Mr. Speaker, women in Canada are on the front lines of the COVID-19 battle. In the care economy and as essential workers, women have had to bear the brunt of both the disease and the economic impacts of public health measures. Women are more likely to get sick and more likely to lose their income because of the pandemic.
Universal child care will contribute to women's recovery, but it is not enough. We also need strong workplace protections including paid sick leave, elder care, the right to refuse unsafe work and, finally, a national pharmacare plan.
On this National Day of Mourning, we remember those whom we have lost and we fight for those who are still here on the front lines, in schools and hospitals, in care homes, in stores and in restaurants. Anything less is a betrayal of working women in Canada. One life lost at work is one too many.