House of Commons Hansard #311 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was export.

Topics

The House resumed consideration of the motion.

Infant LossPrivate Members' Business

1:25 p.m.

Eglinton—Lawrence Ontario

Liberal

Marco Mendicino LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise to speak on the motion brought forward by the member for Banff—Airdrie. I want to begin by commending him for his advocacy and his dedication to this important issue, and I know it comes from a place of great sincerity.

The death of any child is a tragedy. As any parent would say, it is something that is almost literally unthinkable, not because it never happens, but rather because the mere process of thinking about losing one's child is simply too upsetting for words. Somehow this becomes even more true when it comes to losing a child suddenly, as is the case with sudden infant death syndrome. Not only is there the unimaginable grief that any parent would feel after losing a child, but there is also the shock of the abruptness, the suddenness of it all, the shock from one's entire world being turned upside down in an instant.

All of us have heard the terrifying stories from parents who have had to experience such pain first-hand. I was listening very carefully to the member for Flamborough—Glanbrook just now and I was touched by his words. My heart goes out to him and his community, and to every family touched by this very tragic syndrome.

This is what makes a motion like Motion No. 110 so important. It shines a light on an issue that too often does not get enough attention. Our society does not handle grieving very well. Grief, yes, because tears and raw emotion make for affecting pictures and memorable headlines, but actual grieving, the personal way people handle loss over the longer term, is something that usually takes place hidden away in the shadows. It is not something that gets brought out into the open very often.

In its own way, Motion No. 110 confronts this tendency head-on. It does so by asking us to think about how we support parents who have lost an infant child, particularly when they have lost a child to sudden or unexpected causes. It is not a comfortable conversation to have by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a necessary one. That is why, with a few very minor amendments I hope the member opposite will have no problem supporting—and I will get to those in a few moments—our government will be indeed be supporting Motion No. 110.

Our government supports this motion because it aligns with what our government has done since taking office, and that is engaging and consulting with Canadians to make sure we have an employment insurance system that is flexible and responsive enough to be there for them when they need it most. Again I want to commend the sponsoring member for having this discussion, because it has brought to light the importance of this issue and is a way in which we can collaborate. If only we had more occasions when we could co-operate in a bipartisan fashion; not only would we get more done in this chamber, but I think Canadians would applaud all around.

This is what has driven us to create a new El caregiver benefit to allow people to care for loved ones during times of suffering for up to 15 weeks. It is why we replaced the parents of critically ill children benefit with a new and enhanced employment insurance family caregiver benefit for children that expands the eligible support network to include all family members, rather than just parents.

We have made it easier to access caregiver benefits by allowing nurse practitioners, rather than just medical doctors, to sign medical certificates, which simplifies and expedites the application process.

We have enhanced bereavement leave in the Canada Labour Code, which will allow employees in federally regulated sectors to take bereavement leave of up to five days, rather than just three days, following the death of an immediately family member.

We also introduced new family responsibility leave that will allow employees to take up to three days of additional unpaid leave to address family responsibilities without fear of losing their jobs.

In budget 2018, we extended the working while on claim EI provisions to include maternity and sickness benefits, which will give mothers and those dealing with an illness or injury the flexibility to plan their return to work while also keeping more of their EI benefits.

Most recently, just a few weeks ago, we introduced the new Canada benefit for parents of young victims of crime, which will replace the existing income supports for parents of missing and murdered children with a system that is more flexible, more generous, and more accessible.

With each of these changes, we wanted to make it easier for Canadians to balance family life with work responsibilities. None of these new or enhanced programs, of course, could even begin to help parents fully process the loss of a child, but in some way, they could help parents begin the healing process.

I will also note that these changes were introduced following consultations with Canadians, with employers and employees, to make sure that all involved had their voices heard. That is why our government supports this motion. By talking about these issues and hearing from the people affected by them, we can ensure that the government programs and services currently in place are flexible enough to meet the needs of Canadians when they need them most.

I want to commend the member for Banff—Airdrie for his tireless advocacy, on behalf of grieving parents, in support of this motion. As I noted earlier, while we fully support this motion's intent, we are hoping that the member will be open to making two small changes to his motion that would acknowledge the spirit of committee independence and ensure that, in its study, the standing committee is open to studying the full range of benefits and services available to help grieving parents.

Therefore, I move:

That Private Member's Motion M-110 be amended by: (a) replacing the words “instructed to undertake a study” with the words “requested to undertake a study”; and (b) replacing the words “particularly from Employment Insurance Parental Benefits” with the words “including Employment Insurance Parental Benefits”.

Infant LossPrivate Members' Business

1:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Assistant Deputy Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

It is my duty to inform the hon. member that, pursuant to Standing Order 93(3), no amendment may be proposed to a private member's motion or the motion for second reading of a private member's bill unless the sponsor of the item indicates his or her consent. Therefore, I ask the hon. member for Banff—Airdrie if he consents to this amendment being moved.

