Lindsay Mathyssen

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, October 1st, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for his speech. I know he does really great work and advocates for his constituents well.

An organization, Colour of Poverty-Colour of Change, has approached me. I know there is a national anti-racism strategy, but they are asking for a federal anti-racism act that would build a legislative foundation for the anti-racism secretariat, with dedicated and sustainable funding and support.

Would my hon. colleague across the way be in support of something like that?

[Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to economic recovery in response to COVID-19, September 29th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I am very familiar with my hon. colleague's riding. It is close to mine. It certainly has a great impact on mine because of incredible things, such as what he spoke about regarding the Stratford Festival. A lot of jobs go into my riding because of his community and I am quite grateful for that.

The member talked about small businesses and restaurants. So many of them rely upon those incredible arts communities. I am sure the member has heard from many small business owners about the failures of the government's CECRA plan for commercial rent. The Liberals were supposed to provide $3 billion and have only provided about half that.

Could the member comment on that and how that has impacted the incredible small businesses in places like Stratford and St. Marys?

[Proceedings on the Bill Entitled an Act Relating to Certain Measures in Response to COVID-19, September 28th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, the member keeps talking about all these Canadians that the Liberals have consulted, but I am speaking to a lot of students in this country and they are feeling very much left behind by the government. In fact, there was not one single word in the throne speech to help students. The emergency student benefit has ended. The students were looking for an extension with that disappeared money from the student service grant that was announced, and they are really quite disappointed.

I wonder if the member could talk to me about students in his riding. SFU Surrey and Kwantlen Polytechnic are in his riding, and I wonder if students are talking to him about how disappointed they are in the lack of benefits that support them, their rising tuition costs and so on.

[Proceedings on the Bill Entitled an Act Relating to Certain Measures in Response to COVID-19, September 28th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, one of the things that New Democrats fought for with the student benefit was an acknowledgement from the government that students with dependants and students living with disabilities have increased costs. After some fighting, we were able to get the government to acknowledge that and increase the benefits on their behalf. However, I found it very frustrating that at the time, the government would not recognize that students, as parents, have the same kinds of costs, whether the child is 12 or 13.

The Canada recovery caregiving benefit only applies to children who are under the age of 12. Does the member believe that the government should be leaving out all the parents with children over the age of 12?

[Petitions, September 28th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today with an e-petition from graduate students. They are calling on the government to provide assistance to them.

They face unique challenges as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, including the loss of research assistantships and fellowships, delays in program completion and the dwindling job market. They also emphasize that the insufficiencies with CERB, the Canada emergency student benefit and, of course, the Canada student service grant have not helped their case and certainly have not helped the case for international students.

They ask the Government of Canada to not forget graduate students and to broaden the eligibility for hopefully potential future student grant and assistance programs for their sake and for their future.

[COVID-19 Emergency Response, September 28th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, when the Liberal government rushed to fund its friends at WE Charity, it did so with almost a billion dollars that was promised to help students. When it got caught, the help disappeared, but the concerns of students as to how they would afford their tuition fees, rent, food and bills did not. Just because the Liberals want the WE scandal to be forgotten does not mean young Canadians who have been hit hard by this pandemic can be. When will the government put that $912 million it promised toward student assistance?

[Proceedings on the Bill Entitled an Act Relating to Certain Measures in Response to COVID-19, September 28th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, while I certainly appreciate the incredible work done by the public servants in CRA, and in all the departments, who have gone above and beyond, the member also spoke about students and the incredible work done by the government for them.

However, I know, specifically as the NDP critic for post-secondary education and youth, that those students who come to me are desperate for additional supports. They did not receive the supports through the Canada student service grant, which they were expecting. Graduate students did not receive supports. International students did not receive the support they needed from the government.

In fact, there was not a single word in the throne speech about students. Could the hon. member explain why?

[Government Business No. 9, July 22nd, 2020]

Madam Chair, to build on that conversation further, I know, certainly from our side of the House and I think that we share this with the hon. member for Fredericton, that this cannot just be the end. The government continues to go on and on about how great all of these programs are, and I agree that they have provided help in a critical, unprecedented time, but for the most part they have also shown all the holes in our existing system.

Now is the time that we get to build something better. My colleague from Edmonton—Strathcona had talked about that, and certainly the hon. member across the way has talked about the creation of bigger and better social programs. I, myself, have worked a lot in the House recently on the idea of a universal system of child care, but maybe she can expand on other programs that we could continue to work on, such as an expansion of our EI system or things like that.

[Government Business No. 9, July 22nd, 2020]

Madam Chair, I too am so proud to be able to work with the member for Edmonton Strathcona. She is an amazing representative.

This was not necessarily in her speech, but earlier today in the House, as members worked together, we talked a lot about child care. I have heard repeatedly, as the NDP critic for women and gender equality, that we are not going to restart this economy until we have a meaningful, universal, publicly funded system of national child care.

I would ask the member to comment on some of the programs that are unfolding, some of the asks that experts in that field have made of the government in the last few days and what we need to move forward in terms of a national strategy?

[Child Care, July 21st, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, there is no economic recovery without child care. Women and parents cannot return to work if it means leaving their kids home alone. The Liberals missed the mark on their agreement with provinces and are treating child care as a nice-to-have instead of a must-have.

Experts, businesses, economists and parents are clear: To go back to work, families need safe, reliable and affordable child care. Will the Liberals invest the $2.5 billion required this year to finally build a universal and affordable child care program?