Bereavement Leave Bill passed by Parliament
Plus my election as Chair of Public Accounts Committee, the government's fiscal update, my letter to the Auditor General on access to information, and my speech on the Liberals' criminal justice bill
Bereavement Leave Bill passed by Parliament
It’s a victory for grieving parents. Parts of my private member’s bill C-211, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (bereavement leave), was included into the Liberal government’s Bill C-3 and was passed by the House of Commons. This bill will extend bereavement leave to eight weeks of unpaid leave for parents who have experienced a stillbirth, the death of a child under the age of 18, or the death of a disabled child in the parent’s care. The bill is the fruit of hard work since 2018 and it will support parents during unexpected times when they need help the most. As a parent, I have experienced the devastating toll that the unfair bereavement system in the Canada Labour Code has had after the passing of my daughter Lucy-Rose in August 2018, after only living for 39 days. I’ve heard from thousands of families across Canada that have suffered after losing a child and expressed that the current bereavement leave time is not enough. I thank all the families who have shared their stories with me as I worked to pass this legislation, and to my fellow Parliamentarians for their support in getting the legislation across the line.
Election to Chair of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts
This week, I was elected Chair of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts by a select group of my fellow parliamentarians. This all-party committee works closely with the Auditor General of Canada and focuses on government administration, the efficiency of program delivery, and ensuring adherence to written policies and standards. The committee has a long history of ensuring government accountability. During the 38th Parliament, the committee worked with Auditor General Sheila Fraser in her audit of the Sponsorship Program under the Paul Martin Liberal government and uncovered systemic abuse of government contracting rules. As Chair, I will work with my colleagues to hold the government to account for effective governance and ensure there is a regard for public funds.
Letter to the Auditor General on access to information requests
Last week, my conservative colleague Kelly McCauley and I called upon the Auditor General to conduct an audit of the federal government’s access to information offices. Inappropriate delays up to a year or longer and the outright ignoring of access to information requests (ATIPs) across multiple departments indicate a growing culture of secrecy within the government. Government transparency is essential to the health of a democracy and it is a right of Canadians to file ATIPs to the government as it ensures transparency and allows for accountability. Beyond the requests filed by journalists, politicians and other organizations, ATIPs are often filed by Canadians to Immigration department or the CRA, seeking updates on applications for their loved ones or for their eligibility for vital programs like the disability tax credit. There are important reasons for Canadians to have open, transparent access to government.
Since 2019, the number of complaints submitted to the Information Commissioner citing issues with access to information have more than tripled since the government’s so-called reform of the Access to Information and Privacy Act, far higher than any year under the Harper government. Additionally, more complaints were submitted from 2019-2021 than the five years prior. An audit of these offices is in the public interest, and the government cannot continue defying the law.
Liberal government tables their fiscal update
On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland tabled the Liberal government’s fiscal update, outlining $71.2 billion in new spending over the next seven years on top of the eyewatering $400 billion they have already spent during the pandemic. When it came to deficit reduction, the Liberal government relied on questionable economics and predicted a $180 billion reduction in one year and another $90 billion the year after, simply attributing the reductions to increased revenues. On top of that, the government’s supplementary estimates indicate excessive spending to carry out a federal employee vaccine mandate that will last for at least three years. Interestingly, $37 million was allocated to Transport Canada to enforce a three-year vaccine mandate while $85 million was handed to the Treasury Board to implement the mandate across the federal government.
The update offered nothing to counter rising inflation, which has now hit its highest point since 2003. In 2022, families can expect to pay over $1,000 more for the same grocery lists they have had for years. The real impact of the cost-of-living crisis in Canada is devastating, as 80 per cent of Canadians state that cost of living crisis is making their lives less affordable and 60 per cent of families with kids under 18 are concerned they might not have enough money to feed their family. In the update, the government expects a revenue increase of $15.6 billion due to rising inflation. In other words, a direct transfer of wealth from you to the government, who will do nothing to stop it.
My response to a weak Liberal criminal justice bill
I occasionally rise in the House to speak on bills of great concern to the riding and to Canadians more broadly. I recently spoke on Bill C-5, which proposed amendments to the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) to repeal mandatory minimum penalties for offences such as robbery with a firearm, weapons trafficking, and manufacturing of hard drugs like fentanyl, heroin and cocaine. Here is a link to my full speech and the reasons I oppose the bill.
Resuming Debate will return on January 14th, 2022. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and happy holidays!
Congratulations on your election to Chair of the
Thank you for this important legislation!