Irek Kusmierczyk

[Employment Insurance, May 28th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, Canadians expect and deserve an EI system that is flexible and responsive to their needs. EI sickness benefits are an important support for Canadians who need to leave work because of illness or injury. Workers receiving important treatments or requiring a longer period to recover from an illness or injury sometimes face a stressful income gap before they are healthy enough to return to work. That is why budget 2021 extends EI sickness benefits from 15 to 26 weeks, providing approximately 169,000 Canadians every year with additional time and flexibility to recover and return to work.

There is more work to do, and we will continue working so that EI is there for Canadians when they need it most.

[Canada Revenue Agency, May 28th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, when the pandemic hit, we quickly introduced the CERB, helping more than eight million Canadians put food on the table and keep a roof over their head.

We know that this continues to be a difficult time for many. That is why we are allowing self-employed workers who applied for the CERB based on their gross income to keep their payments as long as they meet all other eligibility requirements. For people who may still need to make a repayment, no one is required to so at this time.

As the Prime Minister said, we will work with Canadians who need to make repayments in a way that is flexible and understanding of their circumstances. There will not be penalties or interest for anyone who erred in good faith.

[Persons with Disabilities, May 10th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, our announcement of $1 million for CELA and NNELS is in line with our commitment to the Marrakesh Treaty. It adds to previous new investments from budget 2019 and the fall economic statement. Our support will enable access to alternate format materials, such as Braille, e-books and audiobooks, during the pandemic. In fact, this funding will help increase the overall volume of accessible print material available for Canadians with print disabilities. It will also support Canadians with print disabilities to familiarize themselves and get comfortable with using new digital tools.

I would like to thank again the member for his tremendous advocacy on behalf of his constituents.

[Persons with Disabilities, May 10th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound's advocacy is making a difference in the lives of his constituents.

Our government is committed to the principle that everyone should be able to access information and reading material. That is why we signed on to the Marrakesh Treaty four years ago and at the same time set up a working group comprising disability groups, including CELA, NNELS and the publishing industry, to develop a long-term strategy on the production of alternate format materials in Canada.

We recognize that alternate format materials are more important than ever for persons with print disabilities. They allow persons with print disabilities to read, to learn and to fully participate in society. Moreover, they are critical during the pandemic. People need up-to-date information, directives and guidelines related to their health and safety in alternate formats. Many Canadians have also been asked to stay home as much as possible in order to flatten the curve. They have felt isolated and have relied heavily on accessible books and materials to cope.

One of the first organizations I heard from about this issue was the Windsor Public Library, a champion for accessible reading in my community of Windsor—Tecumseh. We continue to listen to the disability community and to organizations like the Windsor Public Library about the importance of CELA and NNELS. That is why our government announced an additional $1 million on March 16 to support activities related to the production of alternate format materials carried out by the Centre for Equitable Library Access and the National Network for Equitable Library Service, or CELA and NNELS, for short.

The funding provided through the social development partnership program, disability component, recognizes that the pandemic has been hard on persons with disabilities. It has also delayed the publishing industry in its goal of making significant progress to ensure that books are born accessible in Canada. As a result, the additional $1 million will help CELA and NNELS provide more accessible reading materials to persons with print disabilities in Canada.

This investment adds to the $10 million for CELA and NNELS that was already announced in the 2020 fall economic statement. The fall economic statement provided, for the first time, stable, predictable, multi-year funding for the not-for-profit sector in this area. It adds to the $22.8 million in funding announced in budget 2019 for a transition strategy that supports moving the production of alternate format books from the not-for-profit sector to the Canadian independent publishing industry.

This money is helping independent publishers to create alternate format books and to get to a point where they are able to do so independently. In fact, in 2017 we set up a working group on alternate format materials with representatives from disability organizations and the Canadian publishing industry, including CELA and NNELS, and based on their recommendations we developed a transition strategy.

However, we are still in a pandemic, and it is causing challenges for the not-for-profit and publishing sectors. That is the reality. The Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion recently met with CELA and NNELS, and we understand there is a need to keep engaging with publishers and to possibly re-evaluate the transitional timeline.

We will not leave people high and dry without accessible information during a pandemic.

[Belarus, May 10th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, Polish Canadians across the country are watching with alarm the mistreatment of the Polish minority in Belarus by the authoritarian regime of President Alexander Lukashenko. The arbitrary detention of Angelika Borys, chairwoman of the Union of Poles in Belarus, is but one example of the widespread human rights violations being perpetrated.

In response to mass protests after the fraudulent presidential elections last August, thousands of demonstrators, human rights activists and journalists have been arrested. Canada was the first country to impose sanctions against Belarus and provide over $3 million in support to pro-democratic organizations.

Canada stands in solidarity with the Belarusian people. We reaffirm our unequivocal condemnation of the gross human rights violations in Belarus. We will continue to hold Belarusian authorities to account, call for an end to the systematic persecution of minorities and peaceful democratic movements, and call for an immediate cessation of all violence, including the use of torture.

[230th Anniversary of Polish Constitution, May 3rd, 2021]

Madam Speaker, today Polish Canadians across Canada and abroad will celebrate the 230th anniversary of the adoption by Poland of the constitution of May 3, the first written constitution in modern Europe and the second constitution in the world, after that of the United States. The constitution of May 3 introduced bold and progressive democratic reforms that included a constitutional monarchy and the separation of powers between branches of government.

Here in Canada, Polish Canadians traditionally celebrate Constitution Day by gathering in Polish halls and church basements to sing hymns, enact plays, recite poems and reflect on Poland's legacy of fighting for freedom. This year, though we will celebrate a little differently, I join all Polish Canadians in commemorating this important holiday, one that reminds us that we must always stand on guard for democracy and our rights and freedoms.

I join all Polish Canadians in reciting these beautiful words: “Witaj maj, trzeci maj, dla Polaków błogi raj.”

[Post-Secondary Education, April 30th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his advocacy on this important issue.

Young Canadians and students must be at the centre of our recovery, not only to help them rebound today but to invest in their future and our economy. That is why through budget 2021 we are investing $4.1 billion to make student debt easier to pay down and to provide direct support to students who need it most. This includes waiving the interest on federal student loans for an additional year, enhancing the repayment assistance plan, doubling the Canada student grants for two more years and extending disability supports.

We are proud that our response represents one of the largest youth support packages in the world.

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, April 30th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, our government has taken a number of important steps to ensure the safe arrival and well-being of temporary foreign workers. Along with the mandatory 14-day quarantine, we have introduced more stringent pre- and post-travel requirements. The mandatory isolation support for temporary foreign workers program is an important part of our efforts to protect the health and safety of workers, employers and communities. With $84.4 million invested in this program, employers are receiving support to manage the costs associated with the mandatory quarantines.

We remain committed to ensuring the health and safety of temporary foreign workers, employers and communities. We are committed to making sure that temporary foreign workers arrive safely and in a timely fashion.

[Agriculture and Agri-Food, April 30th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the integral role foreign workers play in Canada's agriculture and seafood sector. We have streamlined requirements and introduced priority processing for applications and work permits in these sectors. We have also launched a temporary measure that allows workers already in Canada to start a new job while their work permit application is being processed.

While COVID-19 has presented unique challenges to Canada's job markets, we continue to support workers, employers and our provincial partners to ensure the continued strength of Canada's food sector and supply chain.

[Employment Insurance, April 30th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, allow me to reiterate. No one should be travelling right now for non-essential reasons. EI is there for people who lost their job or are unable to work for reasons outside their control.