Mr. Speaker, a constituent in my riding of Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, Émilie Sansfaçon, has sadly been diagnosed with cancer, not once but twice.
Thousands of Canadians receive this kind of news every year and must temporarily leave their jobs to undergo treatment and, in some cases, spend some time convalescing. The direct impact of this situation is a major loss of income. It seems to me that they should have the privilege of focusing on their well-being instead of worrying about finances at the end of each month.
Workers who lose their jobs are entitled to 45 weeks of employment insurance. Caregivers are entitled to 35 weeks of benefits. However, those fighting for their lives are only entitled to 15 weeks of benefits. How much is their life worth? That is pathetic. The Liberals are running up deficits of billions of dollars every year, but are not even able to increase the number of weeks of benefits for people who are fighting for their lives.
When will this Liberal government make the right choices and look after people struggling with illness?