43rd PARLIAMENT, 2nd SESSION House of Commons Debates Official Report (Hansard) Volume 150 No. 083 Monday, April 19, 2021 Speaker: The Honourable Anthony Rota CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) 5773 HOUSE OF COMMONS Monday, April 19, 2021 The House met at 11 a.m. members to be mindful of their words, which may be heard by oth‐ er members and by many Canadians as being offensive. ● (1105) Prayer The Speaker: I want to thank the hon. member for his point of order. I take it under advisement. I will return to the House with a ● (1100) ruling on that. [English] POINTS OF ORDER PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS COMMENTS BY THE MEMBER FOR CLOVERDALE—LANGLEY CITY [Translation] Mr. Robert Oliphant (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minis‐ ter of Foreign Affairs, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of or‐ EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ACT der. Mrs. Claude DeBellefeuille (Salaberry—Suroît, BQ) moved On Friday, April 16, at the last sitting of this House, we had de‐ that Bill C-265, An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act bate on Bill C-6, an act to amend the Criminal Code, conversion (illness, injury or quarantine), be read the second time and referred therapy. During the question-and-answer period following my to a committee. speech opening the morning's debate, contrary to Standing Order She said: Mr. Speaker, this is it. We made it. It is finally time to 18, the member for Cloverdale—Langley City used language that debate a very compassionate, common-sense bill that seeks to ex‐ was offensive to me and, in my understanding, to many other mem‐ tend special employment insurance sickness benefits from bers of the House. While she did reach out to me on Friday evening 15 weeks to 50 weeks. I am very honoured to sponsor this bill on to offer an apology for “any misunderstanding”, I am of the belief behalf of the Bloc Québécois. that such an apology should be made not just to me, but to all mem‐ bers of the House and to members of the LGBTQ2S community in It is finally time to put forward a practical, viable solution to a Canada and around the world who have expressed their hurt and very real and documented problem. It is finally time for parliamen‐ their anger at her inference. tarians to once again tangibly demonstrate their support for the idea that sick workers deserve better and deserve more. In quoting Matthew 23:27, the member inferred that either I or all members of the LGBTQ2S community are unclean. As an or‐ I would like to remind members that the Bloc Québécois's Febru‐ dained minister in the United Church of Canada, I am well aware ary 2020 motion to extend EI sickness benefits from 15 weeks to that at its best this passage has been used to deride someone as a 50 weeks received the support of all opposition members. I would hypocrite. However, this passage, along with the whole of that par‐ therefore like to thank the 169 members who supported the propos‐ ticular chapter, has been used for centuries to bolster anti-Semitism al and remind them that sick workers still need their support. I hope and, very specifically, anti-Jewish sentiments. The misuse of this that, together, we will be able to convince the 149 Liberal members passage has led to misunderstanding, even hatred of Jews, by Chris‐ who voted against the motion to support it this time around. As the tians, as pointed out by the famed theologian, Rosemary Radford Speaker pointed out, the Liberal government's support is essential Ruether, in her book, Faith and Fratricide. It is, however, the first to my bill. I need this government's help because my bill needs a time that I have heard it used to cast negative aspersions on mem‐ royal recommendation in order to be passed. bers of my community. The biblical concept of unclean has long been disavowed by Jews and Christians alike, and there is certainly It is finally an opportunity to honour and remember Émilie Sans‐ no place for it in this House, especially in the debate on important façon and bring her political struggle, which courageously began amendments to the Criminal Code, which will further recognize an when she was fighting for her own life, to a successful conclusion. attempt to heal the hurt perpetrated against lesbians, bisexual, gay, It is an opportunity to finally implement something that more than transgendered, queer and two-spirited people. We are not unclean. 618,000 people have been calling for, namely extending EI sickness benefits from 15 weeks to 50 weeks. I want to thank the incredible I would ask that you, as the Speaker, request that the member Marie‑Hélène Dubé for her perseverance and tenacity in rallying apologize and withdraw those remarks, and that you also remind all support for this effort. 5774 COMMONS DEBATES April 19, 2021 Private Members' Business I invite parliamentarians to think back to January 4, 2021, which Sansfaçon act, we will finish the fight for all the Émilies in Quebec feels like just yesterday. Think about it this way: If one of your and Canada. loved ones had a serious illness, like cancer, and their treatment had begun on January 4, that individual would no longer have any in‐ come today, because their benefits would have run out. They would I am pleased to remind all my colleagues that in 2019 the Parlia‐ have used up their 15 weeks of special benefits. This is unaccept‐ mentary Budget Officer released a study confirming that we collec‐ able and, I dare say, embarrassing for a wealthy society like ours. tively have the means to adequately support sick workers. It is a My bill would make some very simple amendments to the Em‐ sensible and compassionate proposal. It is both realistic and achiev‐ ployment Insurance Act. It would replace all references to the max‐ able to increase EI sickness benefits from 15 to 50 weeks with a imum of 15 weeks of special EI sickness benefits with a maximum premium increase of six cents per $100 of insurable earnings. of 50 weeks. I want to make it clear that these benefits are for people who lost The idea that 50 weeks are necessary in the event of illness was their jobs against their will. Eligible workers who are sick can col‐ recognized to some extent during the pandemic, as temporary ad‐ lect 55% of their average salary to a maximum of $573 per week. justments to EI provided for 50 weeks of benefits in case of need. Nevertheless, it is incoherent that there are still only 15 weeks of EI We can all agree that nobody decides to be sick. Nobody plans to sickness benefits. be away from work for a long period of time because of illness. No‐ body wants a cancer diagnosis or anything like that. These things are totally involuntary and unpredictable. The workers who need this safety net are the most precarious workers, those who are not My colleagues will agree that it is peculiar and incoherent that lucky enough to have good jobs with private insurance or good we have the means to support caregivers for a longer period than coverage under collective agreements. the person they are caring for. In fact, the caregiver is entitled to 28 weeks, which is excellent, but the person being cared for is only en‐ In 2017, 400,000 people needed this crucial support. It was their titled to 15 weeks. Where is the logic in that? only option. These are people from all across Quebec and Canada, of all ages and backgrounds. In many cases, they do not have the privilege of holding well-paid jobs. When they get sick, they typi‐ cally do not have the financial leeway to fully focus on getting bet‐ One thing is clear: We cannot afford to let workers mortgage ter. their homes to cover medical expenses, as was the case for long‐ time advocate Marie‑Hélène Dubé. Ms. Dubé was even forced to Back home in Salaberry-Suroît, a rural riding, when people get delay surgery for her third bout of cancer because she had not sick they usually have to go to Montreal for treatment. They have worked enough hours to be eligible for another 15 weeks of sick‐ to budget for travel, parking and all sorts of medical expenses. Of‐ ness benefits. ten, spouses also have to take time off work during the treatment periods to support their partner, which adds to the families' finan‐ cial stress. We cannot afford to delay remission and leave workers living in financial insecurity throughout treatments. We cannot afford to These workers deserve better. EI sickness benefits have the choose precariousness over compassion. added advantage of preserving the employment relationship be‐ tween the worker and the employer. In other words, when the per‐ son recovers and feels better, they can return to their position. Today we are debating a progressive bill that I think should gal‐ ● (1110) vanize all progressive members in the House. We can all agree that this job security is far from a luxury, espe‐ cially after fighting for one's life. I never thought I would find myself quoting a former Liberal My bill is also a posthumous tribute to Émilie Sansfaçon. At 31, member, but my Liberal colleagues might be more receptive to the this young mother lost her battle with cancer, leaving behind her words of one of their own. On November 22, 2011, the former grieving spouse and her two children.