Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2020-02-18 12:35:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Ms. Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona, NDP)",
        "fr": "Mme Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona, NPD)"
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"6050653\" data-originallang=\"en\">Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to thank my colleagues for bringing forward this important motion, allowing us to debate this important priority for the NDP. As many people will know, this was an NDP campaign promise in the most recent election. It put this idea forward in a bill in the past two Parliaments and is delighted to do so in the 43rd Parliament as well. However, this has not been the case with the Liberal government. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050654\" data-originallang=\"en\">When they were not in government, the Liberals voted for increases in special employment insurance sickness benefits, but as soon as they were elected, that support vanished. Instead, we were told that they would \u201crevisit\u201d the issue. The flip-flopping at the expense of sick Canadians is unconscionable and I urge my government colleagues to support this important motion.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050655\" data-originallang=\"en\">While I am so proud to be a member of the New Democratic Party and am delighted to stand in support of this motion, I would like to take this opportunity to share a deeply personal story, which I hope will illustrate the need for the House to pass this bill.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050656\" data-originallang=\"en\">On November 26, 2016, my doctor told me that I had a very aggressive form of cancer and would require emergency surgery and the removal of a significant portion of my large intestine. I was the mother of a nine-year-old son and an 11-year-old daughter and I have never been more afraid than I was at that point. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050657\" data-originallang=\"en\">My life very quickly changed. I went from being a very busy mother, driving kids to swim practices, hockey games and music lessons, and being the executive director of a non-profit organization, to a cancer patient who had non-stop medical appointments and tests. It took me months to recover from my surgery and cancer treatment. I could not do anything. I could not get groceries. I could not do the laundry. I could not drive or even get out of bed without assistance. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050658\" data-originallang=\"en\">It was a terrible time in my life, but I still recognize how lucky I was. I had access to incredible medical care. I had an incredibly supportive husband and family, and my husband had a good job with benefits. We were able to continue to pay our bills, buy the expensive pain medication and medical supplies and make ends meet. I did not have the added stress of worrying about supporting myself and my family while undergoing medical treatment. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050659\" data-originallang=\"en\">In a country with as much wealth and prosperity as Canada, I hope that no Canadian would have to bear the additional burden of being unable to pay their bills, buy the nourishing food they need to heal or access the medication they need. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050660\" data-originallang=\"en\">The Parliamentary Budget Officer published a report entitled \u201cCost Estimate of an Increase in the Duration of Employment Insurance (EI) Sickness Benefits\u201d and found that to increase the number of weeks of sickness benefits to 50 would require the employee premium rate to rise by a total of six cents from the baseline rate of $1.62 per $100 of insurable earnings. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050661\" data-originallang=\"en\">The PBO found that 77% of recipients who used this benefit survived following illness, but were not ready to return to work once they had exhausted their 15 weeks. We are letting more than three out of four Canadians with major illnesses like this simply run out of options over an increase of six cents. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050662\" data-originallang=\"en\">Almost one in two people in Canada will develop cancer at some point in their lives, an illness with an average treatment length of 52 weeks. Fifteen weeks of benefits are simply not enough to allow people to heal before returning to work.