House of Commons photoWon her last election, in 2021, with 42% of the vote.
Employment Insurance April 15th, 2021
Mr. Speaker, we offer our condolences to the family of Émilie Sansfaçon. I was there at her meeting with the Prime Minister and I often think of Émilie as I work on modernizing the employment insurance system.
As I said, we are fully committed to extending the EI sickness benefit period. We are committed to making this happen.
Employment Insurance April 15th, 2021
Mr. Speaker, we are committed to modernizing the EI system. We are committed to extending the sickness benefit period.
This afternoon, I will definitely be speaking to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, which is studying the modernization of the EI system.
I am very happy to be talking to the committee about this issue this weekend.
Employment Insurance April 15th, 2021
Mr. Speaker, Canadians want a flexible employment insurance system that is tailored to their needs, and they deserve it. That is why we have spent the past five weeks modernizing the system and making improvements to benefit Canadians. EI sickness benefits are an important support measure for Canadians who have to leave work because of an injury or illness.
Right now, far too many claimants are exhausting their EI benefits before they are able to return to work. That is why we are committed to extending the benefit period.
Agriculture and Agri-Food April 15th, 2021
Mr. Speaker, we are of course working very closely with the provinces, and we know that workers in Quebec have the right to be served in French. That is why we are working so closely with the provinces, and we will continue to ensure that Quebec workers receive the services they are entitled to in French.
Agriculture and Agri-Food April 15th, 2021
Mr. Speaker, we have worked with other federal departments to expedite the process and simplify the arrival of foreign workers as much as possible. We know that there have been delays in receiving test results. The Public Health Agency of Canada and Service Canada have been in regular contact with Switch Health, the employers and industry associations to resolve these issues.
We take these issues very seriously, and we will continue to work with Switch Health.
Employment Insurance April 13th, 2021
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member that we are absolutely on top of this issue. Obviously we want to make sure, from an integrity point of view, that Canadians are not receiving two benefits at the same time, but we know how hard it is for Canadians to wait to see which benefit they should be getting. We have teams working together with the CRA and ESDC on this. It is not taking the time it did at the beginning when this problem was first identified.
I am happy to provide the member with more information, if he wants. I can assure him this is a top priority for me and my team.
Employment Insurance March 25th, 2021
Mr. Speaker, Canadians want a flexible EI system that meets their needs, and they deserve it.
That is why we have spent the past five years modernizing it and making improvements for the benefit of Canadians. EI sickness benefits are an important support measure for Canadians who can no longer work. Right now, too many beneficiaries exhaust their benefits. That is why we are committed to extending the benefit period to 26 weeks.
Employment March 22nd, 2021
Mr. Speaker, there is good news. Canada's prosperity in post-COVID economic recovery depends, we know, on young Canadians getting the education and experience they need to succeed, which is why the Canada summer jobs program is an important part of our government's youth employment skills strategy.
Last year, we funded 80,000 CSJ job placements, and this year we are aiming to create 120,000 job placements for young Canadians. We understand the importance of this program, and we will be there to support jobs for young people this year and in all the years to follow.
Post-Secondary Education March 22nd, 2021
Mr. Speaker, we recognize that student debt can be challenging for graduates. That is why, in response to COVID-19, we increased the Canada student grants by 50% to help Canadians from low- and middle-income families. We have improved the repayment assistant program so applicants would not have to repay their student loan until they are earning at least $25,000 per year. We have expanded eligibility for Canada student grants and loans for part-time students and students with dependent children.
We will continue to be there to support students and remain committed to making post-secondary education more affordable.
Employment Insurance Act March 8th, 2021
Madam Speaker, as the member knows, and I thank him for his camaraderie on this really important file, two things are happening right now in EI. We are proposing immediate temporary changes to the EI regular benefit system to allow for an increased number of weeks for regular EI benefit recipients. This particular legislation is very straightforward, with one single, surgical goal.
In addition, we are looking to September. I am looking to fulfill my mandate commitment to improve and modernize the EI system. We know we will be doubling the recovery sickness benefits through regulations. We wanted to be very surgical and precise in this legislation, but I know HUMA is studying EI and I am happy to have those conversations. As the member acknowledged, we are committed to increasing the number of weeks on EI sickness benefits, but we want to really make sure of a comprehensive reconception of what EI should be for workers of 2021, and that is what we are doing.