Liberal supporters all smiles after Trudeau announces flex hours in Winnipeg
CBC News | Posted: August 19, 2015 8:00 PM | Last Updated: August 19, 2015
'They're good ideas, to an extent,' a Liberal supporter said
Liberal supporters were excited to see the party's leader Justin Trudeau out on the campaign trail in Winnipeg Wednesday during which, he announced his plan to introduce flexibility into the federal labour code to help families with obligations outside the workplace.
The flexible work conditions could include start and finish times, and the ability to work from home, as seen in other countries such as the United Kingdom.
Manitoba's employee standards already allow for flex-time agreements for workers which represent about 90 per cent of Manitoba workplaces, according to the province.
"What it often comes down to is saying, 'You know what, on Friday afternoons I have to pick up my kids at daycare a little earlier so can I work longer hours on Monday evening and come in on Friday afternoons?' This kind of flexible arrangement can actually make a real difference," Trudeau said in Winnipeg Wednesday.
Trudeau said his long-term aim would be to encourage provincially-controlled industry to follow the federal example.
Supporters thrilled but want details
Umid Abdullaud attended the event out of interest despite not being eligible to vote since he is not a Canadian citizen. He said he supports the idea in theory but wants to see more details about the plan, he wouldn't want this to be detrimental to companies.
"They're good ideas, to an extent. I think there should be good legislation on how that will happen," Abdullaud said.
"It was exciting just to see who could be the next prime minister of Canada," Scott Smith, a 25-year-old student said.
"There's a lot of couples where both people work. So it's really important for there to be that flexibility. I think that's a key value for Canadians," Smith said.
Candidates thankful for support
Jim Carr, the Liberal candidate in Winnipeg South Centre, introduced Trudeau and was surrounded by a number of other Manitoba candidates for the party including Robert Falcon Ouellette, Dan Vandal, and MaryAnn Mihychuk.
All three agreed that having Trudeau in town would give them a boost with voters.
"I do have a certain following and Mr. Trudeau does as well. And in combining those two things together, we hope it's going to be a winning combination. And hopefully we'll then be able to then be in parliament together," Ouellette said Wednesday.
The candidates were also supportive of the flexible workplace announcement.
"With the advent of iPhones and Blackberries and iPads, people can be as productive at home as they can be in an office — which saves time," Vandal said following the address.
"The devil is in the details on this one. You certainly need a cooperative employer and you need an employee that sees the benefit in it," he added.
MaryAnn Mihychuk said this announcement is decades in the making, one she's heard talk of since the 70s when she started working as a single mother.
"It's going to take a certain level of push to get things to change," she said.
Other concerns for the leader
Trudeau also addressed the choice of Calgary Liberal candidate Ala Buzreba, choosing to step down following the revelation of some controversial tweets. He said he respected Buzreba's choice to remove herself from the centre of a controversy.
"She's taking full responsibility for it," Trudeau said. "Canadians expect that when you make a mistake you apologize and make amends."
Trudeau failed to answer whether or not he supported the NDP's call to have RCMP look into the other people involved in former senator Mike Duffy's trial, including Nigel Wright and Ray Novak.
"This comes down to whether Canadians can trust the prime minister and his office," Trudeau said.