described.
5:50 p.m.
Liberal
5:50 p.m.
Bloc
Louise Chabot Bloc Thérèse-De Blainville, QC
The dates in the subcommittee report do not match, in fact. However, we must remember that those dates for ministers to appear had been determined based on their availability. The subcommittee has made recommendations, but the ministers have to come back to the committee. I would accept the second report as amended.
Ms. Dancho, you said that you sit on other committees and the work is done in harmony. I have been sitting on this committee since I was elected. The committee has to work with four ministers. Our work deals with issues of employment, human resources, persons with disabilities, and social development, which includes everything to do with housing. The committee has to work on a large range of studies, on very important matters.
I would like to emphasize that, since I started participating on the committee, our studies have always been conducted in harmony. I was just saying to some colleagues that, although we have to do a lot of studies, ethical rules are always followed in our work. I can confirm to you that harmony is part of the way in which we conduct ourselves, and I hope that it will continue to be so.
5:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sean Casey
Thank you, Ms. Chabot.
Seeing no other hands raised, are we ready for the question?
To be clear, the motion before the committee is to adopt the subcommittee report, with changes to reflect the availability of ministers, namely, that the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion and the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development will appear before the committee on Thursday, March 11. That's the motion before the committee and all other respects. The subcommittee report is before you for adoption. For—
5:50 p.m.
Conservative
Raquel Dancho Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB
I'm sorry, Mr. Chair. I just wanted to be clear. My apologies.
For Minister Schulte, it doesn't say a date, but can we confirm that Minister Schulte would be.... Can we include that and reflect that Minister Schulte would be here next Tuesday?
5:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sean Casey
She has accepted an invitation to come before the committee next Tuesday, and we can certainly put that into the motion.
We can amend, then, paragraph two, to indicate that the Minister of Seniors will appear before the committee for one hour on Tuesday, March 23, on supplementary and main estimates.
With those two amendments, do we have consensus to adopt the motion or the report as amended?
5:55 p.m.
Liberal
Han Dong Liberal Don Valley North, ON
Did you say that the Minister of Seniors will appear on Tuesday, March 23?
5:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sean Casey
She has accepted that invitation, Mr. Dong.
Do we have consensus to adopt the report as amended?
I believe I see consensus, so there's no need for a standing vote. Thank you.
Is there any further business to come before the meeting?
Mr. Vaughan, is your hand up from last time or do you want the floor now?
Okay.
Is there any further business to come before the meeting?
Mr. Kusmierczyk.
5:55 p.m.
Liberal
Irek Kusmierczyk Liberal Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
I'd like to take the opportunity to introduce a motion. I'm not sure if you had your hand up for that. I do apologize.
5:55 p.m.
Liberal
Irek Kusmierczyk Liberal Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
I'd like to introduce a motion right now.
In terms of this week, obviously, it's been a very dynamic week with Bill C-24 being in front of the House. We heard testimony from a number of witnesses today, and especially in the last number of meetings as well, about how urgent the need is to pass Bill C-24 at the present moment. We have a very short window of time for us to pass Bill C-24 in order to avoid the benefit cliff that is staring us in the face at this moment.
I have a motion that would allow us at this point to basically conduct the prestudy. Right now, Bill C-24 is still in front of the House. It has not been referred to the committee. This allows us the opportunity to start, potentially as early as this Thursday, the prestudy of Bill C-24 in anticipation of the fact that Bill C-24 would pass second reading in the House at some point this week. That is the motion. It would allow the committee to begin its study of Bill C-24 in anticipation of the fact that the House would pass Bill C-24 at second reading.
Here's the math on this. We have about 23,000 folks who will lose their EI support in the first week near the end of March when EI runs out. That is a deadline. We have three sitting days at the moment to make this work before our constituency week next week. At the same time, we know that the Senate is sitting next week, so what I propose is that we begin the prestudy on Thursday, hoping to get Bill C-24 studied. Hopefully, it gets passed in the House so that we can actually send it to the Senate at some point next week so that we can get Bill C-24 passed, get royal assent and prevent any interruption in EI support for those Canadians who are in danger of losing their EI support.
Mr. Chair, I do have a motion here that I'd like to read out, if that's okay.
5:55 p.m.
Liberal
Irek Kusmierczyk Liberal Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
The motion is:
That, with respect to Bill C-24, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act (additional regular benefits), the Canada Recovery Benefits Act (restriction on eligibility) and another Act in response to COVID-19,
a) The Committee begin a subject matter study of the Bill on Thursday, March 11, 2021, if the Bill itself has not yet been referred to the Committee;
b) The Committee invite the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion and departmental officials to appear for one hour on Thursday, March 11, 2021, from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and if needed invite witnesses to appear on Thursday, March 11, 2021, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.;
c) Members of the Committee submit their prioritized witness lists to the Clerk of the Committee no later than noon on Wednesday, March 10, 2021;
d) If Bill C-24 is referred to the Committee by the House during the subject matter study, all evidence and documentation received in public in relation to its subject matter study of Bill C-24 be deemed received by the Committee in the context of its legislative study of Bill C-24;
e) Members of the Committee as well as Members who are not a member of a caucus represented on the Committee and independent members should submit their proposed amendments to the Clerk of the Committee no later than Wednesday, March 10, 2021 at 5:00 p.m;
f) Within one sitting day of the House adoption of the Bill at Second Reading, the committee shall proceed with the clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-24, and must conclude clause-by-clause consideration within three sitting days of the bill being referred to the committee, and that the committee report the bill back to the House within four sitting days of the referral of the bill to the committee;
g) The Chair may limit debate on each clause to a maximum of five minutes per party, per clause;
h) If the Committee has not completed clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-24 within three sitting days of the bill being referred to the committee, at 5:30 p.m. on the third sitting day, all remaining amendments submitted to the Committee shall be deemed moved, the Chair shall put every question, forthwith and successively, without further debate or amendment on all remaining clauses and proposed amendments, as well as each and every question necessary to dispose of clause-by-clause consideration of the Bill, as well as all questions necessary to report the Bill to the House and to order the Chair to report the Bill to the House no later than the fourth sitting day on which the bill was referred to the committee;
i) the Clerk of the Committee write immediately to each Member who is not a member of a caucus represented on the Committee and any independent members to inform them that the Committee will begin the subject matter study of the Bill and to invite them to prepare and submit any proposed amendments, which they would suggest that the Committee consider during the clause by clause study of the Bill.
The Clerk should also outline all of the parameters and deadlines mentioned in paragraphs a) to i) of this motion.
I am happy to respond to any questions that the committee members might have on any of those points, but—
6 p.m.
Liberal
Irek Kusmierczyk Liberal Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
Chair, the only thing I just want to highlight here once again is that we've heard today the urgency of the matter that's before us. We have a very short period of time to pass Bill C-24, which is going to prevent the interruption of EI benefits for all of those thousands of Canadians who are going to see the end of their benefits at the end of March. We have three sitting days to get this done.
This allows us to begin the study at committee in anticipation that the House is going to refer the bill to the committee at some point in the very near future. Rather than wait, this is an opportunity for us to begin our work, which is going to be necessary to get this moved in a timely fashion.
6 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sean Casey
Has the motion been circulated to the committee, or can that be done right away?