Justin Trudeau promising expanded child care leave
Posted August 19, 2015 5:04 pm.
Last Updated August 19, 2015 6:53 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) The federal Liberals are courting young Canadians by proposing changes to paternal leave. Their leader is promising new options which would allow parents of new babies to stay home for up to 18 months.
Under the Liberals’ plan, parents can choose to take 18 month leave while receiving smaller benefit payments over that longer period of time. Or, they can choose to take smaller chunks of leave at the current benefit rate over an 18 month period. For example, a new mother could take six months off at the current benefit rate, go back to work for six months and then take another six months off after that.
Leader Justin Trudeau made the promise at the Le Centre Culturel Francophone de Vancouver. He says our government needs to catch up with today’s working reality. “We need to give choices to parents so they can actually be more productive while at the same time protecting and enhancing their quality of life, particularly with a new baby at home.”
He says the plan would not increase EI premiums as parents would be receiving the same dollar amount, just on a different schedule.
