#Canada150 (Canadian politics and related issues)

[Japanfan]

Conservatives will hopefully put an end to CERB so Canadians go back to work and small businesses stop being forced to close due to shortages of workers. Way too many lazy people taking advantage of CERB. It was a VERY necessary program during the *********, but not now... and it has created a crazy situation where people would rather sit on their butts and collect a welfare cheque than to get to work like the rest of us.

CERB - now The Canada Recovery Benefit - ends this month SFAIK.

And a lot of people who have collected the benefit have needed it right up until now. Myself included - my business won't return to usual until this fall, after a long dry spell.

And, SFAIK a lot of effort is being put into finding people who have collected the benefit without qualifying for it.

Plus the CERB money, $450. a week, isn't much for a lot of folks compared to their usual earnings.

 

[made_in_canada]

CERB is not why there’s staffing shortages. If someone can make more on CERB (which hasn’t been a thing since last fall, the recovery benefit had much stricter qualifications) than working they aren’t being being paid fairly. It really wasn’t that much broken down to an hourly amount, and it would be incredibly hard to live off of. People just don’t want to put themselves and their families at risk to work restaurant and retail jobs for low pay and no benefits.

I work retail and we’ve hired twice now since the p*ndemic began and we have plenty of people applying getting away from restaurant jobs and big box stores like Walmart because we pay fairly and offer some other benefits and are nice. It’s really not hard. Most people aren’t lazy, they just want to be paid a reasonable amount and treated well.

 

[Judy]

CERB is not why there’s staffing shortages. If someone can make more on CERB (which hasn’t been a thing since last fall, the recovery benefit had much stricter qualifications) than working they aren’t being being paid fairly. It really wasn’t that much broken down to an hourly amount, and it would be incredibly hard to live off of. People just don’t want to put themselves and their families at risk to work restaurant and retail jobs for low pay and no benefits.

I work retail and we’ve hired twice now since the p*ndemic began and we have plenty of people applying getting away from restaurant jobs and big box stores like Walmart because we pay fairly and offer some other benefits and are nice. It’s really not hard. Most people aren’t lazy, they just want to be paid a reasonable amount and treated well

All the lockdowns in Ontario kinda of have blurred for me. Depending on what province you live in some provinces I think we're ahead of Ontario. I think a lot of people may have bailed on working in restaurants because of the lockdowns and sought other employment. I know restaurants are still struggling to find staff.

There is also a huge shortage of nurses. That concerns me more then anything.

Things aren't back to normal in Ottawa but hoping this year is better then last. Yes the CERB is ending . But it was never much money. Plus you had to meet all the qualifications and then pay back taxes when you filed your income taxes.

 

[Lemonade20]

CERB was a great idea for a short term, but it did have a trickle effect. People would rather get paid to stay home in the beginning, causing businesses to scramble finding staff to cover.

As angry as people are at Trudeau, we have to remember it really doesn't matter who is in power. There will always be a reason to complain about the government. Remember Brian and the GST?

 

[Judy]

CERB was a great idea for a short term, but it did have a trickle effect. People would rather get paid to stay home in the beginning, causing businesses to scramble finding staff to cover.

As angry as people are at Trudeau, we have to remember it really doesn't matter who is in power. There will always be a reason to complain about the government. Remember Brian and the GST?

Yes people always slam govt. Yup def remember the GST.

 

[Judy]

CERB - now The Canada Recovery Benefit - ends this month SFAIK.

And a lot of people who have collected the benefit have needed it right up until now. Myself included - my business won't return to usual until this fall, after a long dry spell.

And, SFAIK a lot of effort is being put into finding people who have collected the benefit without qualifying for it.

Plus the CERB money, $450. a week, isn't much for a lot of folks compared to their usual earnings.

It has been really, really tough on small businesses.

 

[fsfann]

It sure has been tough on small businesses.

I'm in rural NS. Every single small business is advertising for employees. Our local pizza joint has gone from 11-8pm to 3-8pm every day of the week. Basically down to 50% of what they were before. Another business has closed because they can't find staff to work. People are choosing not work because they'd rather be lazy and sit on their rear ends. Of course CERB was necessary...but there was LOTS of abuse with it as well. Last summer, summer students refused to work since they could make just as much doing nothing... It's insane.

