COVID-19 Pandemic Committee on June 10th, 2020

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

Ms. Sahota, you have 15 seconds.

[Jag Sahota, Conservative, Calgary Skyview, AB]

Madam Chair, my question is still not answered. She keeps repeating the same answer. I'll keep asking the same question, hoping for a straightforward answer. Why was a GBA+ analysis not conducted on the COVID-19 relief programs?

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

Honourable minister, you have five seconds.

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Delta, BC]

Madam Chair, we've taken into account the needs of women and girls from the beginning, and we'll continue to do so.

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

We go now to Mr. Carrie.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Madame Chair, on April 29 I asked Minister Blair why Lisa Freeman, a constituent of mine, wasn't able to participate in the Parole Board hearing of her father's murderer. The minister acknowledged that this had been a mistake and that victims would now be able to attend by telephone and video conference.

Can the minister tell this House how many parole hearings have been conducted under this digital format with victims since April 29?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Thank you, Madam Chair. I thank my honourable colleague for the question. I'm glad to hear that Minister Blair was able to provide information on the specific case he raises.

With regard to his question, we're happy to provide it to him in due course.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Madame Chair, on April 29 the minister said, and I quote, “Steps have been taken to make it possible for victims to participate in those parole hearings virtually by phone or video conference.”

If the change has been made, can the minister please tell us how many hearings victims have been able to participate in by video conference?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Madam Chair, as I said, certainly we will confirm the number of hearings that may have occurred. With regard to the hearings under the Parole Board of Canada, we want to ensure that victims and others are able to participate in a fair and transparent manner.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Madame Chair, the website says, “To protect the health and safety of the public, offenders, Parole Board...members and staff in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the PBC is currently conducting its hearings remotely via video conference or teleconference.” However, when referring to victim participation, the PBC says it has “Implemented technological and procedural enhancements in order to provide victims...the ability to participate...via telephone.”

If video conference is an option for staff and inmates, why is it not for victims?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Madam Chair, as I said, it is very important that all parties be able to participate before the Parole Board. The Parole Board has introduced technologies to allow victims to participate in a manner that is fair and that accords them the opportunity to express themselves.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Madam Chair, the minister is missing the point. For victims, besides the criminal trial, the Parole Board hearings are the only chance to participate in the judicial process. Why are victims not permitted on the video conference, while staff, panels and inmates are?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Madam Chair, as I've said now on a number of occasions, victims are able to participate in the hearings before the Parole Board. This is as a result of technology and innovations introduced by the Parole Board. Of course, those opportunities will continue to exist going forward.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Then, Madam Chair, why did the minister and this government tell Canadians and the House that victims of crime have the opportunity to participate in parole hearings by video conference, when in fact they do not?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Madam Chair, as I've said, of course we are going to confirm the status of that particular request. In the meantime, as I've said on a number of occasions, victims are able to participate in these hearings. This is consistent with the fairness of those hearings and the due process we accord to them.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Madam Chair, it's been over a month. When will the minister finally give victims of crime the same right to parole hearings by video conference as he gives convicted inmates?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Madam Chair, I reject that proposition. The Parole Board is a well-established tribunal that does allow for all parties, including victims, to participate in a manner that is fair, and that allows them to express themselves so those representations can be taken into account in the decisions of the Parole Board of Canada.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

He can reject it as much as he wants, Madam Chair, but it seems he thinks it's fair that inmates have that right, but victims don't. We'll follow up with him on that.

Brandon Hottot owns and operates a contracting business in my riding, and his company needs help. On May 19, the Prime Minister announced the government would allow sole proprietors and gig contractors to qualify for the Canada emergency business account; however, Brandon has still not been able to take advantage of this benefit.

When can small business owners like Brandon expect this change to finally be made? It's been over three weeks, and the clock is ticking.

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Minister of Small Business]

Madam Chair, from the very beginning, we have been working hard to support our small businesses. Over 660,000 businesses today have received access to small business loans. I want to assure my colleague that additional support will be there within about a week.

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

Mr. Carrie, you may have a very short question.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Okay, Madam Chair.

Shawn and Denise operate a gymnastics facility in Whitby and have been forced to close throughout COVID-19. As the economy begins to open, they are concerned about not having the money to pay their employees in the short term, especially at a reduced client capacity.

Is the government extending the wage subsidy to small businesses that have been closed and are just beginning to open now?

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Markham—Thornhill, ON]

The wage subsidy has been extended until August 31. We hope businesses like that one will be able to take advantage of the wage subsidy to keep their employees on staff.

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

We will go now to Ms. May.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Just to put it on the record, because we may or may not be debating it, the draft embargoed bill that we've seen is unacceptable to members of the Green Party caucus. My questions will relate largely to those sections that are troublesome.

I'll start with a question to the honourable minister for disabilities.

I certainly appreciate her work and I know her intentions are the best, but part 3 of this bill allows for the information to be shared so people can get a one-time payment of $600, which is not enough to really deal with the COVID crisis for people with disabilities. It's clear—and I thank the honourable leader of the New Democratic Party for making this point clearly in question period—it will reach approximately 40% of people with disabilities because of the structure of going through the disability tax credit.

To the honourable minister, are other measures under consideration to reach the rest of the people in Canada with disabilities who need help?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Delta, BC]

Madam Chair, the disability support payment we are proposing and that we hope to get through the House today complements a whole suite of measures our government has put in place that people with disabilities have access to.

We know that people with disabilities who were precariously employed are now taking advantage of the CERB. Students with disabilities get the student benefit, including a $750-per-month top-up for four months. Families with children with disabilities are getting the CCB payment. Disproportionately, people with disabilities are benefiting from the GST payment. I should talk about the provincial letters that are being delivered to recipients of provincial disability supports.

All around, Madam Chair, we're trying to get to every citizen with a disability, and this measure fills an important gap.