Human Resources Committee on April 29th, 2024

[The Chair (Mr. Robert Morrissey (Egmont, Lib.)), Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

I call the meeting to order.

Welcome to meeting number 110 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

As you have noticed, the room makeup is a bit different, and there's a reason.

Before we begin, I would like to remind all members and other meeting participants in the room of important preventive measures.

To prevent disruptive and potentially harmful audio feedback incidents that can cause injuries, all in-person participants are reminded to keep their earpieces away from all microphones at all times. As indicated in the communiqué from the Speaker to all members on Monday, April 29, the following measures have been taken to help prevent audio feedback incidents.

All earpieces have been replaced by a model that greatly reduces the probability of audio feedback. The new earpieces are black in colour, whereas the former earpieces were grey. We've noticed that. Please use only an approved black earpiece.

By default, all unused earpieces will be unplugged at the start of a meeting. When you are not using your earpiece, please place it face down—face down, Ms. Falk—on the middle of the sticker for this purpose, which you will find on the table as indicated. I'm sorry for picking on you, but it was just obvious.

Please consult the cards on the table for guidelines. This is serious. There were incidents, and the internal economy committee had extensive meetings and came up with these options.

The room layout has been adjusted to increase the distance between microphones and to reduce the chance of feedback from an ambient earpiece. These measures are in place so that we can conduct our business without interruption and protect the health and safety of all participants, including the interpreters. Thank you all for your co-operation.

Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format. In accordance with the committee's routine motion concerning connection tests for witnesses, I'm informing the committee that all witnesses have completed the required connection tests in advance of the meeting.

I have a few comments for members appearing online and in the room. Please wait until I recognize you by your name before speaking. For members in the room, please raise your hand if you wish to speak. For those appearing virtually, please use the “raise hand” icon on the bottom of your Surface device and wait until I recognize you.

I remind you that all comments should be addressed through me, the chair. As well, you have the option of choosing to speak in the official language of your choice. In the room, interpretation services are available through the headset. I ask those in the room to please check the globe icon at the bottom of your service and choose the language of your choice. If there's an issue in interpretation, please get my attention. We'll suspend while it is being corrected.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on February 26, 2024, the committee is commencing its study of the subject matter of supplementary estimates (C) for 2023-24 and the main estimates for 2024-25.

I would like to welcome our witnesses. We have Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities.

Welcome, Minister.

From the Department of Canadian Heritage, we have Isabelle Mondou, deputy minister, and Gaveen Cadotte, assistant deputy minister, anti-racism strategy and action plan.

From the Department of Employment and Social Development, we have Kristina Namiesniowski. She is senior associate deputy minister of the department.

We also have Andrew Brown, the associate deputy minister, and Brian Leonard, director general and deputy chief financial officer, corporate financial planning.

Madam Minister, you have five minutes or less for opening comments, after which we'll go to questions.

You have the floor, Madam Minister.

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Minister of Diversity]

Thank you so much, Mr. Chair.

Good afternoon, colleagues and committee members. Thank you again for inviting me here today. I'm very happy to be here to discuss the important progress we have made as we work toward building a more accessible and inclusive Canada.

As the minister responsible for diversity, inclusion and persons with disabilities, my goal is to create a more accessible and inclusive Canada where everyone, regardless of their ability or identity, is included.

I'm pleased to report that when it comes to creating a more accessible Canada, our government has taken significant steps, thanks to the Accessible Canada Act, under which our government launched the first-ever disability inclusion action plan.

The action plan has been our road map for creating a more accessible Canada, in partnership with the disability community. Under this plan, we have been working to make our economy and workplaces across the country more accessible through the disability inclusion business council and by investing millions of dollars through the opportunities fund.

We've also been breaking down barriers in communities across the country through the enabling accessibility fund.

Most recently, we unveiled budget 2024, which is our plan to make life fairer for every generation of Canadians. In this budget, we reached another significant milestone under the action plan by announcing $6.1 billion for a new Canada disability benefit, thanks to the relentless advocacy of the disability community. This is the first federal benefit especially designed to support some of the most vulnerable working-age Canadians with disabilities. This benefit fills a program gap in the federal government's social safety net between the Canada child benefit, old age security and other mechanisms that we put in place. The disability benefit is intended to supplement, not replace, existing income support measures. Also, we will continue to call on provincial and territorial governments to do their part and not claw back what Canadians receive through the Canada disability benefit.

I also want to take an opportunity to talk a bit about the work we're doing when it comes to creating a more diverse and inclusive Canada. I firmly believe that as a country, our greatest strength is our diversity. You know, I always say that in Canada, diversity is a fact, but inclusion is a choice. It is that choice that our government has been very deliberate in making.