 

[pat c]

And where I am, the culprits for cerb abuse has been employers. A lot of service industry businesses weren't hurting because of covid, their staff were not at risk but they applied for the cerb to help pay for their employees because they could. So we all say shoulda, coulda, woulda.........but it was the right thing to do for the time. I would rather err on the side of helping my fellow canadians. And if nothing else, it should have driven home to all of us, that the people on the front lines don't get enough credit and in some cases enough money for the jobs they do.

 

[Judy]

It is actually not called CERB anymore .. it is CRB .. Covid response benefit.

 

[manhn]

So, is Canada the only country with problems rehiring people? Oh, i guess the US’ hiring issues has everything to do with their CERB type program.

 

[MacMadame]

So, is Canada the only country with problems rehiring people? Oh, i guess the US’ hiring issues has everything to do with their CERB type program.

Except studies have shown it isn't. States that have ended their programs aren't experiencing less unemployment than ones that haven't.

I'd be surprised if CERB is the culprit in Canada either.

 

[Lemonade20]

CERB, or CRB as it's now called, isn't the driving force anymore. People just don't want to work in a service based industry because of all the abuse and anger they get from people who are unmasked, refuses to mask up, or people who completely forgot how to be social. The whole vaccine debate has only made it more difficult. Health care workers are burned out, retail workers don't get paid enough to endure this crap.

 

[Judy]

CERB, or CRB as it's now called, isn't the driving force anymore. People just don't want to work in a service based industry because of all the abuse and anger they get from people who are unmasked, refuses to mask up, or people who completely forgot how to be social. The whole vaccine debate has only made it more difficult. Health care workers are burned out, retail workers don't get paid enough to endure this crap.

That makes more sense. I don't think the retail is suffering as much. The nursing shortage has been increasing since before Covid. My autistic sister just got out of hospital but has to have IV antibiotics until Sept 15. But there is no home care available at all. So she has to take the antibiotic with her to a clinic. It's worrisome because she is recovering from a very serious heart infection and really should be at home recovering.

 

[Buzz]

This is just despicable. Anti lockdown protestors threw gravel at PM Trudeau.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-protestors-gravel-1.6166378

 

[Judy]

This is just despicable. Anti lockdown protestors threw gravel at PM Trudeau.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-protestors-gravel-1.6166378

I know. It's completely insane.

 

[Jay42]

That makes more sense. I don't think the retail is suffering as much. The nursing shortage has been increasing since before *********. My autistic sister just got out of hospital but has to have IV antibiotics until Sept 15. But there is no home care available at all. So she has to take the antibiotic with her to a clinic. It's worrisome because she is recovering from a very serious heart infection and really should be at home recovering.

Not in any level comparing this to the issues health care employees are dealing with, but as a retail employee, we really don’t get paid enough to deal with the stuff we’ve had to deal with over the last year, customers are getting ruder all the time and some companies don’t care about their staff as much as they would like you to think. That is both the fault of local management and head office policies.

One groups struggle doesn’t diminish the others.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Not in any level comparing this to the issues health care employees are dealing with, but as a retail employee, we really don’t get paid enough to deal with the stuff we’ve had to deal with over the last year

As a retail employee, you didn't get paid enough to deal with pre-cv customers.

 

[Judy]

Not in any level comparing this to the issues health care employees are dealing with, but as a retail employee, we really don’t get paid enough to deal with the stuff we’ve had to deal with over the last year, customers are getting ruder all the time and some companies don’t care about their staff as much as they would like you to think. That is both the fault of local management and head office policies.

One groups struggle doesn’t diminish the others.

For sure. I should have send that I don't think that it is that bad in my end of the city and of course that is my city.

i don't think anyone should have to deal with this type of abuse regardless of their wages .. or their types of jobs. It is insane.

 

[overedge]

A business operating model based on paying staff as little as possible is not a sustainable business model. Businesses who've relied on underpaying their staff are now finding that out.

And for all the posters claiming that CERB and programs like it just encourage lazy people to sit at home: you can fcuk right off. First, no one got CERB without being employed first, so that money wasn't going to lazy people who wanted to stay unemployed. Second, get back to me when companies like grocery store chains aren't paying $$$ bonuses to their execs and owners, while expecting their workers to show up for minimum wage in unsafe working conditions.

 

[Judy]

A business operating model is based on paying staff as little as possible is not a sustainable business model. Businesses who've relied on underpaying their staff are now finding that out.

