The new programs including the new my lenient E.I are still up in the air as it faces a number of challenges from the opposition parties. You know that we have a minority Liberal government and the party is facing a confidence vote on the throne speech as well as the vote for the benefit plans via the budget.
The most outspoken of the party is the NDP. The leader of the NDP had been making public speeches basically telegraphing to the Liberal that they do not like the current CRB plan and neither they like the new E.I plan. They also want to have the national sick leave implemented permanently as well as Pharmacare. NDP said $1600/month Liberal CRB plan which is 20% less than CERB is simply unacceptable in light of today's reality as well as the qualifications needed to be on that. CERB has literally no qualification other than the $5000 income and the $1000/month income threshold. NDP is pro-people. And then on the opposite side of the coin, you have the conservative who are hell-bent to take fiscal responsibility over the liberal and they too are telegraphing to the liberals that they have a war chest to demand their voices are heard. They are representing pro-business.
The meeting is setup on Friday Sept 18th, 2020 for the Liberals to meet with all the parties to gauge support. They need the support of at least one party to help them through the throne speech as well as the budget if there is one tabled. We will have to see what the Liberals do to negotiate a change in the CRB/EI or even introduce a Universal Basic Income of some sort while encouraging people to go to work when it's reasonable to do so. Right now with E.I, it is meant to push people to be ready, willing and able to work at any day and while that expectation is reasonable when there isn't a pandemic, it is not reasonable to expect to push or force people especially those who are immunocompromised for them to look for work and take work during a pandemic, or otherwise you'll loose E.I or CRB. That's the case the NDP is telegraphing to the Liberals.
So we will see what will happen on the Throne speech and the budget next week.