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QUESTION PERIOD — Finance

Debt Collection

June 20, 2023


My question is for the Government Representative. Senator Gold, The Globe and Mail recently exposed the existence of internal government memoranda revealing that, last winter, the CRA resumed a practice of clawing back vitally needed benefits such as the Canada Child Benefit from low-income Canadians.

The government did so with little notice while housing and food costs skyrocketed and while knowing that this would result in financial hardship.

Revelations such as these heighten the skepticism of many, especially in the current context where the government says they will try to negotiate no clawbacks of the Canada disability benefit.

What commitment can you offer persons in poverty who receive benefits from the government now, whether it be the CERB — the Canada Emergency Response Benefit — the Canada Child Benefit, the Guaranteed Income Supplement or, in the future, the Canada disability benefit, that other forms of such guaranteed livable income will be received by the people who deserve them and are eligible for them and that they will receive every penny of the benefit regardless of the threat from federal, provincial and territorial governments, insurance companies or other clawbacks?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate) [ + ]

Thank you, and thank you to our other colleagues who are tirelessly advocating on behalf of those in our country who are most in need.

The government has certainly heard and takes seriously the concern about possible clawbacks in these various areas.

I can assure my colleagues in this chamber that the government remains committed to working closely with the provinces and territories to harmonize the benefit, in this case the disability benefit, and to ensure that Canadians receive the assistance that they need. In that regard, I look forward, as we all do, to the debate on the message of Bill C-22, which I hope we will adopt today so that the Canada disability benefit can finally come into existence.

Thank you very much for that, Senator Gold. Could you request from the government the rates at which they proceeded against CERB recipients through the CRA, as well as the rates at which they proceeded against companies that received the CERB for wages — and how much of that are they clawing back from companies and employers as well?

Senator Gold [ + ]

I will certainly make inquiries. Thank you.

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