Bill C-3 receiving royal assent means two important things for Canadians:

1. Health care workers and patients should never have to worry about their safety. Blocking access to health care sites or intimidating health care workers is now illegal in Canada.
2. Ten paid days of sick leave is now the law for federally regulated sectors. Canadians should not have to choose between going to work sick or paying their bills.

Since reconvening, parliamentarians have taken lessons learned from the pandemic to legislate mandatory paid sick leave for workers in federally regulated businesses. This means Canadians can take time to recover at home without loss of pay or fear of unemployment.

Our health care workers were fighting the COVID-19 crisis on the front lines despite facing disruptions and harassment by anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers. Such abuse should never have occurred in the first place and demands federal action.

Through this legislation, MPs are working on mandating protection for workers and patients at health care sites so our front-line health care workers can continue serving the community without fear for their own safety and well-being.

By making sure anyone who is feeling sick does not have to choose between going to work or paying their bills, and ensuring health care workers and patients do not have to fear their safety when accessing health care sites, Bill C-3 shows that parliament works best when it works together for Canadians.

Access more information about Bill C-3, including details and the text of the bill here.