Infant LossPrivate Members' Business

1:35 p.m.

Conservative

Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB

I consent, Mr. Speaker.

Infant LossPrivate Members' Business

1:35 p.m.

Conservative

Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to debate Motion No. 110, a motion brought forward by my hon. colleague, the member for Banff—Airdrie. If it were not for his diligent work, this pressing issue might have gone overlooked, and for that I say thank him.

Parenthood is one of life's greatest treasures. Speaking from my own experience as a mother of three and a grandmother of 10, I can certainly say that parenthood is a gift from God. The joy and even the anxiety of being a new parent is an irreplaceable experience. I know that some of the other hon. members in this house are parents as well, and they can also understand what a wonderful moment it is to welcome a child into this world.

Now imagine losing a beautiful baby in just weeks, days, or even minutes after it is born. Unfortunately, in Canada the sudden loss of a child is the tragic reality for some parents. It is a reality I am sure that no member in this House would wish on any parent. It is hard to even think about what one would say to a grieving couple in that situation.

As members, we may not have the ability to legislate away this reality, although we can do a better job in supporting bereaved parents in Canada by assuring them that no government programming will cause them unnecessary or additional stress.

Motion No. 110 is an impactful first step in that direction. It is an opportunity for us, who are so privileged to sit in this House, to rise above partisan politics and to stand united in seeking to provide compassion and support to bereaved parents. This motion is asking the House to have the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities undertake a study on the impacts that parents who suffer the loss of an infant child face, so that they are not subject to any undue financial or emotional hardship because of poor government programming, particularly the employment insurance parental benefits program.

Studying this issue will be beneficial, as the committee will hear officially from parents who have lost infants, organizations who advocate on behalf of bereaved families, experts in the area of grief counselling, and officials responsible for our government programs.

There are numerous cases in which parents have suddenly lost a child. I am familiar with many myself. However, today, I would like to draw attention to Rachel and Rob Samulack's experience, who say:

“Our son Aaron was diagnosed with bilateral renal agenesis, which means he was missing kidneys at 20 weeks gestation. This condition is deemed incompatible with life. Despite pressure to terminate the pregnancy, we decided to continue the pregnancy with the support of the perinatal hospice program at Roger Neilson House. Despite the fact our son was critically ill, I was ineligible to receive compassionate care benefits or benefits to care for a critically ill child, as he was ill in utero. I continued to work full-time hours until 33 weeks gestation while attending numerous medical appointments, because I had no other option.

“Aaron was born on Father's Day, June 19, 2016. We spent 100 precious minutes with Aaron. He had beautiful strawberry blonde hair and looked so much like our older son Gabriel. Gabriel met him, as did his grandparents and aunts and uncles. It was hard, but it was beautiful. Aaron passed away in our arms surrounded by love.

“When Aaron died on the day he was born, my total of 15 weeks of maternity benefits started counting down. I was ineligible for parental leave benefits, as my son had died.

“When I returned to work after 15 weeks, Rob was in nursing school and our other son was two years old at the time. I had to repeatedly tell coworkers why I had returned months earlier than planned. I cried alone daily in the washroom and took a pay cut so I could work four days a week.

“If an infant dies while a parent is on parental leave, the parental benefits stop that day. They are left with three days of bereavement leave, and up to 15 weeks of sickness El benefits—if they are told about them and apply for them. Singing to my dying son, then later putting yellow roses on his tiny casket as we buried him, left me with barely the strength to cry, let alone navigate applying for sickness benefits.

“I was never told about these additional benefits by my employer, which is the federal public service. Despite the recent addition of two more bereavement days through Bill C-63, Budget Implementation Act, 2017, No. 2, five days of bereavement leave is just not enough. Until you have had to plan a funeral for your child and bury them, it is hard to fathom the extended grief that accompanies this type of loss.

“With the support of our friends and families, Rob and I organized the first charity walk/run for pregnancy and infant loss in Ottawa, called The Butterfly Run Ottawa/Gatineau. The Butterfly Run originally started in Belleville, Ontario, in 2016. The run was created to support individuals and families experiencing infertility or pregnancy and infant loss and to provide a community for those experiencing such losses. On Oct. 14, 2017, exactly one year after I returned to work following Aaron's loss, Aaron's Butterfly Run Ottawa/Gatineau was held. Approximately 400 people participated in the run and more than $30,000 was raised for pregnancy and infant loss programs at Roger Neilson House.”

This is one of the downfalls of government being too big. Looking at Rachel and Rob's experience, we can see that big government programs can sometimes paint broad strokes for people, causing those who need special assistance to be overlooked. Evidently the current system is not designed to serve parents who undergo such a loss. It has a blind spot that we now have all been made aware of, thanks to this motion.

