OTTAWA— On Wednesday, for a second time in less than a year, millions of Canadian families are receiving hundreds of dollars – a family with two children will get up to $467 - to help them deal with high costs after significant pressure from Canada’s New Democrats. While the amount that people have been paying for food, rent, and other necessities like gas and home heating fuel has remained high, Jagmeet Singh and the NDP relentlessly pushed the government to double the GST rebate to give families some financial breathing room.
“People have been working hard, and tightening their belts as the cost of living has soared over the last year. Canadians feel like they’re doing everything right, but they just can’t get ahead—it’s not right,” said Singh. “That’s why New Democrats fought so hard to get families, seniors and students a little extra support.
Canadian Press: NDP calls on federal government to allow open work permits for temporary workers
The committee’s report found that system creates conditions that can lead to exploitation and abuse.
NDP MPs Jenny Kwan and Matthew Green say the government needs to take this a step further by allowing all temporary workers access to open work permits in an effort to prevent abuse.
“The reality is, if you’re tied to one specific employer, you are really at their behest to do what they demand of you,” Kwan said.
“No matter what the abuse is, no matter if you’re faced with wage theft, with harassment, with violence, for women, with sexual harassment — you just have to live with it.”
She said the least the federal government can do to curb abuse in the temporary worker system is end the closed work permit system.