On September 8, 2026, LEAF provided a written submission to the Standing Committee on Finance with four recommendations for the upcoming Federal Budget.
Overview of Submission
Building Canada strong cannot be done without investments in national infrastructure rooted in equality, a cornerstone of Canadian identity. LEAF’s budget submission makes the following four recommendations, with promising returns on investment, that contribute to the government’s goal of a resilient economy that is uniquely Canadian:
- Strengthen the Employment Insurance system to protect Canadian workers who have family care responsibilities during the tariff crisis. LEAF urges the government to make the following reforms to the Employment Insurance system:
- Set 420 hours Canada-wide to qualify for a basic regular or special EI claim.
- Provide a minimum weekly benefit and increasing the current 55% replacement rate to at least 66.6%.
- Allow parents to access their full entitlement to both EI regular and parental benefits if they lose their jobs right before, during, or soon after parental leave. This is particularly pressing as the Federal Court of Appeal recently ruled that not doing so is discriminatory, and that the government must rewrite the law to make it comply with the Charter. To comply with the decision, the government should:
- Repeal Subsection 12(6) of the Employment Insurance Act (EI Act) to remove the 50-week cap on combining EI regular benefits and special benefits for maternity or parental leave.
- Amend Subsection 10(10) of the EI Act to add maternity and parental leave benefits as a reason to extend the benefit period to 104 weeks.
- Invest in key infrastructure to address the GBV epidemic by renewing a comprehensive Federal GBV Strategy, as well as establishing a GBV Commissioner.
- Invest $10 million of operational funding per year, over five years in National Women’s Rights Organizations (NRWOs).
- Invest in long-term funding for the Canada Black Justice Strategy (CBJS) implementation.
Read and download the submission here.