Rachel works for the Government of Canada but was not even made aware of the benefits due to her. If it is like this in the public sector, imagine the difficulties for those in the private sector. Rachel and Rob have stepped up in an incredible way, and it is now on us who sit in the House to do the same. We have an opportunity to stand in the gap on behalf of these families. This is a moment when all parties can come together for the benefit of Canada.

In listening to other hon. members speak to Motion No. 110, I can clearly see that there is a fundamental belief across all party lines that we need to support those families who suffer from such a loss. We should not have to debate whether or not we should study this issue. Therefore, I invite all members to join me in support of Motion No. 110 so that we can move forward on finding some concrete solutions for these families.

Infant LossPrivate Members' Business

1:45 p.m.

Liberal

Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking the hon. member for Banff—Airdrie for putting forward this motion and making this conversation possible. I would also like to thank him for being open to a few technical amendments that I trust do not change the spirit of the bill.

Though I did not plan to share this as part of my remarks today, having had the opportunity to listen to the members opposite share their deeply personal experiences leaves me nearly speechless, and I want to thank them kindly.

The member's motion concerns parents who have suffered the loss of an infant child, such as in the case of sudden infant death syndrome, and ensuring that they have enough support in their time of greatest need. Private member's Motion No. 110 is asking that the committee on human resources, skills, and social development undertake a study to consider the impact on these parents and explore new ways we can support them.

I think we can all agree that the experience these parents go through is unimaginable, and the suffering is something that no person should ever have to endure. I want those parents, and the member who quite rightly brought this issue to the floor of this House, to know that I support, and that we support, Motion No. 110.

We know that no amount of financial support is adequate to remedy the loss parents experience when they lose their child. However, every effort needs to be made to support those parents during this time of need.

There are measures in place now, but we have to ask ourselves constantly whether they are enough. Are they effective in supporting parents who are undergoing an experience of tremendous grief? Are there better ways we can do justice by these citizens? These are some of the questions we need to be asking. We fully support Motion No. 110's call for an in-depth study along these lines.

When we came into office, we made a promise to Canadians to support the middle class and those working hard to join it. Part of fulfilling this promise, in my mind, is ensuring that parents and their families are supported during their greatest times of need.

When a parent loses an infant child to a random or tragic event, the emotional pain can be crippling for life. They should not have to worry about losing their jobs because they need to take time away from work. They should not have to worry about not having enough to pay the bills at home because their pay cheques have stopped coming in because they have been away from their jobs. We need to be there as a government for these Canadians, and while there are some supports available, we always need to be asking whether it is enough.

The existing supports include bereavement and sick leave under the Canada Labour Code as well as employment insurance sickness benefits, along with community-based and employer supports for some employees.

Our government has made a number of changes to help families. For example, we have created a new family El caregiver benefit of up to 15 weeks to care for and support an adult family member who has become critically ill or injured. We have made it easier to access caregiving benefits by allowing both medical doctors and nurse practitioners to sign medical certificates.

On top of this, recent amendments to the Canada Labour Code ensure that workers in federally regulated sectors have the job protection they need while they are receiving caregiving, parental, or maternity benefits. The code has also been amended to help employees in the federally regulated private sector find the right balance between their work, family, and other personal responsibilities. When these changes come into force, employees will be entitled to enhanced bereavement leave, a new leave for family responsibilities, and the ability to request flexible work arrangements from their employers.

All of these measures can provide important support for a parent who has suffered the loss of an infant child. These are only some of the measures our government has undertaken to better support Canadians when they need it most.

Before I go into the conclusion of the short remarks I have prepared, I would just like to say that I always try to approach the motions and bills we debate in this House dispassionately, in consideration of what is in the public interest and not in my personal interest.

I have been extraordinarily lucky. A few short years ago, my wife and I welcomed my daughter into the world. She is a little more than two years old now. It was quite a surprise the day she was born. We were not expecting it. She came into this world when my wife was six months pregnant. When she was born, she was a little more than two pounds. I got a phone call on my way to this chamber saying, “Can you meet me at the hospital?” I rushed there as soon as I could. I will never forget, for the rest of my life, watching my daughter open her eyes, look at me when I said hello and told her that her mother loved her, and then watching the doctors and nurses present perform a miracle to save her life.

I know that all Canadians are not as lucky as my family. To the extent I can, in a small way, by supporting this motion, help the parents who have lost their child, I know that I will have done the right thing.

Losing a child is unspeakably painful, and we understand that there is no support that will suffice. We have to do every reasonable thing within our power to ensure that parents' needs are met when they cannot make it to work due to their crippling grief.

The first step is to explore new ideas on how this can be done, and that is why I am in favour of the member's motion in this regard, as is the government.