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050663\" data-originallang=\"en\">With breast cancer, 25 to 36 weeks is the average time for treatment and recovery. For colon cancer, it is 37 weeks. With the benefit currently at 15 weeks, we know that it is not meeting the needs of patients experiencing these cancers. When will the government finally commit to making this change to increase these special benefits to 50 weeks? </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050664\" data-originallang=\"en\">We know that 50 weeks is what we give mothers after they give birth. Why would people who have life-threatening diseases not be given the same benefits? The Liberal government has just given $50 million to Mastercard and over $10 million to Loblaws, yet it cannot uphold its own promise to increase El benefits to the sick and injured. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050665\" data-originallang=\"en\">Why is the government rushing to pay $50 million to a big company like Mastercard, but dragging its feet when it comes to helping ill and injured workers?</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050666\" data-originallang=\"en\">More than 600,000 people have signed the petition, calling on the government to increase EI sickness benefits from 15 to 50 weeks for workers who are sick. The NDP wants to fix the employment insurance system that many Canadians need to rely on when they are dealing with an illness so it no longer falls short by not providing the flexibility to support those who want to work when they can.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050667\" data-originallang=\"en\">I will be splitting my time, Mr. Speaker.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050668\" data-originallang=\"en\"> In addition to an increase in special benefits, the New Democrats would like to see expanded access to retraining and the creation of a pilot project that would allow workers with episodic disabilities to access EI sickness benefits. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050669\" data-originallang=\"en\">We want to prevent the situation that occurred in 2010, when the federal government transferred $57 billion from the employment insurance account into the government's general revenue.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050670\" data-originallang=\"en\">Employment insurance is an important part of the Canadian social safety net. It is intended to assist Canadians who are facing financially challenging events like unemployment, injury and new parenthood. It is also intended to support Canadians who are afflicted with a serious illness like cancer and require lengthy periods of recuperation. They require the support the most. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050671\" data-originallang=\"en\">Consecutive Liberal and Conservative governments have neglected our EI system, allowing it to become decimated and broken, unable to meet the needs of Canadians. It has not been revised since before I was born in 1971. It is time for an upgrade.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050672\" data-originallang=\"en\"> I urge all members to support the motion.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"6050653\" data-originallang=\"en\">Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, j\u2019aimerais prendre un moment pour remercier mes coll\u00e8gues d\u2019avoir pr\u00e9sent\u00e9 cette importante motion, qui nous permet de d\u00e9battre de cette priorit\u00e9 de premier plan pour le NPD. Comme beaucoup de gens le savent, cela faisait partie de ses promesses lors de la derni\u00e8re campagne \u00e9lectorale. Le NPD avait d\u00e9j\u00e0 soumis cette id\u00e9e dans le cadre d\u2019un projet de loi au cours des deux derni\u00e8res l\u00e9gislatures, et il est ravi de le faire de nouveau au cours de la 43<sup>e</sup> l\u00e9gislature. Toutefois, cela ne semble pas \u00eatre au go\u00fbt du gouvernement lib\u00e9ral.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050654\" data-originallang=\"en\">Lorsqu\u2019ils n\u2019\u00e9taient pas au pouvoir, les lib\u00e9raux ont vot\u00e9 pour l\u2019augmentation des prestations sp\u00e9ciales de maladie de l\u2019assurance-emploi, mais d\u00e8s qu\u2019ils ont \u00e9t\u00e9 \u00e9lus, cet appui a disparu. Ils nous ont plut\u00f4t dit qu\u2019ils \u00ab r\u00e9examineraient \u00bb la question. Cette volte-face aux d\u00e9pens des Canadiens malades est inadmissible, et j\u2019exhorte mes coll\u00e8gues du gouvernement \u00e0 appuyer cette importante motion.