COVID-19 Pandemic Committee on June 4th, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Very good. We'll now take a very short pause in order to change up and continue the line of questioning.

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Thank you for your patience.

I now invite Mr. Therrien to take the floor.

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Chair, we know that the Canada emergency wage subsidy program is funded by Quebec and Canadian taxpayers' money.

Since March 15, the Liberal Party of Canada has taken in about $1 million of taxpayers' money. A poll released yesterday tells us that 57% of Quebec taxpayers want the Liberals to pay back the money.

My question is simple: will they pay back the money?

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Chair, the Canada emergency wage subsidy is designed to help employers protect the jobs that Canadians depend on and rehire workers who have already been laid off. The support is for employers in all sectors and of all sizes, including not-for-profit organizations, who have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

To date, more than 2 million employees across the country have been supported by the subsidy and we will continue to support—

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

We'll go back to Mr. Therrien.

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Chair, the million dollars they collected, under the principle of communicating vessels, will end up in the election coffers and will be used to fund the partisanship of the Liberal Party. It is inevitable. That means that the money of taxpayers, be they Liberals or not, will end up funding the Liberal Party's election campaign. It makes no sense.

My question is very simple: will they pay the money back?

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Chair, we do not discriminate between workers anywhere in the country.

We are going to support employers so that they can keep their employees. That is why we established the Canada emergency wage subsidy (CEWS). We will continue to encourage employers to support workers during this pandemic.

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Chair, according to the same poll, 51% of Liberal voters say that they must pay back the money.

Will the Liberal Party listen to its own supporters and pay back the money?

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Chair, the support applies to all employers across the country. We support workers and we want them to be able to continue to work.

Our message to Canadians is clear: no matter who you work for, our government supports you. The wage subsidy is designed to help workers in all sectors of the economy get through this crisis.

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Chair, it is disrespectful not to listen to the voters who are saying that they have to pay back the money.

It is a real lack of respect to give us the answers they have been giving us since we started talking about this issue.

Out of respect, will they pay back the money?

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Chair, we respect Canadians from coast to coast to coast. That is why we established the CEWS and we will continue to support workers during this crisis.

The CEWS is supporting more than 2 million employees across the country right now and it ensures that they can continue to—

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

We'll go to Mr. Therrien again.

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

We are talking about one of the two richest parties in Canada. The other one is finally going to back down on the wage subsidy. We hope so.

The Liberals have raised $8 million since the election on October 21. If everything they are telling us about protecting workers is true, let them answer the following question: how many workers would have been fired by the Liberal Party without this subsidy? If they mean it, let them tell us.

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Chair, the CEWS supports the workers. We will continue to help employers access this important program. As I said earlier, our message to Canadians is clear: no matter who you work for, our government supports you.

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

Mr. Therrien, you have about 40 seconds left.

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

This Liberal government has created a program that its party is using. That is fine, but for them to play a recorded message when they are asked about it is not fine.

We know that the Liberals have collected $1 million since March 15. We recently learned that they were going to extend the program by three months. If they do not want to pay back the money, that is unacceptable. Can they at least tell us that they will not dip into the program for the next three months?

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Mr. Chair, I am going to repeat myself, but it is important to know that the purpose of the CEWS is to support workers across the country. Employers are currently using it and we encourage them to use this program. We are going to support Canadians right to the end.

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

We'll now go to Mr. Baker, the member for Etobicoke Centre.

[Yvan Baker, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll be splitting my time with the member for Saint-Laurent. My question is to the Minister of National Defence.

Minister, the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces have always been there to risk their lives to serve Canadians, whether at home or abroad. During the COVID-19 pandemic, here in Etobicoke Centre and across Canada, they answered the call to serve once again when 1,600 troops were deployed to long-term care homes in Ontario and Quebec as part of Operation Laser to care for and protect our most vulnerable: our parents, our grandparents and our loved ones.

