NDP calls on Liberals to waive normal Employment Insurance rules for Atlantic workers

Jagmeet Singh, the Leader of Canada's NDP, sent the following letter to the Prime Minister:

"Last weekend, post-tropical storm Fiona caused widespread damage and left hundreds of thousands in the Atlantic provinces without power. In some of the hardest hit regions of Atlantic Canada, entire homes were swept out to sea.

One week after the storm hit Atlantic Canada and eastern Quebec, tens of thousands of homes and businesses are still without power. This has meant that people have been unable to leave their homes and, in many cases, unable to work. Canadians in these provinces are looking for more urgent help as they continue the long recovery and rebuilding process.

Last week, I spoke with elected leaders in the Atlantic provinces who shared that cell and internet service was down for thousands of people. They raised that people needed an emergency wage supplement or access to Employment Insurance as they haven’t been able to work since the storm hit. And they shared that more help was needed from the Canadian Military with urgent clean-up efforts.

Considering that many Canadians can’t work because of the impacts of hurricane Fiona, we ask your government to waive normal Employment Insurance rules like was done for the extreme flooding last year in British Columbia. It’s now been more than a week since the storm and people are looking for support without a plan – and in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. You must act quickly.

We also urge your government to immediately provide more Canadian troops to urgently help the regions impacted.

Canadians from across the country are urging this government to act quickly to help our neighbours in the Atlantic provinces and are deeply concerned for the recovery process."