Ottawa hunting for solutions as CERB winds down for some

The federal government is looking for new ways to support Canadians in the COVID-19 pandemic, says the chair of the Commons finance committee, with CERB due to run out for some on July 4.

Wayne Easter, the MP for Malpeque on P.E.I., said it is too early to say what that new support might look like.

"We have to, certainly, provide some kind of income for people who work in a seasonal industry and there is no job to go to this summer," said Easter.

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit has been extended as far as Oct. 3, but people are still only eligible for a maximum of 16 weeks of coverage.

Deficit a concern for later

Easter said the government has a lot of factors to weigh when establishing new programs.

He acknowledges that some people are genuinely afraid to go back to work, perhaps because they live with someone who is vulnerable to the virus. The government is also trying to find ways to get the economy moving again, even as the pandemic continues.

Pandemic restrictions and programs are expected to contribute to what will easily be the largest deficit in Canadian history, but Easter said that is a problem to be dealt with later.

"Our primary objective is to get through COVID-19, assist the individuals and businesses that need it while we're going through this pandemic, and then try to deal with this debt problem," he said.

Easter said the best advice he can give people right now is to keep looking for work, and to go back to work if a job is available.

More from CBC P.E.I.