My constituents have had the privilege of observing their service up close when the Canadian Armed Forces deployed to the Eatonville Care Centre, a long-term care facility right here in Etobicoke Centre. Once again, their professionalism, sense of duty and capabilities have saved lives.

I know I speak for the members of my community when I say we are grateful beyond words to the Canadian Armed Forces members who are caring for my constituents in Etobicoke Centre and for people across Canada.

Minister, can you please update us on Operation Laser in our long-term care homes? With this Sunday being Canadian Armed Forces Day, can you tell us how we can best support our troops, who are risking their lives to serve Canadians once again?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to thank the honourable member for Etobicoke Centre for the question and for the tireless work he has done for his constituents.

Mr. Chair, the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces have been there for Canadians from the beginning of this pandemic. They were instrumental, through Operation Globe, in repatriating 650 Canadians. That commitment to supporting their fellow Canadians has never stopped, and they have continually put themselves in harm's way to protect our most vulnerable. I'm so proud of the extraordinary work the Canadian Armed Forces have done in long-term care facilities in Ontario and in Quebec. Our women and men have been working 24-7 in these facilities to care for our parents and our grandparents.

Because of that important work, we have designated Operation Laser as a special duty operation, which will ensure our women and men get the benefits they are entitled to. We're also pursuing hazard pay, and that work is ongoing.

As we come up to Canadian Armed Forces Day this Sunday, I ask all members of the House and all Canadians to take a moment to appreciate the outstanding work that all of our serving members do, both at home and abroad. I also want to give a special thanks to the families of our serving members.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

We'll now go to Ms. Lambropoulos.

[Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Liberal, Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Chair, last week, George Floyd, a black man, was killed by a police officer from the city of Minneapolis. A few months before that murder, Ahmaud Arbery was gunned down by a former police officer and his son while jogging.

Police brutality and systemic racism are not an American problem alone; they are problems in Canada as well. They are problems in my home province of Quebec and in my city of Montreal, and we need to do better for Canada's black communities.

According to the Canadian Human Rights Commission, while anti-black racism is more subtle in Canada, its roots run deep and are embedded in our society. They are built into our institutions and perpetuate the social and economic disparities that exist in everything from education and health care to housing and employment.

In light of these tragedies, last week, we saw Americans and Canadians stand up to protest anti-black racism and to show solidarity with black communities.

It is unacceptable that anyone should be afraid for their safety because of the colour of their skin, even more so when the fear is of the very bodies and institutions that are meant to protect us. All levels of government must step up.

Mr. Chair, what is our government doing to make life safer and fairer for black Canadians?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth]

Mr. Chair, I commend the MP for Saint-Laurent for not choosing silence. Anti-black racism, racism, and discrimination are present in Canada in our communities, our workplaces and our kids' schools, and we need to be willing to speak up. To keep silent is to condone racism. Yesterday I attended the solidarity march in the Region of Waterloo. Thousands came together safely and peacefully to say “enough is enough”.

Inequities and systemic racism exist in our institutions. For a truly inclusive Canada, we must all step up, practise being allies, and make workplaces, communities and public spaces safer, informed by people's lived experiences.

Our government is taking action. Our new appointment process is resulting in GIC appointments better reflecting Canada's diversity. We recognize the UN International Decade for People of African Descent. We've invested in mental health supports for black youth. The anti-racism secretariat is working to address systemic racism in all federal departments and agencies. The immunity task force will provide desegregated data so decisions are informed by science and evidence, and the requested capacity-building investments will be announced this summer.

I look around and see allies, Mr. Chair. We must continue to do the work necessary. It won't be easy, but if we each do our part, I believe we can get there.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Acting Chair, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

We'll now go to Mr. Bachrach, the member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley.

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Chair, I will be sharing my time with the member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie.

Mr. Chair, it's been a week since the Parliamentary Budget Officer told us that he was unable to get details on thousands of infrastructure projects that this government has funded.

Will the minister please tell us whether in that week she has had a chance to provide the PBO with the information he is seeking?