OPEN LETTER to the Prime Minister on getting financial aid to Canadians as quickly as possible

The announcements made yesterday to bring in new programs for those who don’t qualify for EI benefits - the Emergency Care Benefit and the Emergency Support benefit - are welcome news. I am sure that you, like me, have heard from many Canadians who do not have access to EI and are facing an uncertain future.
Similarly, steps to increase the GST Credit and the Canada Child Benefit, are also important measures to get necessary help to Canadians who are struggling to make ends meet.
I am alarmed at the news that many Canadians will not receive this additional help until April or May. For many Canadians, this will result in a lack of income for over a month.
Canadians cannot wait a moment longer for help. This is why I am committing to you that New Democrats will provide the necessary votes to pass these measures in Parliament.

March 19, 2020

The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau
Prime Minister of Canada
House of Commons,
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6

Dear Prime Minister,

I am writing to you today on the urgent matter of getting financial aid to Canadians as quickly as possible.

The announcements made yesterday to bring in new programs for those who don’t qualify for EI benefits - the Emergency Care Benefit and the Emergency Support benefit - are welcome news. I am sure that you, like me, have heard from many Canadians who do not have access to EI and are facing an uncertain future.

Similarly, steps to increase the GST Credit and the Canada Child Benefit, are also important measures to get necessary help to Canadians who are struggling to make ends meet.

I am alarmed at the news that many Canadians will not receive this additional help until April or May. For many Canadians, this will result in a lack of income for over a month.

Canadians cannot wait a moment longer for help.

This is why I am committing to you that New Democrats will provide the necessary votes to pass these measures in Parliament.

It is my hope that knowing that your government will be able to pass these measures, you will be able to immediately open up applications and provide Canadians with information on how to access these new programs.

Waiting until April to begin the application process means that Canadians will unnecessarily wait several more weeks to get the help they need.

I understand that it may not be possible to actually fund these measures until the necessary legislative process is completed. But accepting applications now will allow your government to begin processing these benefits so that Canadians do not need to wait one day longer than absolutely necessary.

Getting Canadians the help they need has to be fast and easy. One idea shared with me by economists is for the federal government to issue second payments this month of existing income support programs, like the Canada Child Benefit. This will get additional money to people who need it quickly - like parents who are now staying home with their children and may be missing income.

While they wait for the help that your government announced yesterday, many will be relying on credit cards and high interest loans. It is critical that the federal government, along with provincial governments and the Bank of Canada use its powers to ensure that banks and lending institutions lower interest rates and suspend penalties for late payments.

Getting good information to Canadians who will be looking for financial help - especially those who have not been eligible for EI - is critical. Already, we are hearing some distressing information, such as requiring that people apply for and be denied EI before they will be allowed to apply for the new support programs. No one needs the additional anxiety of longer waits and unclear information on how to get help.

Finally, I am sure you have also heard criticism of the low rate of the wage subsidy being offered to businesses. While we support the initiative to help small businesses keep people employed, offering 10% of payroll up to a maximum of $25,000 is simply not enough. Businesses may choose to keep people employed, with drastically reduced hours, in order to qualify for the subsidy. These employees may be worse off than if they had been laid off and could collect EI. I urge you to look to the example of other countries, like Denmark or New Zealand, who have offered much more ambitious subsidy programs designed to keep people employed.

Make no mistake, New Democrats will continue to push for more help for Canadians as this crisis continues. We believe that much more will need to be done to help Canadians in the coming months. We will continue to advocate for the many Canadians who will continue to fall through the cracks.

We will also push hard to ensure that any financial assistance to corporations is tied to job and wage protection. We want every available dollar to help Canadian workers, not protect CEO’s bonuses or shareholder profits.

The income support measures you announced yesterday WILL receive the support they need in Parliament - even if New Democrats think your government should do more and should have done it faster. Please do not delay getting this help to Canadians.

Millions of Canadians are counting on us. Sincerely,

Jagmeet Singh, MP
Burnaby South
Leader, Canada’s New Democrats

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