Evidence of meeting #19 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.
Bloc
Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Can the government tell us when it intends to present its economic update?
Liberal
Mona Fortier Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Mr. Chair, we are well aware that the Canadian economy is going through a period of extraordinary uncertainty as a result of COVID-19. As soon as it is possible to provide economic projections—
Bloc
Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC
Mr. Chair, in its current form, Question Period provides us with very few answers. So we are going to try another approach. I suggest we try the format of the TV game show Jeopardy, which became popular in Quebec thanks to its star host Réal Giguère, who passed away last year. The format is simple. I will give the answer and the government must say what the question was.
Let us begin. The question is worth $20. Who am I? I am a picture of the economic situation, a picture of the government's overall emergency measures and of its intention to extend them, or not extend them, over the summer, and if so, how. I am also a presentation of the government's working scenarios for economic recovery.
Liberal
Mona Fortier Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Mr. Chair, the Canadian government does not play games.
At this time, we are well aware that the Canadian economy is going through a period of extraordinary uncertainty. We will continue to be open and transparent about what we are doing to support families, our healthcare system and our economy.
This includes reporting biweekly to Parliament on the total cost and status of the measures in our plan. As soon as it is possible to provide clear economic projections, we will give a comprehensive update to Canadians.
We are prepared to do whatever it takes to support families, workers and businesses in these difficult times of the pandemic.
Bloc
Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC
Mr. Chair, obviously the answer was, “What is the economic update?”
The next question is worth $40. Who am I? I will be presenting my economic update by the end of the month.
Liberal
Mona Fortier Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Mr. Chair, I think it is important to say that we will continue to be open and transparent about the measures we have taken and the measures we will continue to take to support families, our healthcare system and our—
Bloc
Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC
Unfortunately, the answer was “Who is the Government of Quebec?”
Quebec has indeed committed to presenting its economic update in the coming weeks. We would have liked to be able to accept “Who is the federal government?” as an answer, but they have not yet made that commitment. I wish they had done so today.
The next question is worth $60. Who am I? I am urging the government to table an economic update in a timely manner. In the meantime, I am monitoring the government's measures and am providing an estimate of their costs and the projected deficit.
Liberal
Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC
Mr. Chair, as I understand it, that is an answer and not a question.
Is that right?
Bloc
Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC
When we ask questions, we do not get answers. So I am trying to be creative, so that we get answers. In this case, the answer was obviously “Who is the Parliamentary Budget Officer?” By the way, I would like to commend his entire team and thank them for their excellent work.
The next question is worth $80. Who are we? We have been demanding that the government present its economic update for over a month now.
Liberal
Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC
Mr. Chair, as I understand it, the hon. member is asking a question and answering it himself. So he does not need to come here.
Bloc
Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC
Mr. Chair, we are trying to be creative. When we ask questions in their classic form, we do not get answers. We are told that the economic situation is too uncertain.
Quebec will present its economic update. The Parliamentary Budget Officer says it is urgent. We have been asking for it for a month now. It makes no sense.
Who has been requesting the update for more than a month? The Bloc Québécois and the opposition parties. It is high time it was done.
I am going to ask one last question. Who am I? I am committed today to providing an economic update by the end of the month. Who am I?
Liberal
Liberal
Bloc
Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC
I am going to conclude by saying that I wish the answer was “Who is the Liberal government?” I also wish they would have told us today that they are going to present their economic update by the end of the month, which would have made a lot of sense.
Of course, we would have accepted “Where is the Liberal government?” or “What is the government doing?”
I do not think we will be trying this experiment again, Mr. Chair.
Conservative
Ted Falk Conservative Provencher, MB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
While we don't have money to throw around like the Bloc or the Liberals, I do have some questions that I know all Canadians would be interested in hearing answers to.
In 2015, while in opposition, our now Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, “For Parliament to work best, its members must be free to do what they have been elected to do: represent their communities and hold the government to account.”
How does the Prime Minister explain to Canadians that we have more openness when he has shut down Parliament for months on end?
Liberal
Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC
Mr. Chair, the House decided on a hybrid model that allows the colleague to ask the question. There is more time for questions, questions on anything, and if we were to move to anything different, I would like my colleague to tell me how we are going to vote, for example, on PMBs, if it's not a vote by party but a vote by rote? I'd like to have an answer.
Conservative
Ted Falk Conservative Provencher, MB
Mr. Chair, on May 26 a Liberal motion suspended Parliament until September. If the Prime Minister believes that Parliament works best when elected officials hold the government to account, why did he work with the NDP to avoid parliamentary accountability?
Liberal
Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC
Mr. Chair, we never avoid accountability. It's quite the opposite. Actually, there is more time to ask questions.
I will take no lessons from the Conservatives on democracy. I was here and some of my colleagues were here when they shut Parliament twice. They prorogued not once but twice—
Conservative
Ted Falk Conservative Provencher, MB
If the Prime Minister believes in his 2015 platform statement that government should be open by default, what did the Prime Minister give to the NDP to get them to agree to shut down full parliamentary sittings?
Liberal
Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC
Mr. Chair, we're working under the hybrid model that allows the member to ask questions. If we went with the Conservatives' suggestion, he wouldn't be there. He wouldn't be asking questions—not at all, and not his neighbours, not people from any province. Only the—
