Evidence of meeting #1 for COVID-19 Pandemic in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was point.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

1:45 p.m.

Conservative

Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC

I believe I am now, yes.

1:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

Very good.

It seems to be a selective problem. It doesn't happen to everyone. Our technical team will be working on it.

Mr. Vis, I'll let you continue.

Thank you.

1:45 p.m.

Conservative

Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC

However, it is inappropriate, and certainly not a team Canada approach, for a Liberal MP to have access to information that has been denied to me and other members of Parliament.

Can the Prime Minister please confirm if there is indeed a $3-billion bee farm fund?

1:45 p.m.

Liberal

Marie-Claude Bibeau Liberal Compton—Stanstead, QC

Mr. Chair, we know how important the bee sector is for our agriculture. I can assure you that we are working closely with them, but there is no announcement to make.

1:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

Mr. Vis, I want to remind honourable members that holding up a prop is not something that is allowed.

I'll let the honourable member continue.

1:45 p.m.

Conservative

Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC

I guess the member for Brampton Centre was wrong.

In B.C. it's fire season and flood season. Volunteer firefighters are having to choose between feeding their families and protecting our communities. Like millions of others, many have lost their regular employment and are collecting the Canada emergency response benefit.

Will the government make an exception so that volunteer firefighters who earn more than $1,000 while on duty will not have their CERB benefit taken away for the month? In my riding, several calls have already gone unanswered because volunteer firefighters have been worried about losing their CERB if they take a call.

1:50 p.m.

Liberal

Carla Qualtrough Liberal Delta, BC

I thank the member for the very important question. We did a lot of work with the firefighter associations and individuals who had raised the issue of ensuring that they could still accept a honorarium and they wouldn't have to choose between working hours and getting the CERB. When we set the $1,000 threshold, we were under the understanding that it would allow firefighters to continue with their work fighting fires.

I will definitely commit to the member to look into that, to make sure that we do not in any way disincentivize our first responders in their efforts.

Thank you.

1:50 p.m.

Conservative

Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC

I'd like to thank the minister for that. It is especially pertinent in the community of Cache Creek in the Fraser Canyon, where we are under a severe flood warning right now.

In my riding, there are dozens of organizations that qualified for Canada summer jobs, yet they likely will be denied a placement because of limited funding. It is of note that the government has only reallocated existing resources for this program. I believe that Canada and our students would be better served through an enhanced Canada summer jobs program versus a direct wage subsidy, where and if possible.

Can we expand the program, and some of the other positive initiatives announced, to provide funds to all organizations and additional essential services that can still operate? We're spending $9 billion on students. Surely creating more work experience is better than a direct cheque. As the Minister of Health noted at the very beginning of this session, Canada does have “a culture of innovation and courage”. I'd like to see that happen as it relates to students this summer.

Thank you.

1:50 p.m.

Liberal

Carla Qualtrough Liberal Delta, BC

I thank the member for his question. Canada summer jobs is a program that is near and dear to all our hearts as members of Parliament.

We are funding 70,000 jobs at 100% this summer. I'm very keen to see the uptake, now that we will have a better understanding of what employers need jobs and where those jobs can be redistributed around the country. In addition, we created an extra 76,000 jobs last week or this week. I can't remember the dates. I apologize. Everything is a bit of a blur these days.

The message is that of course we want our students to work. Our students want to work. We will look very closely, if this program is oversubscribed, at potentially investing more in these jobs.

Thank you.

1:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

Mr. Vis, you have about a minute. You have time for a 30-second question and 30-second answer, please.

1:50 p.m.

Conservative

Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC

Approximately three weeks ago, on the daily MP call, I asked ESDC officials what steps were being taken to redeploy workers to assist with the benefit rollouts for Canadians who have lost their jobs. Second, I asked what steps were being taken to assist workers in the federal public service to connect from home. Officials acknowledged that both were taking place but could not provide any details.

Can the minister commit to letting Parliament know what percentage of her workforce is not completing their regular hours and duties because of network and technological challenges? As well, of the total workforce at ESDC, what percentage or how many employees have been redeployed to assist directly with Canadians suffering from a loss of jobs?

