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While the Canada Emergency Response Benefit reaches a lot of people, it misses the mark when it comes to post-secondary students. Specifically, the eligibility criteria stipulates that “The Benefit is only available to individuals who stopped work as a result of reasons related to COVID-19. For example if you are a student who had a job last year and were planning on working this summer you do not qualify for the benefit”.

It’s been quite the week in Alberta politics.

Minister LaGrange initiated a massive layoff, leaving school board trustees and parents wondering how to support kids as they learn from home.

Minister Toews bemoaned the state of Alberta’s finances, while finding billions of dollars to invest in a pipeline.

Minister Sawhney rejected Calgary’s plan to house homeless people in vacant hotels.

And Minister Nixon not only continued with the sell off of crown land, he also nullified important environmental reporting.

Calling for the resignation of a Minister is not something that should be done lightly.

But this week, Minister Shandro’s wildly inappropriate actions demand an appropriate response. He should resign or be removed from Cabinet. 

COVID-19 is causing havoc not only with our health, but our economy. Perhaps no other statistic shows this better than the over one million Canadians who have applied for employment insurance in the last week.

For many, it was a point of pride that they had never applied for the program until now. More support will come from the federal government’s Canadian Emergency Response Benefit, which provides $2,000 to all workers affected by COVID-19-related losses of income. But this ignores a few key points, points that would be addressed if the Kenney Government introduced a wage-subsidy for all businesses, as has been done in Denmark and the UK.