QUESTION PERIOD — Employment and Social Development
COVID-19 Disability Advisory Group
November 5, 2020
My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. Senator Gold, I’m sure you will agree with me that, as Gandhi once said, the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable.
Today, my question is on one of the most vulnerable segments of our population; people with disabilities. As you know, the government launched the COVID-19 Disability Advisory Group back in April, co-chaired by Minister Qualtrough. This group essentially represents 6.2 million Canadians living with some type of disability and is supposed to be advising the minister on disability-specific issues, challenges and systemic gaps in the government’s response to the pandemic.
How has the work of this group influenced the government’s response to the pandemic with respect to people with disabilities? Can you tell us what the group is advocating for? Canadians with disabilities have a right to know what this group is telling the government on their behalf.
Thank you for your question and the important issue.
The Government of Canada is working with all stakeholder groups to find a pathway forward to make sure those most vulnerable, including those with disabilities, are provided with sufficient and adequate support, generally and especially in these challenging times.
I think the government will take opportunities to make further announcements in the future as to the progress of these consultations. It’s a relatively early stage, though.
The pandemic has surely made employment security a bigger challenge than it already is for persons with disabilities. The government’s Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities is a program that helps persons with disabilities prepare, obtain and maintain employment. How has the mandate of this program shifted during the pandemic? Will the government further prioritize persons with disabilities and commit to more targeted support to assist them in securing employment during these unprecedented times, or is the government satisfied that the program is meeting all of its objectives?
Thank you for your question. The position of this government has been, since the very beginning of the pandemic, that it is doing the best that it can do, under extraordinarily difficult circumstances, to assist as many Canadians as possible. But it has acknowledged right from the start, and continues to do so, that not only does more work need to be done but that programs need to be constantly re-evaluated to make sure that the intended consequences and impact of the programs are actually met.
In this regard, as senators will know, our office and the government has proposed a special committee to study lessons learned during the pandemic. I would look forward to that committee being established so that these and many other questions can be fully debated and discussed.
The time for Question Period has expired.
