COVID-19 Pandemic Committee on June 1st, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Mr. Scheer, you may have a short question.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Chair, it's quite clear what Conservatives believe in. We believe that when times were good, this government should have paid down debt instead of wasting money like $50 million to Mastercard and $12 million to Loblaws.

The fact of the matter is that the government left Canadians in a vulnerable position as we were entering this pandemic precisely because of its fiscal irresponsibility, and now they have designed programs that have unnecessary barriers in them that prevent more and more Canadians from getting the help they need.

Again, on April 26, Conservatives asked the Prime Minister to change the criteria for the Canada emergency business account so that small businesses that don't happen to have a business bank account can qualify. Why hasn't the Prime Minister made that change either?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Mr. Chair, I'm really grateful for that question because it allows me to set the record straight for Canadians.

Canadians need to know that our country has the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7. We had that before the crisis began, and we still do. Canada has the fiscal firepower to support Canadians during this unprecedented crisis, and that is what we are going to continue to do.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Mrs. DeBellefeuille.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

Mr. Chair, the wage subsidy was put in place to support businesses and SMEs, to avoid closures and bankruptcy. Have I missed something? Is the Liberal Party on the verge of bankruptcy? Is it about to shut down?

Does the Prime Minister consider that the Liberal Party is getting ready to close its doors?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Mr. Chair, I thank the hon. member for the question. I want to point out that, as the hon. member said, the wage subsidy was really put in place to protect workers across Canada. We are proud of that. More than 2 million Canadians have benefited from this—

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Mrs. DeBellefeuille, you have the floor.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

Mr. Chair, the Liberal Party made $3 million between January and March of this year. That's $3 million in political donations. We're told that the emergency subsidy is being used to protect the jobs of Liberal Party employees. I'm not an accountant, but I can count.

I'm wondering why the Liberal Party doesn't use its own money to pay its own employees instead of using the Canada emergency wage subsidy.

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

I thank the hon. member for her question.

I would like to point out again that the purpose of the Canada emergency wage subsidy is to support workers across Canada and Quebec, to help them keep their jobs and allow them to stay connected to their workplace.

That is what we've done. More than 2 million Canadians are benefiting from this important and truly essential program for our country. We are proud of it.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

Mr. Chair, does the Deputy Prime Minister think it is moral, fair and honest that employees who have lost their jobs are subsidizing an emergency wage subsidy for the Liberal Party of Canada out of their taxes?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Our programs do not discriminate. They are there to help all workers. The hon. member talked about businesses and sectors that need more help. We agree. There is still a lot to do, but we want to work with all the—

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Mrs. DeBellefeuille.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

Mr. Chair, many struggling businesses in Quebec don't have access to the Canada emergency wage subsidy because they don't meet the eligibility criteria. Many tourism and municipal organizations, among others, don't have access to this wage subsidy. However, it's very clear that the Liberal Party qualifies according to the program criteria.

Does the Deputy Prime Minister really think it's moral for her party to benefit from the emergency wage subsidy when it has the financial means to pay its own employees?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

I thank the hon. member for her question.

I agree that there is still a lot to do. We are ready, and we are taking action. However, it's important to point out that our government has already done a lot to support Canadians. We've spent $152 billion in direct support measures to Canadians. More than eight million people are benefiting from the CERB, and more than two million—

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Mrs. DeBellefeuille, you have the floor.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

Mr. Chair, what I understand is not really complicated to understand. I understand that the Liberal Party has money, that it has money to pay its employees, but that it doesn't want to cut the booty it has amassed for the next election. It's as if it were telling us that it's indirectly financing itself for the next election.

Will the Deputy Prime Minister show some leadership and convince her own party to give up the emergency wage subsidy and even commit to paying back the money it has already received?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Mr. Chair, I want to point out that our programs do not discriminate. They are there to help all workers across the country, and I want to point out to what extent our programs do that.

Eight million people are currently benefiting from the CERB, and two million are supported by the emergency wage subsidy. Our programs are also helping 380,000 students and 639,000 businesses—

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We'll now continue with Mr. Singh.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Canadians and people across the world are reeling after seeing the images of George Floyd being brutally killed in a callous and casual manner. We're struggling with the impacts of anti-black racism. Anti-black racism hasn't just appeared or increased. It's now simply being captured by video.

Canada is also no different. Anti-black racism also impacts Canada, and people here are feeling the frustration of black lives being neglected and ignored. Will the government commit to tracking race-based data in terms of COVID-19's impact on communities, particularly black Canadians, and track race-based data so that we can have a better response based on the evidence?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Mr. Chair, I would like to start by thanking the member opposite for his very important question and the very important work he has done throughout his career in drawing attention to racism in Canada and in fighting against it. Thank you.

I agree strongly with the member opposite that we, as Canadians, must be the opposite of complacent. We have to acknowledge that anti-black racism is real in our country, that unconscious bias is real in our country and that systemic discrimination is real. It happens here. We have to commit today to working hard to fight it.

I have more to say about disaggregated data and the coronavirus, and I hope I'll have a chance to do that in my next answer.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Thank you for that openness on the part of the government. I want more and clear commitments.

We also know that race-based or discriminatory police practices still exist across Canada.

Will the government commit to working with provinces to ensure there are no such practices allowed to exist in Canada, particularly related to discriminatory police practices like carding? Will the federal government work and use its powers to end those discriminatory practices where federal regulation applies, and work with the provinces to ensure this happens across the country?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Thank you again for that very important question.

First of all, on coronavirus, our government believes that disaggregated data, including when it comes to race, is extremely important. We're working with our provincial partners on that.

On policing, racial profiling is unacceptable and unlawful. We will always work to uphold the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and to ensure the human rights of everyone in Canada are protected. At the federal level, RCMP members are guided by bias-free policing based on equality and non-discrimination.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

I want to change tracks, Mr. Chair, and talk about long-term care.

How many times did the Prime Minister's Office and the Liberal government meet with lobbyists from for-profit long-term care homes from March 25 to April 22, during the worst impacts of COVID-19 in long-term care homes?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

Mr. Chair, at this moment I can only speak for myself, and I have not met with any such lobbyists during that period or at other times.

I share the member opposite's concerns about long-term care facilities in Canada. We have to do better, and we will.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

It was 12 times during the worst impacts of COVID-19. While seniors were dying in long-term care homes, the Prime Minister's Office and the Liberal government met with private, for-profit long-term care home lobbyists 12 times.

Why did the Prime Minister's Office and the Liberal government choose to meet with these for-profit long-term care home lobbyists instead of meeting with those to solve the problem? Instead of making excuses about the federal government not playing a role, why didn't the Prime Minister and the Liberal government show leadership in calling for an end to profit in long-term care homes?