Thank you.

1:50 p.m.

Liberal

Carla Qualtrough Liberal Delta, BC

Mr. Chair, we should be very proud of our public servants and their Herculean effort to provide Canadians with both the Canada emergency response benefit and the access to services and programs that are so vital for our citizens.

Mr. Chair, I can definitely commit to get the member that information and to get it to everybody who would like that information, but I can tell you that we worked very hard in the early days of this crisis to ensure that we could redeploy our public servants. For example, we moved about 1,500 people from Passport Canada over to process EI applications, and we also handed out, I believe, 3,000 laptops so that employees could work from home, but I can get him those further details, absolutely.

1:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

The honourable member for Joliette, Mr. Ste-Marie, has the floor.

1:50 p.m.

Bloc

Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

We have adopted a number of measures to support the economy. Concerning assistance to large businesses and banks, business reporter Michel Girard suggests setting 10 conditions for receiving assistance.

Here is the first. The company benefiting from government assistance should in no way use tax heavens in its commercial activities, be it directly through local branches in those territories with a more favourable tax system or indirectly through commercial allies implanted in those tax heavens.

Does the Minister of Finance agree with that condition?

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

The Honourable Minister of Finance has the floor.

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

Bill Morneau Liberal Toronto Centre, ON

Mr. Chair, I thank the member for his question.

I think it is very important to have measures that will enable companies to establish a bridge by the end of the crisis. At the same time, we know that it is important to take our laws and our situation into account. We will consider....

April 28th, 2020 / 1:55 p.m.

Conservative

Kenny Chiu Conservative Steveston—Richmond East, BC

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

Go ahead on a point of order, Mr. Chiu.

1:55 p.m.

Conservative

Kenny Chiu Conservative Steveston—Richmond East, BC

Mr. Chair, if you could ask the minister to speak in the English channel or the French channel, that would be great. Right now, the English translation is overlapping with his French.

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

We'll ask the honourable minister to switch channels and see if that works. We'll see if we can get that technical issue cleared up for future meetings.

Honourable Minister, please proceed.

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

Bill Morneau Liberal Toronto Centre, ON

Mr. Chair, I was on the English channel. I think that's where I should be. Let me continue in case I should be on the other channel.

What I was saying was that we recognize that we need to provide support for businesses through this era, and of course we expect businesses to follow all appropriate rules. As we consider financing for large enterprises, we will be looking specifically at their approach to doing business, to make sure that we're comfortable that they are not only following rules but using the funds that potentially can be provided in a way that serves the intended purpose.

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

Before we go to Monsieur Ste-Marie, I just want to point out that my technical folks here are saying that if you're speaking French on the English channel, that's where the problem comes up. We're all learning together here.

Mr. Ste-Marie, you can ask another question.

1:55 p.m.

Bloc

Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I want to remind you that the problem is not the illegal use of tax havens, but rather the legal use that is allowed for large businesses and major Canadian banks. That is called tax avoidance. We know that Denmark and other countries have implemented such measures to counter that. My understanding is that Canada does not want to do this right now and will continue to lag behind in the fight against tax avoidance.

The second condition the reporter, Mr. Girard, suggests is the following. If the government assistance came in the form of a subsidy, in return, the company should give the government an equity stake—in other words, a block of shares proportional to the amount injected. That way, once the crisis is over and the beneficiary company recovers on the stock markets, we, the taxpayers, will also be able to benefit from a return on our collective investment.

Is the Minister of Finance considering that condition?

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

The Honourable Minister has the floor.

1:55 p.m.

Gaspésie—Les-Îles-de-la-Madeleine Québec

Liberal

Diane Lebouthillier LiberalMinister of National Revenue

Mr. Chair, good afternoon.

I want to take the time to answer my colleague properly because his question is really important.

Our government has invested unprecedented amounts of money—nearly $1 billion—to fight tax evasion. Over the past few years, we have worked on tightening the rules, including through the voluntary disclosures program. We have worked in tandem with the OECD. Every year, we have ensured to conclude agreements with every country to exchange information. Our government's priority is to continue to work on everyone paying their fair share.