COVID-19 Pandemic Committee on June 3rd, 2020

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

Mr. Chair, when people get a bonus for doing a job, it's usually because they exceeded expectations. How many projects have been completed by the Canada Infrastructure Bank?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Chair, there are a number of large projects under way and more to come.

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

Mr. Chair, the Canada Infrastructure Bank has an operating cost of approximately $50 million a year. What has the Canadian taxpayer received for that $50 million a year? In other words, how many projects have been completed? The Prime Minister can't answer a simple question. How many projects have been completed?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Chair, for over 10 years under Stephen Harper, Conservatives underinvested in infrastructure. Therefore, over the past five years, we have made significant investments in infrastructure that have created jobs and growth for Canadians.

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

The previous Conservative government invested in ports, bridges, roads and airports. This Canada Infrastructure Bank has taken $35 billion from Canadian taxpayers. It has just paid the outgoing CEO a massive bonus. A bonus is usually given for a job well done, exceeding expectations. So far, it looks like the Canada Infrastructure Bank has completed zero projects. Has that exceeded the Prime Minister's expectations?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Chair, investing in infrastructure is not only a way of creating jobs now but also of creating growth and prosperity into the future. That's why we moved forward with an innovative idea that is going to create more infrastructure that Canadians need across this country.

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

It is an innovative idea that protects the investments of wealthy hedge funds and puts all the risks on the backs of taxpayers. He said this is an innovative idea, so how many projects have been built by this innovative idea?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Chair, there are a number of projects under way and more to come. We know that investing in infrastructure and our communities is a better way of building the future than the cuts the Conservatives have done for years.

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

Mr. Chair, what actually improves the quality of life in our communities is for projects to be completed. It's easy to make announcements about projects. This bank has been in operation for almost three years now. Once again—if the answer is zero, why doesn't he just say zero?—how many projects has the Infrastructure Bank completed?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Chair, there are a number of projects under way across the country. These are things that take many years to do, but we know that investing in infrastructure, unlike what the Conservatives have always done, is the way to build a stronger future for this country.

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

What exactly did the CEO accomplish that warranted a massive bonus on his way out?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Chair, setting up the Canada Infrastructure Bank is an important part of making sure that Canadians have the infrastructures they need for their lives and for the growth of the economy.

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

Is the Prime Minister telling us that when he announced the Canada Infrastructure Bank in June 2017, he had zero expectations for any projects built and that he was going to pay a massive payout to a CEO just for setting up a new government agency?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Chair, investing in infrastructure is a way to grow the economy, create jobs for Canadians and create a brighter future. That's what we've been focused on.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Mr. Blanchet, you have the floor.

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Chair, over the past 24 hours, we have discovered that sometimes the Prime Minister's silence speaks louder than his words. He may be tempted to remain silent once again, but that is not the object of the exercise.

I was wondering whether he has seen the Léger poll showing that 48% of Quebeckers do not think the Liberal Party should be eligible for the wage subsidy, compared to 27% who think it should. To be more specific, 40% of voters who identify as Liberals think that the Liberal Party should not be eligible for the wage subsidy.

Should he not consider, like our esteemed Conservative colleagues, giving up the wage subsidy for his party?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Chair, we put in place the wage subsidy to help businesses and organizations across the country to support the people who work for them. They are accountants, translators, office workers. They work and have families who depend on their paycheques.

During the COVID-19 crisis, we are here to support workers across the country.

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Chair, as the days go by, how many times can they repeat the same “non-answer” that says nothing? At a certain point, it gets a little tiresome.

Has the Prime Minister seen that 57% of Quebeckers think he should pay back the wage subsidy, whereas only 21% of Quebeckers think he should keep it? A majority of Liberal voters, 51% of them, think he should pay back the money. The phones must be ringing in Liberal MPs' offices. People must be saying that it does not look good.

Is the Prime Minister starting to think about the ethical issue?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Chair, this crisis is unprecedented. That is why we are investing to help workers across the country, whether they work for large companies, small companies, not-for-profit organizations or charities.

We are here to help workers who depend on a paycheque to support their families.

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Chair, it is increasingly clear that silence speaks louder than words.

How much money has the Liberal Party received through the wage subsidy?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Chair, the wage subsidy is there to help workers. It is money that goes to workers across the country, not to companies and organizations. It is the workers—

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

It is now Mr. Blanchet's turn.

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Chair, the Prime Minister is confusing “why” and “how much”. It is not the same thing. I asked how much.

Does the Prime Minister realize that he is putting the Liberal Party in a financially irregular situation? This is not a donation from an individual or direct funding under the election rules. The Liberal Party may even find that the funding is illegal.

I know they do not mind, but we do.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Chair, workers in organizations and businesses across the country are at risk of losing their jobs because of COVID-19. As a government, as a country, we have made a choice to support these workers in all kinds of organizations and institutions to ensure that the country can recover and that families can help their loved ones.

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Chair, is the Prime Minister aware that he and the Minister of Finance are putting themselves into a conflict of interest, because they will have had money given to an institution, the Liberal Party of Canada, in order to get themselves re-elected?

Is the Prime Minister shopping around for a third conviction for his ethically questionable behaviour?