OTTAWA The Liberal government is seeking to recall the House of Commons to pass another round of measures to deal with COVID-19.<\/p>\n
Opposition parties were notified Thursday of the new legislation and the potential for the Commons to deal with it early next week.<\/p>\n
Among the items hanging on the government's agenda is a promise to provide one-time payments to some Canadians with disabilities to help cover additional costs incurred during the pandemic.<\/p>\n
The Liberals tried to pass a bill last month that would set up the payment but the opposition refused to support the legislation as it contained other measures they found objectionable.<\/p>\n
A spokesman for Liberal House Leader Pablo Rodriguez would not divulge the contents of the latest bill; it has not been officially tabled in the House of Commons.<\/p>\n
But Simon Ross says legislation has been drafted and shared with the opposition so that Canadians can get more help.<\/p>\n
\"We will continue to collaborate with the opposition, because that's what Canadians expect from all of us,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also promised to provide details this week of how the government intends to extend the federal wage subsidy program to the end of the year.<\/p>\n
When it was first announced, the program was to expire the first week of June, and was then extended into early fall.<\/p>\n
The program pays up to 75 per cent of salaries for certain companies whose revenues have declined a specific amount.<\/p>\n
There have been calls for it to be restructured to take into account the slow recovery of the economy.<\/p>\n
The government's fiscal and economic \"snapshot'' last week boosted the expected cost of the program from $45 billion to $82.3 billion, taken as a sign of impending changes to the thresholds.<\/p>\n
The House of Commons is adjourned until fall, though a special committee continues to meet in its stead over the summer months to debate COVID-19 issues.<\/p>\n
While that committee is scheduled to sit next week, to pass legislation the government must formally recall Parliament.<\/p>\n
The Liberals have done so several times in the past, with MPs gathered in person in the minimum number required to allow for votes to be cast on bills.<\/p>\n
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 16, 2020.<\/p>\n
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Liberals seek to recall House of Commons for new COVID-19 legislation - Kamloops This Week<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" OTTAWA The Liberal government is seeking to recall the House of Commons to pass another round of measures to deal with COVID-19. Opposition parties were notified Thursday of the new legislation and the potential for the Commons to deal with it early next week. Continue reading