NDP: Liberals must publish KPMG report on the Social Security Tribunal

NDP MP Brigitte Sansoucy (Saint-Hyacinthe-Bagot) is demanding that that the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Jean-Yves Duclos, immediately publish the KPMG report on how to make the Social Security Tribunal more efficient.

“The Liberals have been dragging their feet. Yesterday in the House, I presented a letter to Minister Duclos urging him to publish the report so that parliamentarians and citizens can have access to it,” said Sansoucy.

Sansoucy is concerned the Liberals are delaying publishing the report because it contains damning critique. “The Liberals received the report, but they are not publishing it. Is it because they don't like the results or its recommendations?” added Sansoucy.

We must remember that last August the NDP, along with many unions and advocacy organizations, asked the Minister to abolish the fiasco that is the Social Security Tribunal. During their election campaign, the Prime Minister promised to reform the tribunal’s appeals process. Two years later, the government has yet to take action. As of last August 30th, the average wait time for a single employment insurance appeal was 219 days. Since the tribunal was established in April 2013, wait times have only become longer: in 2015 it was 109 days; in 2016, it was 154 days; and over the last year, it has risen to 183 days.