LIGHTER MOMENT

Liberals push for 10 days of sick leave

The federal Liberals have introduced a two-for-one piece of legislation that would provide sick leave to almost 600,000 workers, and bring the law down on anyone harassing doctors, nurses and patients.

The omnibus bill checks off two issues at the top of the government’s legislative to-do list when MPs returned to Parliament Hill this week for the first time since the Sept. 20 election.

In one swoop, the government looked to deal with two issues the pandemic showed needed to be addressed, while also upping the political pressure on Conservatives and their counterparts in provincial legislatures.

First, the bill would provide 10 days of paid sick leave to federally regulated workers, who make up roughly six per cent of the overall Canadian workforce. By government estimates, 586,000 workers in the federally regulated private sector don’t have access to that long a sick leave, creating a gap in the social safety net the Liberals say must be addressed.

“At some point, there will be another pandemic, likely. When that happens, we need to be ready,” Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan said Friday.

“It would be irresponsible for us, I think, for the federal government, not to take a leadership position and protect those workers and their families where we can.”

The Liberals plan to push provinces and territories to replicate the leave in their labour codes.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh in a statement criticized the Liberals for not moving on the measure fast enough, saying that front-line workers needed this over a year ago.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business warned against imposing any new costs on the small companies who are still recovering, saying many businesses could close for good, or slash staffing to manage financially.

At the same time, the bill would create two new offences in the Criminal Code: one for anyone threatening a health-care worker, those who assist them, and anyone trying to access health services, and a second for anyone caught obstructing access to a health-care facility.

The Liberals plan to urge provinces and territories to replicate the leave in their labour codes.