Since 2015, our government has been working with community partners to combat racism and hatred in all its forms. Back in 2019, we launched Canada's anti-racism strategy. Very soon we will be launching the brand new anti-racism strategy 2.0, which incorporates lessons learned from the first strategy, expanding its scope by enhancing our whole-of-government approach to combatting systemic racism in all its forms.

In 2018, Canada recognized the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent. Since then, we have committed $860 million to better support Black communities right across the country. Just recently, our government reaffirmed our support by announcing our support for a second International Decade for People of African Descent, while also noting that Canada's domestic efforts in support of the decade have already been extended through 2028.

At the same time, we know there has been an alarming rise in hate, both here in Canada and around the world. As a government, we have always been clear that hatred has no place in Canada. With budget 2024, we have taken a significant step in this fight against hate by investing $273 million through Canada's first-ever action plan on combatting hate. Thanks to these critical investments, we will be able to better support communities in law enforcement reform, tackle the rise in hate crimes, enhance community security, counter radicalization and increase support for victims.

Mr. Chair, as I said at the beginning of my remarks, my goal is to build a Canada where everyone, regardless of their ability or identity, is included. We know building a stronger, more accessible and fairer Canada for every generation isn't just the right thing to do: It's also the smart thing to do, and the Canadian thing to do.

Our government remains steadfast in our commitment to celebrate diversity and promote inclusivity, because we know that as Canadians, we're always stronger together.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm happy to take any questions.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

We have Mrs. Gray for six minutes.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Minister, for being here today.

Minister, are Canadians living with disabilities facing a cost of living crisis?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

It's important to recognize that working-age Canadians with disabilities in particular have been, for far too long, twice as likely to live in poverty than other Canadians.

Since then, as a government, we have been there by supporting the work we've been doing through—

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Minister, are they in a cost of living crisis? My question is, are they in a cost of living crisis?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

I think we can all agree that it's been a challenging time, particularly postpandemic. We know of disruptions in supply chains and other issues, certainly issues around the world that have—

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Minister, can you please answer the question? Are persons with disabilities in a cost of living crisis? You've said that they're having a challenging time. Can you say today if they're having a cost of living crisis?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Mr. Chair, I think it's important to recognize that since day one, we have been at the forefront in supporting Canadians, particularly Canadians living with disabilities—

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Thank you, Minister. I'll go back to my time. You obviously don't want to answer that question, so I'll go on to something else. It's really clear that you don't want to answer.

Are there regulations completed and in place for the Canada disability benefit?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

They will be completed, as has been mentioned in the budget.

If I may, I think it's important to, first and foremost, recognize that for the first time in Canadian history we have a Canada disability benefit that is going to support over 600,000 persons with disabilities—

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Thank you, Minister. Yes, you mentioned that in your opening address.

To go back to my questions, the previous minister for disabilities told this committee on October 31, 2022, that your government would announce the regulations in early 2024. Now that promise has come and gone, and that is a broken promise.

You're the only minister responsible for the Canada disability benefit. Is that correct?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

That is correct.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

So the buck stops with you.

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

That's right, and the—

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Minister, when did you decide to move the regulations and the implementation of the Canada disability benefit to late 2025?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Mr. Chair, I think it's important for the committee and Canadians to, first and foremost, understand where we are when it comes to the Canada disability benefit.

The legislation for the Canada disability benefit was passed and got royal assent last year. Since then, we have been consulting with the community on regulations. In fact, there was an online consultation period, and regulations from those consultations will be coming in place by June 2024, this year.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Thank you, Minister.

The timeline that was promised to persons with disabilities in 2022 has come and gone. As I said, it's a broken promise.

Was this a misrepresentation from the previous minister?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

The timeline is exactly what was stated in legislation. It's in the legislation, so it is exactly where it needs to be.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Minister, what the previous minister for disabilities said at this committee on October 31, 2022, was that your government would announce the regulations early in 2024. Is this mismanagement by your department? Has something changed with government priorities that has now pushed this off to late into 2025?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

As I mentioned, Mr. Chair, if the honourable colleague will allow me, the Canada disability regulations are coming forward in June of 2024, in about two months.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Then, Minister—

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

It's the same timeline that was in law.

Kristina, if you don't mind correcting, and also perhaps walking through the—

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Minister, thank you. I'll go back to my time here.

The previous minister said in 2022 that she had already written to the provinces, and she told us in 2023, “We have actually funded specific national organizations to go out and do those consultations for us and to work with the department to pull together as much information as we can in anticipation of the regulatory process”.

However, now we hear that the regulatory process is not well under way and that it won't be announced for well over a year from now. What has happened between those comments from that minister and what is taking place right now? It sounds like a broken promise, and that is what a lot of persons in the disability community are saying.

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Well, if I may, Mr. Chair, the honourable member is just not right in what she's saying. The Canada—