Mr. Speaker, illness affects us all, directly or indirectly. In our neighbourhood of Vieux-Longueuil, our neighbour Marianne Simard knocked on our door to tell us about her scant 15 weeks of EI sickness benefits.
Marianne's story is particularly striking because she is fighting cancer and trying to make life easier for all those who will one day be diagnosed with cancer. There are plenty of stories like Marianne's, including that of Marie-Hélène Dubé, the woman behind the “15 weeks to heal is not enough!” movement. She will continue to collect more stories and accounts because one in two Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer one day.
In 2016, the government promised to review the program. Two years later nothing has been done. How can we expect someone with cancer to heal in 15 weeks when the average treatment takes 52 weeks? I invite all those who want to help Marianne, Marie-Hélène, and my team to join us in forcing the government to keep its promise. Together we can continue to put pressure on the government and right this wrong.