Again, I want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the member for Banff—Airdrie for raising this issue, and for being open to technical amendments. The motion addresses a very important and worthwhile issue, and for all grieving parents affected by such tragedies, I hope all of us, on all sides of the House, can come together to support it. It is the right thing to do.

Infant LossPrivate Members' Business

1:50 p.m.

Conservative

Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB

Mr. Speaker, I want to start by thanking all of my colleagues who have spoken in support of this motion today and, in particular, my colleague, the member for Flamborough—Glanbrook, for sharing his tragic personal story. I know how much courage that would have taken, so I thank him.

As we wrap up this debate today on this very important motion, I want to start by telling the story of parent advocate Paula Harmon from Nova Scotia. Paula has become one of the most incredible advocates for this issue and Motion No. 110. She has worked tirelessly. She has told her story multiple times to members of Parliament in her home province and beyond, and she has pushed them to support Motion No. 110. Paula's story deserves to be told, and it is one that grieving parents all across our country unfortunately face every day. Parents often grieve and struggle in silence, but thanks to the hard work of people like Paula and others, their struggles are made public. We have an opportunity to support parents and stand beside them.

Paula was admitted to the hospital when she was pregnant with Grace and her twin, at 17 weeks. By the time Grace was born, Paula had used up any available maternity leave she had, as it was a high-risk pregnancy. Paula applied for sick leave after Grace's passing, and she had to go through multiple layers of bureaucratic hurdles and to explain her story over and over again. She was finally told to get a doctor's note, so she did. However, the response then was that the note was not sufficient to qualify for sick leave. Paula tried to explain this to the government agent, and both of them were fighting through tears. She had to explain what her scenario was, and then the agent, who felt so terrible for her, explained to Paula that if she could just adjust and use another reason in the note, she might qualify for sick leave. She was told to go back to her doctor and get another note that read “stress” instead of “bereavement of daughter”. That is right: sick leave for “stress” qualifies, but because of how ridiculous the process is, bereavement of a daughter does not.

Beyond that, Paula also had to navigate the complex bureaucracy at at time when she was, of course, already wracked with grief. No one should have to do that. That uncertainty and complexity is just plain wrong.

This is a story I have heard over and over again all across Canada. I would like to just sum it up briefly in Paula's words:

It's not necessarily more MONEY that parents of loss are looking for.... We want to be able to tell the Standing Committee where the system isn't working, or working in a way that is further traumatizing...and finding ways to have more compassion when it is all that parent may be able to do just to get out of bed.

We have come a long way since this motion was introduced. Since then, I have heard so many stories from parents who have experienced the same frustrations, and their plea is the same. They want a system that is more compassionate and one that makes it easier for them. Our bureaucracy is never easy to navigate, even on a good day, and to expect grieving parents to be able to do that with minimal direction or support is simply absurd. That is what this motion aims to do: to provide support to parents in a compassionate way that allows them to properly grieve, to heal, and to be able to move at their own pace.

This is not an easy issue to talk about. It often causes discomfort. When I hear stories about parents who have to repeat their story over and over again to colleagues, to Service Canada agents, to banks, and to other strangers, I hear one common theme: Most parents are not ready to share their story. The parents all tell us how difficult it was to share their stories the first time, and I do not believe it gets any easier. Motion No. 110 would help parents by allowing them to share their stories when they are ready, because only then can they begin to heal and recover.

I have to conclude by again commending the bravery of all the parent advocates who have contacted me and other MPs, repeated their stories, and then stood up for other parents. Each year in almost every single community across Canada, there are memorial runs, vigils, walks, and other events to commemorate these babies who were taken from us far too soon.

They also raise awareness, and without the work that these groups have done, Motion No. 110 would not be being here debated today.

We are lucky to have great advocates like Paula, whose story I mentioned; like Sarah Cormier from Airdrie, who brought this idea forward; like Rob and Rachel Samulack from Ottawa; and like so many others that I have worked with. They have all shown incredible courage in taking a lead and being a voice for other grieving parents. All of these parents had the courage to speak up and to do more.

I hope members in the House will now have the courage to stand alongside grieving parents and support Motion No. 110.

Infant LossPrivate Members' Business

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Assistant Deputy Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

The question is on the amendment. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the amendment?

Infant LossPrivate Members' Business

1:55 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Infant LossPrivate Members' Business

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Assistant Deputy Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

I declare the amendment carried.

The next question is on the main motion, as amended. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion, as amended?

Infant LossPrivate Members' Business

1:55 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Infant LossPrivate Members' Business

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Assistant Deputy Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

I declare the motion, as amended, carried.

Infant LossPrivate Members' Business

2 p.m.

Liberal

The Assistant Deputy Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

It being 2:02 p.m., the House stands adjourned until Monday at 11 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 2:02 p.m.)