Human Resources Committee on Nov. 25th, 2025

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

I just don't think we would have seen Canada’s Building Trades Unions standing beside us if they really felt we were not pro-union. I think unions understand that there is a deep economic impact when there is prolonged labour strife in this country. Everybody works really hard to prevent that. But we have seen—I have quote after quote after quote from unions—that there is a respect for the work we've done legislatively to improve the right of unions to collectively bargain. I mentioned reversing Harper-era union-busting legislation. We made key changes to the Labour Code as well that increased protections for some of the most vulnerable workers in the workforce.

I do want to congratulate unions for the work they do, not just for their members but also for the non-unionized members who often need the protection of, for example, paid sick days, which we added to the Canada Labour Code. We've also, as you know, recently passed anti-scab legislation, something for which unions have advocated for a very long time. They stood with us as we were able to celebrate the passage of that bill. I do thank all parties who voted for that legislation.

We've also invested in unions. We've invested in building trades unions to build up the skilled trades members that we know we're going to need for these major projects. What I can say is that unions understand that no government can be perfect. The idea of perfection is something we all strive for, but we have to ultimately ensure that people are protected, wages are protected, pensions are protected and rights are protected along with industrial peace. That's a balancing act, and that's what a minister of labour is required to do.

[Jessica Fancy-Landry, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Thank you very much.

I want to commend your modernization efforts with EI and OAS. I know that my constituents who are coming to my office need help navigating systems. I have four university degrees, and sometimes it's hard to navigate some of these systems. I can fully appreciate these streamlined approaches that your ministry and the CRA are taking to help streamline and modernize and help protect seniors, for example. They're the ones who predominantly reach out to my office.

I just wanted to commend that. Hopefully, there's more to come.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Madam Fancy.

Mrs. Gill, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I'll try to ask you two questions in two minutes, Madam Minister.

For people with disabilities, we've been looking at the whole housing issue. We know that the Build Canada Homes program should come to fruition at some point.

Have people with disabilities or their rights advocacy groups been consulted, or will they be consulted, when it comes to adaptable housing?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Certainly, that is a continued focus of our work, and I've been communicating with the Minister of Housing about the importance of ensuring that we have accessible units available for individuals. We also have the accessibilities act, which I'm responsible for monitoring—although that's more for federal buildings. We want to make sure that we can continue to advocate for access, for people with disabilities, to all spaces.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

We're talking about adaptable housing, not accessible housing.

There can be accessible housing, but we must also ensure that adaptable housing is available.

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

There's a gap because....

I'm sorry, but my French is terrible. I can try to answer you in French, but I often can't find the right words.

The answer is yes. I hold many meetings with the spokespeople, stakeholders and communities.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

Thank you.

I don't want to interrupt you. However, I would like to ask you one last question about employment insurance applications for caregivers.

Many groups contacted us, and I'm sure that people contacted you as well, to discuss this matter. They told us that caregivers can't access benefits. Caregivers' applications are rejected on purely administrative grounds. Caregivers are asked for a medical certificate showing that the life of the person in their care is in danger. Yet this isn't always the case. This isn't the only situation that may require a caregiver.

Will you change these criteria to ensure that the benefits are available to everyone who needs them?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you.

Give a short answer.

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Yes, I'd be happy to look into this and to work with you on that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Mrs. Gill.

We conclude with two four-minute rounds, beginning with Mr. Genuis.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Minister, the UN has found that track 2 MAID violates the rights of people with disabilities. Krista Carr, from Inclusion Canada, testified that MAID is regularly raised with people with disabilities who are trying to access unrelated public services. Are you concerned about Krista Carr's testimony and the UN's findings?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

I'm sorry, but can you repeat that?

I thought we were out of time, Mr. Chair. I was here for two hours.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I wonder whether you can start my time again, Chair.

The UN has found that track 2 MAID violates the rights of people with disabilities. Krista Carr, from Inclusion Canada, testified that MAID is regularly raised with people with disabilities who are accessing unrelated public services. Inclusion Canada hears complaints about this on a weekly basis, according to their testimony before the finance committee. Are you concerned about Krista Carr's testimony and the UN's findings in this regard?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Medical assistance in dying is a deeply personal issue, and, certainly, we have heard the disability community's concerns around medical assistance in dying. We've also heard from many other Canadians about the need to have relief from irremediable suffering, and that is a delicate balance.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I guess, Minister, if I can just add some precision to the question, Krista Carr's testimony was about people who have disabilities and are seeking unrelated public services, so we're not talking about people who are asking for MAID. We're talking about people seeking unrelated public services who are having MAID proposed to them, offered to them. I wonder whether you think that's acceptable.

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Mr. Chair, my job, as Minister of Jobs and Families, is to make sure that people with disabilities have every opportunity to participate in society that people without disabilities have, so I'm responsible for the accessibilities act and the opportunities fund. I regularly intersect with people with disabilities, and I would say that it's important that we make sure—

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Minister, again, if I can clarify, the issue we're talking about is people who are seeking other public services—so people interacting with government—who have disabilities. There have been reports, repeatedly raised by Inclusion Canada and other stakeholders, about people trying to access those services, and I think that you, as the person who's supposed to be a champion for Canadians with disabilities around the cabinet table, should be seized with this. I mean, do you think it's a problem that people, who are trying to access unrelated public services, have people who are representing government, in positions of authority, repeatedly offering them something they're not looking for in this regard? Is that a problem?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

If there is a non-medical professional offering medical assistance in dying then that would be completely out of scope for the legislation. This is something that is a deeply personal decision.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

I'm glad you said that because this is what Krista Carr has said at the finance committee.

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

I have no reason to doubt any witness. I would just like to know details because, quite frankly, the legislation is quite clear. It's not meant—

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Thank you, Minister, I appreciate your response on that.

I want to squeeze one more question in.

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

—to be something that a non-medical professional would offer any individual and that would be a violation of that person's dignity.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Thank you, Minister.

In the time I have left, do you think the government's immigration policy decisions have contributed to youth unemployment?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

I think it's important that young people have an opportunity to succeed in a market that's very tight. What economists say is that it's a blend of things. It is definitely the canary in the coal mine when it comes to a worsening economy and many dips have proven that. There is a change in the way people are hiring—