The Canadian government announced on Thursday an extension of aid to Canadians who lost their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic and unveiled several social measures with a total cost estimated at 37 billion Canadian dollars (23.6 billion euros) over a year. The Canadian Emergency Benefit, an allowance that provides $ 2,000 per month to Canadian workers who find themselves without income because of the coronavirus, is extended by four weeks. About 4.5 million Canadians are currently receiving this government assistance, which was scheduled to end at the end of August.
The government has indicated that it also wants to ease the conditions for access to unemployment insurance, allowing 400,000 additional people to benefit from it. Three new benefits were also unveiled, intended in particular for self-employed workers, sick workers who must isolate themselves, as well as family caregivers, who cannot work because they are taking care of a family member for reasons related to the coronavirus.
«By supporting Canadians who are unemployed due to the pandemic, we are enabling our country to continue to practice social distancing and make the right decisions in our fight against the coronavirus.”, Declared, in a press conference, the new Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland, appointed Tuesday.
The unemployment rate continued to decline in July to 10.9%, after reaching an all-time high in May of 13.7%. It stood at 5.6% in February. Justin Trudeau’s government, a minority since the fall 2019 legislative elections, must present a bill to implement these new measures, submitted for parliamentary approval.
In the wake of the reshuffle that followed the resignation of former Finance Minister Bill Morneau on Monday, the Prime Minister announced that he would submit his next September 23 “throne speech», Program of general policy, to a vote of confidence in the House of Commons. A rejection of this program by the deputies would cause early elections, and would de facto suspend the aid program unveiled on Thursday.
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