House of Commons photoWon her last election, in 2021, with 42% of the vote.
COVID-19 Emergency Response June 15th, 2021
Mr. Speaker, thanks to the Canada recovery benefit, Canadians have access to up to 50 weeks of benefits to help them in times such as the one the member opposite is describing. For the first 42 weeks of their benefit received, they can get $500 and for the last eight weeks, it is $300. We see this in conjunction with the wage subsidy and the new hiring program as a way to transition Canadians back to work and back to economic success.
COVID-19 Emergency Response June 15th, 2021
Mr. Speaker, our emergency support and recovery measures are helping to buffer the most serious economic impacts and continue to help Canadians put food on the table.
In order to continue supporting workers during this pandemic, we presented in budget 2021 a plan to extend the Canada recovery benefit.
If opposition members want to be helpful, they could support the budget implementation bill and get these supports into the bank accounts of Canadians.
Post-Secondary Education June 7th, 2021
Mr. Speaker, over 700,000 students had help through the Canada emergency student benefit last year and just last week, Statistics Canada released a report saying that our lower-wage workers, women and racialized Canadians were all supported at rates higher than their counterparts. We put forth a $7.2-billion package of measures for students last summer. We added $4.7 billion of support last year in the fall economic statement and we have added more support this year in budget 2021. We will be there for students.
Persons with Disabilities June 3rd, 2021
Mr. Speaker, we delivered a $600 one-time payment during the pandemic to over 1.7 million Canadians who were eligible for federal disability support programs. This was an automatic payment. No one had to apply for this. They got it if they were eligible for the disability tax credit, Veterans Affairs disability support programs or the CPP disability. There was a time lapse between the establishment of the lists and when Canadians received their cheques. Of course, unfortunately, in that period, some Canadians had passed away and we had not been informed yet of their passing. We are working to remedy this.
However, let us be very clear. There were 1.7 million Canadians who got $600 in their desperate time of need.
Persons with Disabilities June 3rd, 2021
Mr. Speaker, as I have said, we have done more to support Canadians with disabilities than any other government in the history of our country.
We are working now on a very exciting disability inclusion action plan, which we laid out the parameters of in the fall economic statement. We are going to create a Canada disability benefit and an employment strategy. We are going to reform and modernize our eligibility processes for federal government disability supports and create a dignified approach to disability across this government.
When we put in place the Accessible Canada Act two years ago, we made the most historic advancement in disability rights since the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982, and we are just getting started.
Persons with Disabilities June 3rd, 2021
Mr. Speaker, I do not know where to begin.
We have championed the fact that everyone should be able to access information and reading materials. That is why we developed the first-ever and have been implementing a long-term strategy for the production of alternate format materials that includes support to the publishing sector, advancements in technology and investment in non-profits.
In recognizing that the pandemic has affected the timeline of this transition and the ongoing need for alternate format materials, we are actually funding CELA and NNELS with an additional $1 million in addition to the money we committed in the fall economic statement. This is keeping us on the path to accessible publishing and ensuring that persons with disabilities continue to have access, particularly during this unprecedented time.
Persons with Disabilities June 3rd, 2021
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Châteauguay—Lacolle for her advocacy for people with disabilities. This week is indeed National AccessAbility Week.
We have accomplished more than any other government for inclusion and accessibility. Budget 2020-21 builds on our pioneering work by continuing to implement our “Nothing without us” plan.
We are investing in accessible communities, inclusive child care, students with disabilities, training opportunities and job creation for Canadians with disabilities, and we are expanding eligibility for the disability tax credit.
We are moving forward with the first-ever disability inclusion action plan to better support persons with disabilities.
COVID-19 Emergency Response June 3rd, 2021
Mr. Speaker, we have taken a disability inclusive approach to our pandemic response since the beginning. We created a one-time payment that 1.7 million Canadians received. No one had to apply for this payment; it was based on eligibility for federal disability supports. Yes, there was a group of Canadians who received this money that the government had not been advised yet that they were deceased, and we are working on this.
We created this one-time payment; no one had to apply. Everybody was eligible for federal supports. That is how it worked, and it worked for 1.7 million Canadians.
COVID-19 Emergency Response June 3rd, 2021
Mr. Speaker, as we have delivered our emergency and recovery benefits to Canadians, we have absolutely reviewed them. We have made changes as we have course corrected as the pandemic threw different balls into our court.
Eight million Canadians got access to the CERB; 700,000 students the Canada emergency student benefit; 1.9 million Canadians on the CRB; 582,000 Canadians on the CRSB, the sickness benefit; and another 500,000 Canadians on the caregiving benefit; never mind the almost 1,000,000 applications received for EI. Almost 12 million Canadians have benefited from our emergency and recovery, and our changes to EI.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship June 3rd, 2021
Mr. Speaker, we have made many important changes to this program over the past year to ensure employers across the country get the temporary foreign workers they need to ensure our food security in Canada. We have also made sure workers are better protected during this time of crisis, and have worked very closely with both employers and source countries to ensure the safety of all citizens and every single worker in Canada, including our temporary foreign workers.
As I have said, I have a great working relationship with my Quebec counterpart. We meet and speak regularly, and that is because we know we have a common interest in keeping our workers safe and our employers have the labour they need to deliver for Canadians.