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050655\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je suis tr\u00e8s fi\u00e8re de repr\u00e9senter le Nouveau Parti d\u00e9mocratique et je suis ravie de prendre la parole pour appuyer cette motion. J\u2019aimerais profiter de l\u2019occasion pour raconter une histoire qui me touche personnellement et qui, je l\u2019esp\u00e8re, illustrera la n\u00e9cessit\u00e9 pour la Chambre d\u2019adopter ce projet de loi.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050656\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le 26 novembre 2016, mon m\u00e9decin m\u2019a dit que j\u2019avais un cancer tr\u00e8s agressif et que j\u2019aurais besoin d\u2019une intervention chirurgicale d\u2019urgence pour faire l\u2019ablation d\u2019une partie importante de mon gros intestin. \u00c0 l\u2019\u00e9poque, mon fils avait neuf ans et ma fille, 11 ans. Je n\u2019ai jamais eu aussi peur qu\u2019\u00e0 ce moment-l\u00e0.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050657\" data-originallang=\"en\">Ma vie a chang\u00e9 tr\u00e8s rapidement. Je suis pass\u00e9e du statut de m\u00e8re tr\u00e8s occup\u00e9e, conduisant ses enfants \u00e0 des entra\u00eenements de natation, \u00e0 des parties de hockey et \u00e0 des le\u00e7ons de musique, ainsi que de directrice g\u00e9n\u00e9rale d\u2019un organisme sans but lucratif, \u00e0 celui de patiente atteinte de cancer qui devait sans cesse se rendre \u00e0 des rendez-vous et subir des examens m\u00e9dicaux. Il m\u2019a fallu des mois pour me remettre de ma chirurgie et de mon traitement contre le cancer. Je ne pouvais rien faire. Je ne pouvais pas faire l\u2019\u00e9picerie. Je ne pouvais pas faire la lessive. Je ne pouvais pas conduire, ni m\u00eame sortir du lit sans aide.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050658\" data-originallang=\"en\">Ce fut une p\u00e9riode terrible dans ma vie, mais je reconnais quand m\u00eame la chance que j\u2019ai eue. J\u2019ai eu acc\u00e8s \u00e0 des soins m\u00e9dicaux incroyables. J\u2019avais un mari et une famille qui m\u2019appuyaient \u00e9norm\u00e9ment, et mon mari avait un bon emploi assorti d\u2019avantages sociaux. Nous avons pu continuer \u00e0 payer nos factures, \u00e0 acheter des fournitures m\u00e9dicales et des m\u00e9dicaments co\u00fbteux et \u00e0 joindre les deux bouts. Je n\u2019avais pas le stress suppl\u00e9mentaire de m\u2019inqui\u00e9ter de subvenir \u00e0 mes besoins et \u00e0 ceux de ma famille pendant que je suivais mon traitement contre le cancer.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050659\" data-originallang=\"en\">Dans un pays aussi riche et prosp\u00e8re que le Canada, j\u2019esp\u00e8re qu\u2019aucun Canadien n\u2019aura \u00e0 assumer le fardeau suppl\u00e9mentaire d'\u00eatre dans l'impossibilit\u00e9 de payer ses factures, d\u2019acheter les aliments nutritifs n\u00e9cessaires \u00e0 sa gu\u00e9rison ou d\u2019avoir acc\u00e8s aux m\u00e9dicaments dont il a besoin.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050660\" data-originallang=\"en\">Dans un rapport intitul\u00e9 \u00ab Estimation des co\u00fbts li\u00e9s \u00e0 la prolongation de la p\u00e9riode de versement des prestations de maladie de l\u2019assurance-emploi \u00bb, le directeur parlementaire du budget a constat\u00e9 que pour porter le nombre de semaines de prestations de maladie \u00e0 50, il faudrait que le taux de cotisation des employ\u00e9s augmente de 6 \u00a2 au total par rapport au taux de base de 1,62 $ par tranche de 100 $ de r\u00e9mun\u00e9ration assurable.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050661\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le directeur parlementaire du budget a constat\u00e9 que 77 % des prestataires en cause survivent \u00e0 la maladie, mais ne sont pas pr\u00eats \u00e0 reprendre le travail apr\u00e8s avoir \u00e9puis\u00e9 leurs 15 semaines. Faute d'une augmentation de 6 \u00a2, on laisse plus de trois Canadiens atteints de maladies graves sur quatre se retrouver ni plus ni moins \u00e0 court d\u2019options.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050662\" data-originallang=\"en\">Pr\u00e8s d\u2019une personne sur deux au Canada d\u00e9veloppera un cancer au cours de sa vie, une maladie dont la dur\u00e9e moyenne de traitement est de 52 semaines. Quinze semaines de prestations ne suffisent tout simplement pas pour permettre aux gens de gu\u00e9rir avant de retourner au travail.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050663\" data-originallang=\"en\">Dans le cas du cancer du sein, la dur\u00e9e moyenne du traitement et du r\u00e9tablissement est de 25 \u00e0 36 semaines. Pour le cancer du c\u00f4lon, c\u2019est 37 semaines. On sait que la prestation actuelle de 15 semaines ne r\u00e9pond pas aux besoins des patients atteints de ces cancers. Quand le gouvernement s\u2019engagera-t-il enfin \u00e0 changer les choses en portant la dur\u00e9e de ces prestations sp\u00e9ciales \u00e0 50 semaines?