FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ottawa, ON – Tom Kmiec, Member of Parliament for Calgary Shepard, released the following statement on the passing of parts of his private Member’s bill C-211, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (bereavement leave), which was included into the government’s Bill C-3:

“I am pleased that my compassionate bereavement bill was adopted by the government today and has finally passed.

“The legislation passed today is the fruit of hard work since 2018, and the third time we’ve attempted to rectify this issue. Previously, the Liberals voted against our motion in November 2018, and previous version of this legislation, Bill C-307, died on the order paper during the most recent federal election.

“This bill will extend bereavement leave to eight weeks of unpaid leave for parents who have experienced a stillbirth, the death of a child under the age of 18, or the death of a disabled child in the parent’s care.

“I have experienced the devastating toll that the unfair bereavement system in the Canada Labour Code has had, after the passing of my daughter Lucy-Rose in August 2018, after only living for 39 days. I’ve heard from thousands of families across Canada that have suffered after losing a child and expressed that the current bereavement leave time is not enough.

“This legislation is a positive change for these families and is a compassionate bill that supports parents during unexpected times when they need help the most.

“I want to thank all of the families that have shared their stories with me in my continued efforts to pass this legislation, and to all my fellow Parliamentarians for their support."

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