COVID-19 Pandemic Committee on June 4th, 2020

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

Mr. Chair, I think everything is back to normal.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Okay.

The problem seems to have been resolved.

Can everybody hear the translation?

Mr. Généreux, you have the floor.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Chair, I thank the minister for her non-answer.

At the end of last week, the minister announced $70 million, $30 million of which was already earmarked for advertising in other parts of the world and which Canada will recover. That is a good thing. However, that does not include Quebec.

When will the announcement be made?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

Mr. Chair, I spoke to the CEO of the Alliance de l'industrie touristique du Québec, Martin Soucy. He says that he is very pleased with the federal government's action so far and very optimistic.

Of course, we are in contact with the Alliance de l'industrie touristique du Québec. We will have some good news to announce in the next few days.

Furthermore, this morning, I spoke again with Quebec's Minister of Economy and Innovation, Pierre Fitzgibbon, so that we can really support—

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We'll now go back to Mr. Généreux.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Fitzgibbon has announced that he will not go as high as $650 million for Quebec's tourism industry.

Will the Minister of Economic Development announce additional funding to make up for Quebec's missing share?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

We will always stand by the tourism sector. We have been doing so since the beginning of the pandemic and we will continue to do so.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Chair, I am not sure whether the minister will be answering my next question.

As is the case throughout Canada and elsewhere in the world, many seasonal workers in the fishery and tourism sectors will probably not be making what in Quebec are called “unemployment stamps”.

How is the government preparing to meet the demand of all seasonal workers across the country to ensure that they have what they need in the fall and get through the winter?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

Mr. Chair, we know the particular predicaments of our seasonal workers. We have an EI seasonal pilot in place that adds another five weeks to the total number of EI weeks, and we have committed to making that seasonal pilot permanent. We also know that seasonal workers are worried that they haven't accumulated enough EI hours or weeks to qualify. We're looking into how we can help everyone.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Chair, I want to make sure I fully understand. I understand that there was actually a five-week pilot project. Did I understand correctly that this program will be made permanent?

If so, what will be the eligibility requirements?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Delta, BC]

Mr. Chair, I can confirm our commitment to making this pilot permanent. We're working out the details. More importantly, we're going to make sure that everyone has the support they need as we recover from this pandemic.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Chair, the Union des municipalités du Québec and the Fédération québécoise des municipalités received $2.2 billion from the government, whereas they were asking for $10 billion. The government said that additional amounts would probably be made available.

In Quebec, one of the rules imposed by the federal government is that 20% of all money spent must be spent on municipal buildings, fire stations, water tanks and other items that serve the community.

Is the government planning to relax its measures to allow municipalities to spend the money more appropriately?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities]

Mr. Chair, we are very proud of how we are investing in infrastructure across the country.

We are working with the province of Quebec and the municipalities to invest in projects. We are working directly with the province of Quebec, we are also working together on the gas tax, and we will continue to do so.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We'll now go to Mrs. Block.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Good morning, Mr. Chair. Thank you very much for this opportunity.

My first question is for Minister Anand.

Is the contract with Becton Dickinson for vaccine syringes a sole-source contract?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Chair, the precise terms of our contracts are not being disclosed at the current time, given the importance of making sure that we protect our supply chains. When the time is right and the pandemic is over, we will make sure to be fully transparent with regard to these terms.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

I think the minister's excuse that providing a bit of transparency to Canadians would jeopardize our supply chain just doesn't wash.

Has her department found a secret PPE manufacturer that no other country has heard of?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

Mr. Chair, let me assure the member opposite and all members of the House that our country is facing unprecedented needs as we fight COVID-19. This is an urgent time. Contracting under the national security exceptions, including for sole-source contracts, has been done in the interest of Canadians—

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We'll go back to Ms. Block.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

On the one hand, Minister Anand highlights agreements with Canadian companies that are making PPE, but on the other, she refuses to name foreign manufacturers that have been awarded sole-source contracts totalling hundreds of millions of dollars. Why the disparity?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

Mr. Chair, as you and the member opposite are aware, we are procuring millions of items of PPE across a range of goods. In some cases we are disclosing names of suppliers, but this is done in conjunction with the permission we are being given by a supplier. We need to be careful in these times—

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We'll go to Ms. Block.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Are the Canadian companies currently listed on PSPC's website that are making PPE for Canada legally prevented from selling PPE to other countries?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

Mr. Chair, as the member opposite can appreciate, the terms of each individual contract will determine what the supplier is able to do with its own product.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Mr. Chair, at the very least, and as a service to the rest of the world, will the minister reveal the name of the supplier and manufacturer that sold Canada millions of substandard KN95 masks, so that other countries will not make the same mistake?