</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050664\" data-originallang=\"en\">Nous savons que les m\u00e8res b\u00e9n\u00e9ficient de 50 semaines apr\u00e8s l\u2019accouchement. Pourquoi les gens qui ont des maladies mortelles ne recevraient-ils pas les m\u00eames avantages? Le gouvernement lib\u00e9ral vient de donner 50 millions de dollars \u00e0 Mastercard et plus de 10 millions de dollars \u00e0 Loblaws, mais il ne peut pas tenir sa propre promesse d\u2019augmenter les prestations d\u2019assurance-emploi pour les personnes malades ou bless\u00e9es.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050665\" data-originallang=\"en\">Pourquoi le gouvernement s\u2019empresse-t-il de verser 50 millions de dollars \u00e0 une grande entreprise comme Mastercard, tout en se tra\u00eenant les pieds quand il s\u2019agit d\u2019aider les travailleurs malades et bless\u00e9s?</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050666\" data-originallang=\"en\">Plus de 600 000 personnes ont sign\u00e9 une p\u00e9tition pour demander au gouvernement de faire passer les prestations de maladie de l\u2019assurance-emploi de 15 \u00e0 50 semaines pour les travailleurs malades. Le NPD veut corriger le r\u00e9gime d\u2019assurance-emploi, sur lequel de nombreux Canadiens doivent compter lorsqu\u2019ils sont aux prises avec une maladie, afin qu'il soit assez souple pour aider ceux qui veulent travailler lorsqu\u2019ils le peuvent.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050667\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je partagerai mon temps de parole, monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050668\" data-originallang=\"en\">En plus d\u2019une augmentation des prestations sp\u00e9ciales, les n\u00e9o-d\u00e9mocrates souhaitent un acc\u00e8s \u00e9largi au recyclage professionnel et la cr\u00e9ation d\u2019un projet pilote afin qui les travailleurs ayant une invalidit\u00e9 \u00e9pisodique aient acc\u00e8s aux prestations de maladie de l\u2019assurance-emploi.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050669\" data-originallang=\"en\">Nous voulons pr\u00e9venir la situation qui s\u2019est produite en 2010, lorsque le gouvernement f\u00e9d\u00e9ral a puis\u00e9 57 milliards de dollars \u00e0 m\u00eame la caisse d\u2019assurance-emploi pour les verser dans les fonds g\u00e9n\u00e9raux du gouvernement.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050670\" data-originallang=\"en\">L\u2019assurance-emploi est un volet important du filet de s\u00e9curit\u00e9 sociale du Canada. Il vise \u00e0 aider les Canadiens aux prises avec des difficult\u00e9s financi\u00e8res comme le ch\u00f4mage, les blessures et les nouvelles responsabilit\u00e9s parentales. Il vise \u00e9galement \u00e0 aider les Canadiens qui souffrent d\u2019une maladie grave comme le cancer et qui ont besoin de longues p\u00e9riodes de r\u00e9tablissement. Ce sont eux qui ont le plus besoin de soutien.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050671\" data-originallang=\"en\">Les gouvernements lib\u00e9raux et conservateurs qui se sont succ\u00e9d\u00e9 ont n\u00e9glig\u00e9 notre r\u00e9gime d\u2019assurance-emploi, qu'ils ont laiss\u00e9 se d\u00e9t\u00e9riorer au point qu'il ne r\u00e9pond plus aux besoins des Canadiens. Sa derni\u00e8re r\u00e9vision a eu lieu avant ma naissance, en 1971. Il est temps d\u2019apporter des am\u00e9liorations.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6050672\" data-originallang=\"en\">J\u2019exhorte tous les d\u00e9put\u00e9s \u00e0 appuyer la motion.</p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2020/2/18/heather-mcpherson-1/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/heather-mcpherson/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/4571/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "10755182",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Government Orders",
        "fr": "Ordres \u00e9manant du gouvernement"
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Business of Supply",
        "fr": "Travaux des subsides"
    },
    "h3": {
        "en": "Opposition Motion\u2014Special Employment Insurance Sickness Benefits",
        "fr": "Motion de l'opposition \u2014 Les prestations sp\u00e9ciales de maladie de l\u2019assurance-emploi"
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2020/2/18/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2020%2F2%2F18%2F"
    }
}