Human Resources Committee on Dec. 11th, 2023

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Minister.

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Ms. Chabot.

Ms. Zarrillo, you have six minutes.

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

At this time last year, the disability community and the government asked this committee to fast-track the Canada disability benefit legislation, and we did that. Yet it has been a year, and here we are, with no money in people's pockets. Many persons with disabilities are living on less than $10,000 a year. The government's delay cannot continue, and it's breaking the trust that was extended to them from this committee and the community.

Mr. Chair, I have a motion today, and I ask all of my colleagues to support it.

The motion is:

That, given that:

(a) Twenty-two per cent of Canadians live with a disability but make up 41 percent of those who live in poverty;

(b) The rising cost of housing, food, and medication is causing a cycle of poverty for persons living with a disability;

(c) The Canada Disability Benefit has not yet been delivered to Canadians, and the government has declined to implement a disability emergency relief benefit;

The Committee report to the House that it asks the federal government to commit that the Canada Disability Benefit be implemented, and immediately delivered to persons with disabilities in the first quarter of 2024.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Ms. Zarrillo, is that a question for Minister Khera?

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

No, it is a motion to the committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

I'm sorry, but you did not move it; you just read it.

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Then I'd like to move a motion to the committee, Mr. Chair.

Would you like me to read it again?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Yes, you could read it.

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Chair, I'd like to move a motion to the committee, and I'm hoping that all will support it.

That, given that:

(a) Twenty-two per cent of Canadians live with a disability but make up 41 percent of those who live in poverty;

(b) The rising cost of housing, food, and medication is causing a cycle of poverty for persons living with a disability;

(c) The Canada Disability Benefit has not yet been delivered to Canadians, and the government has declined to implement a disability emergency relief benefit;

The Committee report to the House that it asks the federal government to commit that the Canada Disability Benefit be implemented, and immediately delivered to persons with disabilities in the first quarter of 2024.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Ms. Zarrillo.

Your motion is in order and is on the floor for debate.

Mr. Fragiskatos, you had your hand up.

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, London North Centre, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I offer this comment in good faith to MP Zarrillo.

I wonder if we can defer debate on the motion, because I know members do have questions for the ministers who are here. This is not to say that the motion is not important and that we can't engage in it. As I said, I'm just asking for it to be deferred so that members around the table can ask questions of ministers.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

We have Madame Chabot and Mr. Aitchison on the motion currently before committee by Ms. Zarrillo.

Go ahead, Madame Chabot.

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I will be supporting my colleague Ms. Zarrillo's motion. The work that was done by this committee to create the Canadian disability benefit was major. We've heard a lot of testimony.

We are well aware that the process to implement this benefit is ongoing. However, this proposal is intended to speed up the process so that, in the first quarter of 2024, this benefit can see the light of day and help the people who need it most.

I'm ready to vote, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Madame Chabot.

Mr. Aitchison, go ahead on the motion.

[Scott Aitchison, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

I think the motion makes complete sense, and I agree with everything that's been said. I don't know if we need to spend too much time debating it. I would just call for a vote right away.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Go ahead, Mr. Coteau.

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

On a point of order, that's the question I was going to ask. I think every member has the right to speak on the issue. Am I correct?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Mr. Coteau, you have the floor.

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

With regard to process.... Obviously, I think that every single person on this committee is supportive of the benefit and of making sure that the people who need the most help are getting the help they need. We sat in this committee room and listened to many different witnesses talk about the challenges they face and how the benefit would really contribute to strengthening them and their families.

One of the concerns I have is in regard to the implementation of such an ambitious plan. Putting forward a motion like this that's very descriptive to government is actually intervening in the process that I'm assuming is taking place within the department. My one caution would be that if we're very specific with regard to timelines, that may be problematic for the department to implement properly. That would be one of the concerns I would bring up. I think maybe it could be worded in a way that expressed our interest as a committee.

There's no question that a committee should not be prescribing specific actions to the department. That's left, of course, to government and the House of Commons to do with regard to the will of the majority. That's the only caution I'd like to bring up. Maybe we can rephrase a few of the words to better express that.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you.

Before I go to Mr. Fragiskatos, I'm going to ask the clerk to explain why I'm proceeding with the procedure.

Madam Clerk, go ahead.

[The Clerk of the Committee, Ms. Ariane Calvert]

This motion is debatable. The chair recognized Mr. Coteau and gave him the floor.

There are some motions that are non-debatable, and on those we would go straight to a vote.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Mr. Fragiskatos, go ahead on the motion.

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, London North Centre, ON]

Chair, could we take a three- or four-minute pause?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Okay. We'll suspend for three minutes.