Bill C-2 would provide targeted aid to businesses that are ordered closed and to workers sent home, as part of a local lockdown, as well as wage and rent subsidies to those still recovering from previous pandemic restrictions.Freeland told senators the government created the measures in case there was another wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and argued they're needed even more now with the rapidly spreading Omicron variant.
But Sen. Scott Tannas told Freeland it has been happening too often for his liking and is limiting the Senate's ability to review legislation as it should as the chamber of sober second thought. The sentiments echoed by other senators came during 90 minutes of questioning Freeland faced to help get the final parliamentary sign-off on the new round of aid to workers and businesses that the government says will cost $7.4 billion.
"This is a fast-moving situation on the ground, as we are seeing provinces and territories quite appropriately, let me say, responding to COVID and to Omicron, and putting new restrictions in place," she said. Two other amendments were intended to address concerns that workers would only slowly accumulate their entitlement to paid sick leave, at a rate of one day per month of work, and an employer could demand a doctor's note to validate sick days off.