COVID-19 Pandemic Committee on June 8th, 2020

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

The tourism industry in Canada supports one out of every 11 jobs. It's actually Canada's fifth-largest sector, and it's responsible for 2% of our GDP. Without government action to support the industry, 61,000 tourism businesses, which is over 50% of all tourism businesses, will fail, and over a million and a half Canadians will lose their jobs as a result. Despite this and despite the Prime Minister's saying well over a month ago that there was going to be a specific package for tourism, the tourism minister has been simply pointing towards existing measures that haven't been sufficient to help the industry.

Will the government commit today to sufficient measures that will actually help the tourism sector?

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

I agree with my colleague that the tourism sector is an important sector and that it has been very impacted by the pandemic and the economic crisis.

That's why we extended the wage subsidy until the end of August. That's why we came up with commercial rent relief across the country and, with its $40,000 loans, the CEBA. Since the member last asked a question regarding the tourism sector, we also announced $70 million to make sure that we are supporting destination marketing associations. He even applauded this new investment.

I'm happy to continue to work with him because we need to make these investments for the tourism sector.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

That's far from enough to ensure the industry's survival. It's far from enough to ensure that these businesses, which are looking at going out of business, will survive.

It's really disheartening to hear the minister spout these talking points, because she knows it's not enough. One of the biggest groups that will be affected by the job losses and business closures in this sector is women. The job losses will also affect youth, visible minorities, new Canadians and, certainly, indigenous people.

What is the government doing specifically to assist indigenous tourism businesses in Canada?

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

Madam Chair, we believe in the importance of indigenous tourism across the country. That's why I had good conversations with Keith Henry, the president of ITAC, the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada. We will be supporting ITAC through new funding, which will be allocated by Destination Canada, to make sure that we can help indigenous tourism businesses across the country.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Madam Chair, conversations don't get the job done. I certainly look forward to hearing more detail when they announce it, if they ever do, because we've been promised things before that they haven't delivered.

I want to hear about the wage subsidy. Will the government do anything to make changes to the wage subsidy so that seasonal businesses can qualify?

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

Madam Chair, my colleague's question is important because we just finished a consultation regarding the wage subsidy. The Minister of Finance is very seized with the situation. I understand the tourism sector has also made some good recommendations. We will take stock of these recommendations.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Again, we hear promises and talk about conversations, but we see no action. It's time for action.

What about the support for meetings, conventions and special events in those sectors? They've been completely decimated. What is the government doing for those sectors in that regard?

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

That's exactly why we're helping them through the different measures, including the wage subsidy, which the tourism sector wanted until the end of the summer. We've done that, so that's good news. There are also the $40,000 loans, through what we call the CEBA account, and if these operators fall through the cracks, they can come and see the regional development agencies. We will be there to support them and to make sure they can survive and really bounce back when tourism is much more in a recovery phase in the coming months.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

The industry can't get to a recovery phase if the government doesn't give them the opportunity to be able to survive this phase. What about agri-tourism? That's typically in small communities that don't have DMOs. What about agri-tourism?

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

Agri-tourism businesses can have access to community futures programs, or in Quebec they're called SADCs, and definitely they will be supported. We've done the biggest investment in decades in our community futures organizations and we hope this investment will really help them survive this economic crisis.

[The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The committee is now adjourned until tomorrow, Tuesday, June 9, 2020, at noon.

The meeting is adjourned.