CERB extended eight weeks, PM announces

OTTAWA (NEWS 1130) — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an eight-week extension to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit on Tuesday.

He said the economy is reopening, but the country still has a long road ahead to recovery.

The CERB extension, first announced Monday, will help Canadians who are still unable to get back to work amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“So if you’ve been getting the CERB and you still can’t work because you are unable to find a job or it’s just not possible, you will keep getting that $2,000 a month,” Trudeau said.

 

For millions of Canadians, the CERB was set to expire in just a few weeks. It will now continue until the end of August.

With a confidence vote Wednesday on a government supply bill, the federal government needs support from at least one opposition party to ensure it is not toppled as a government.

The Conservatives have vowed not to support the Trudeau government unless regular sittings of Parliament resume. Meanwhile, the Bloc Quebecois has been increasingly expressing frustrations with the Liberals.

The prime minister did not reveal the estimated additional cost of the extension, but he urged businesses to take the federal wage subsidy to help people get off the emergency benefit and back to work.

“I’m not going to sugarcoat it, we still have a long journey ahead. Some sectors will bounce back more quickly than others. Many workers will be able to find work, but others won’t,” he added.

Trudeau said, over the next few weeks, the federal government will look at international best practices and monitor the monitor the economy, as well as the progression of the virus to see what changes need to be made to the aid program.

He also said the federal government will continue to look at requirements to ensure people received the CERB are looking for work.

“We’re still looking at ways of moving forward to encourage people to look for work and to make sure that they are taking jobs that become available,” Trudeau said.

“The reality is, there are three million people out of work, who are looking for work.”

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