Evidence of meeting #16 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 chair.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Jean-Yves Duclos  President of the Treasury Board

12:30 p.m.

Liberal

Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC

Mr. Chair, the wage subsidy funds go to organizations of all kinds, including several political parties.

We are here to help workers who are at risk of losing their jobs and their incomes. We need to help families, and that is exactly what we are doing across the country.

12:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

Mr. Blanchet, you have 22 seconds left.

12:30 p.m.

Bloc

Yves-François Blanchet Bloc Beloeil—Chambly, QC

I have asked him whether Liberal Party jobs are in danger and whether the Liberal Party is in trouble. He did not want to tell me and he is still sticking to that today.

Mr. Chair, can you ask the Prime Minister if he is going to extend the wage subsidy program to get even more money for the Liberal Party?

12:30 p.m.

Liberal

Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC

Mr. Chair, people across the country are worried about their future and their jobs. As a government, we are here to help them and we will continue to do so.

12:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

We will now go to Mr. Singh.

12:30 p.m.

NDP

Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

It has been a year since we were promised a response to the report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, but we still have none.

What is taking so long?

12:30 p.m.

Liberal

Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC

Mr. Chair, on this first anniversary of the final report of the inquiry, we pay tribute to the women, girls, LGBTQ and two-spirited people in indigenous communities whose lives have been stolen in tragic circumstances or changed forever because of violence.

We will continue to be here for them.

12:30 p.m.

NDP

Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC

The Prime Minister could be here for indigenous communities by responding to their calls for justice.

Will the Prime Minister put in place a national plan to address violence, as asked for by the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls inquiry's calls for justice?

12:30 p.m.

Liberal

Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC

Mr. Chair, we were the government that after decades of non-action by governments, moved forward with a national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. We didn't wait for that inquiry to get going or even end before taking action. We acted right away on countering violence against women—

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

We will now go back to Mr. Singh.

12:35 p.m.

NDP

Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC

Will the Prime Minister immediately dramatically change policing in Canada, as asked for by indigenous women and girls?

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC

Mr. Chair, we have made changes to our justice system. We have worked with partners across the country and we will continue to do so to make sure that our justice system and our policing are safer for and more respectful of indigenous people.

12:35 p.m.

NDP

Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC

Why the delay? It's been one year.

Will the government respond without delay to the indigenous communities' calls for justice?

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC

Mr. Chair, we have been responding for five years and taking action for five years. We did not wait for the end of this inquiry to act. We passed legislation on child and family services to protect indigenous language and culture, to eliminate gender discrimination under the—

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

We'll go back to Mr. Singh.

12:35 p.m.

NDP

Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC

Will the government, will the Prime Minister, immediately ensure there is core funding for health services for the indigenous community, as requested in one of the calls for justice?

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC

Mr. Chair, we have increased funding to indigenous communities by billions of dollars over the past years. We've invested directly around this COVID crisis.

We will continue to invest in indigenous communities and health services because we know we need to do more.

12:35 p.m.

NDP

Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC

I have a simple question. It has been one year since the calls for justice were put forward. Why is the government delaying response?

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC

Mr. Chair, we have been acting on those calls for justice over the past year, and we will continue.

The COVID-19 crisis has delayed the work by our partners and us on the response—

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

We'll go back to Mr. Singh.

12:35 p.m.

NDP

Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC

For five weeks, we have been pushing the government to provide assistance to people living with disabilities in Canada and it has still done nothing along those lines. What is the government waiting for?

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC

We have helped a lot of Canadians, but we recognize that there is more to be done.

We are looking at how we can help people living with disabilities. We recognize that they have additional costs because of COVID-19, and we will be here for them.

12:35 p.m.

NDP

Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC

Throughout this pandemic, Canadians living with a disability have received no extra help, and they need extra help.

Why is the Liberal government, why is the Prime Minister, delaying the provision of that essential help to Canadians living with disabilities?

12:35 p.m.

Liberal

Justin Trudeau Liberal Papineau, QC

Mr. Chair, we have been giving extra help to Canadians who need it, but we recognize there is more to do. That's why we will be coming forward with a package of supports for Canadians living with disabilities.

We recognize they are facing extra costs because of COVID-19. We will be there for them.

12:35 p.m.

NDP

Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC

Mr. Chair, it has been five weeks, five weeks since we pushed the government to commit to helping Canadians who are living with disability.

Why is it taking so long to help out those who are among the most vulnerable? Why is the Prime Minister delaying help to those in need?