Question Period Notes
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Canada is experiencing unprecedented housing pressures, which requires collaboration between all levels of government and the private sector to address the underlying issues and ensure that Canadians and newcomers have access to housing.
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Why does Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) require additional authorities in the Supplementary Estimates (C) for fiscal year ending March 31, 2026?
When will the new Employment Insurance adoption benefit and corresponding job-protected leave under the Canada Labour Code become available to working parents? In June 2024, Parliament passed legislation introducing a new, 15-week Employment Insurance (EI) adoption benefit for people becoming parents through adoption or surrogacy, and corresponding job-protected leave under the Canada Labour Code for employees in federally regulated workplaces.
The legislation states that both the new EI benefit and the job-protected leave provisions will come into force on a day fixed by Order in Council.
While work continues on implementation for this important new EI measure, it is occurring at the same time as other EI tariff-response priorities to support workers and businesses. Implementation of changes to the EI program needs to be sequenced due to operational and systems requirements.
Once the EI adoption benefit is in effect, it will help make the EI program more inclusive for families.
What is the Employment Insurance (EI) premium rate for 2026? The Canada Employment Insurance Commission has set the EI premium rate for 2026 at $1.63 per $100 of insurable earnings. The rate is based on forecasts prepared by the EI Senior Actuary.
The Senior Actuary’s final report initially forecasted an EI premium break-even rate of $1.61 per $100 of insurable earnings. However, on September 5, 2025, the Government announced new EI-funded measures to support workers impacted by tariffs. Following these announcements, the Senior Actuary factored-in these new measures and recalculated the rate to be $1.63 per $100 of insurable earnings—which was documented in a memorandum.
This rate is one cent lower than it was in 2025. This new rate took effect on January 1, 2026.
The employer rate is 1.4 times the employee rate. For 2026, the employer rate is $2.28 per $100 of insurable earnings for each employee.
The 2026 EI premium rate remains at a near-record historical low (25 cents below its high of $1.88 in 2016).
The Defence Industrial Strategy’s objective is to provide technological and operational advantage to the Canadian Armed Forces and its security partners in their mission to defend Canada, while maximizing growth, job creation and economic benefits for all Canadians.
The Defence Industrial Strategy’s objective is to provide technological and operational advantage to the Canadian Armed Forces and its security partners in their mission to defend Canada, while maximizing growth, job creation and economic benefits for all Canadians.
Green Shipping Corridor Program
Immigration responses to labour shortages across Canada