Madam Speaker, I certainly agree with the member that the Liberals have been absolutely irresponsible by proroguing Parliament and then just sitting on this until midnight last night, when all benefits expired and a million or more Canadians were left with absolutely no means of support. Therefore, I certainly agree with her there.
I strongly disagree with her portrayal of Conservatives being a compassionate party while at the same time decrying the provision for paid sick leave, for the first time in Canadian history, for workers who are struggling to do the right thing when they are sick, either having to put food on the table or staying away from work. The NDP forced the government to actually make that difference, forced it to make that change for the first time in Canadian history. For 150 years now, Canadian workers, including in Calgary, have not had access to paid sick leave in many cases and now they will, finally.
This is a major achievement. It is not a carrot; it is an absolute necessity for people who have to struggle to make ends meet. At the same time, it is essential as a public health precaution to ensure that people who are vulnerable or susceptible to the pandemic are not affected by it.
Why did she characterize the provision for sick leave as a carrot and how can she pretend the Conservative Party is compassionate—