By Canadian Press

Delaying Parliament’s return until Nov. 22 will impact COVID-19 benefits: NDP

Oct 18, 2021 | 12:54 PM

OTTAWA — Peter Julian, the NDP’s leader of the House of Commons, has written to the government complaining about its decision to delay the return of Parliament. 

Julian says delaying MPs’ return to the House until Nov. 22 will mean that emergency COVID-19 benefits will expire before Parliament can renew them.  

The Canada Recovery Benefit, and others set up by the government to help Canadians through the pandemic, are due to expire on Saturday.

The cabinet can extend them until Nov. 20 without a new law, but a new bill would have to be passed through Parliament to extend them beyond that date. 

The benefits could be applied retroactively, but Parliament would have to pass a law first. 

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Julian says in his letter to Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and government House leader Pablo Rodriguez that delaying the return of MPs for more than two months after the election is “indefensible.” 

The government has not said if it plans to extend the COVID-19 benefits further, but Freeland’s office says when Parliament returns there will be an “immediate focus” on the benefits people and businesses rely on.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2021.

The Canadian Press