Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, I disagree. This program is absolutely working. From the beginning of the pandemic, our government has focused on providing assistance for Canadians. Paid sick leave has been a foundational element of our public health response. More than eight million workers accessed the CERB, close to 500,000 Canadians have claimed the Canada recovery sickness benefit and millions more continue to have access to four weeks of paid sick leave.
Beyond our emergency supports, eight million workers have access to paid sick days as a result of the EI premium reduction program, and hundreds of thousands of workers continue to access more flexible EI sickness benefits. Through budget 2021, we are extending EI sickness benefits to 26 weeks, providing yet another 169,000 Canadians with additional support—