And for all the posters claiming that CERB and programs like it just encourage lazy people to sit at home: you can fcuk right off. First, no one got CERB without being employed first, so that money wasn't going to lazy people who wanted to stay unemployed. Second, get back to me when companies like grocery store chains aren't paying $$$ bonuses to their execs and owners, while expecting their workers to show up for minimum wage in unsafe working conditions.

Agreed. There were a lot of conditions. I also know that there was fraud … not from Canadians but from criminals (hence all the questions and texting or receiving a code). I am not allowed to say what my BIL’s job is so I call it his secret job … sure there was like fraud but it is all attached to your income tax too. It helped people more then it hurt which is the most important thing.

 

[Judy]

Ummmm ... do the liberals WANT to lose?

'IT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO': Liberal candidate says housing tax is coming

The Trudeau Liberals have some explaining to do on a hot-button issue after one of their candidates said the party will be taxing people who sell their homes.

ottawasun.com

 

[rvi5]

The purpose of the tax seems to be targeting home-flipping ie. people who buy/sell homes they have owned for less than a year. There is a more detailed report here...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-housing-plan-1.6151154

 

[Judy]

The purpose of the tax seems to be targeting home-flipping ie. people who buy/sell homes they have owned for less than a year. There is a more detailed report here...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-housing-plan-1.6151154

Yes but the media are framing it another way. Why is this guy even talking about it.

 

[skatingguy]

The Conservatives are also proposing something similar with their ban on foreign buyers.

 

[Judy]

The Conservatives are also proposing something similar with their ban on foreign buyers.

foreign buyers isn't something new though.

 

[overedge]

The purpose of the tax seems to be targeting home-flipping ie. people who buy/sell homes they have owned for less than a year. There is a more detailed report here...

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-housing-plan-1.6151154

People like....one of the Liberals' own candidates.

Liberal candidate who flipped 14 B.C. properties in a decade declines to reveal profit, won't commit to ending practice if elected

Taleeb Noormohamed, the Liberal candidate for Vancouver Granville campaigning on promises that include making housing more affordable, on Thursday declined to share how much he or his businesses have profited from buying or selling at least 30 residential properties in Metro Vancouver in the...

bc.ctvnews.ca

 

[Judy]

People like....one of the Liberals' own candidates.

Liberal candidate who flipped 14 B.C. properties in a decade declines to reveal profit, won't commit to ending practice if elected

Taleeb Noormohamed, the Liberal candidate for Vancouver Granville campaigning on promises that include making housing more affordable, on Thursday declined to share how much he or his businesses have profited from buying or selling at least 30 residential properties in Metro Vancouver in the...

bc.ctvnews.ca

Yah .... what can you say lol. Fail.

 

[fsfann]

A business operating model based on paying staff as little as possible is not a sustainable business model. Businesses who've relied on underpaying their staff are now finding that out.

And for all the posters claiming that CERB and programs like it just encourage lazy people to sit at home: you can fcuk right off. First, no one got CERB without being employed first, so that money wasn't going to lazy people who wanted to stay unemployed. Second, get back to me when companies like grocery store chains aren't paying $$$ bonuses to their execs and owners, while expecting their workers to show up for minimum wage in unsafe working conditions.

Except htat's not true. A lot of people on Social Assistance applied for it and received it. Legally they were not entitled to it, but they got it anyway, and there is no way in hell that the gov't will do anything about it. The whole thing is a mess, just like the Phoenix Pay System. I personally know families with 18-22 year olds who were on student assistance one all summer long and they chose not to work. They made a little less money than they would have made working, but instead they relaxed at their parents' houses and hung out ont he beach all summer long, while everyone else tried to keep the economy going. So yes, there was lots of abuse with the programs. Of course many people needed it, and I'm glad it was there for them....but the abuse because of the ease at which you could apply and have the magical $$$ deposited into your account was insane.

 

[overedge]

@fsfann There were also employers who got support when they shouldn't have (see @pat c post above).

The Phoenix pay system is not comparable at all. That was a payroll system that didn't work as it was supposed to. Everyone enrolled on that system had a job.

And nothing you have said proves that there was widespread abuse of the system by lazy people determined not to work.

 

[skategal]

Many of the issues with the Phoenix pay system had people working full time and not getting paid or not getting their full pay but were still expected to work and not complain about it with little sympathy from the public or politicians.

But yes, different issue.