COVID-19 Pandemic Committee on June 11th, 2020

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Chair, there seems to be a real conflict of interest here. Maybe the question should be this: Is this why Minister Champagne could barely say thank you to Taiwan for the medical supplies they sent us?

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Chair, once again, everything has been fully disclosed to the Ethics Commissioner and placed online on the public registry. Everything is public, Mr. Chair. It is fully public.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Chair, two Canadians have been jailed in China since 2018. Is the Minister of Foreign Affairs working to free them, or is this conflict hampering those efforts?

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The honourable minister.

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Chair, I want to assure the honourable member that the two Canadians remain our absolute priority. We are going to continue to work tirelessly to secure their immediate release and to stand up for them as a government, as Canadians.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Chair, I'm going to switch gears here.

Conservatives are on record in support of the development and implementation of the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls national action plan. We, like Canadians across the country, want to see real and measurable improvements to the lives of indigenous women and girls, and we have been waiting patiently for over a year for the national action plan.

When will the Prime Minister release this?

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The honourable minister.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations]

As the member knows, this is the first-ever national action plan, our first-ever national public inquiry, which requires all of our partners in the provinces and territories to be with us.

Our hearts are with all the families of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls and the survivors. We will not let them down. We will work diligently with our partners to get this done in order to prevent this national tragedy.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Chair, the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations had no issue signing a backroom deal, and in fact, had a signing over Skype, but she can't get the action plan out the door.

Will the Prime Minister live up to his responsibilities to the families of the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls and release this action plan today?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

I think the member doesn't quite understand that the commitment was that this plan would be co-developed with all of the provinces and the territories, first nations, Inuit, Métis, families and survivors. We are working every day to get this done, such that it would be accountable with the indicators and the measurements that would allow us to make sure we are making progress in stopping this national tragedy.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We'll now continue with Mr. Godin.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Once again, owners of SMEs in Canada are left to their own devices. Let us take the example of the Canada emergency commercial rent assistance program, whose eligibility criteria do not meet the realities of our entrepreneurs. They have to come to an agreement with the property owners, and the owners are the ones who have to apply.

Here are two examples in Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier. We have a chiropractic clinic that has been offering its essential emergency services to its clients, which disqualifies it from this program. Another construction company was unable to convince its owner.

What is the government waiting for to change this program?

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

Mr. Chair, I want to thank the honourable member for that question.

Businesses like those that he just described have been at the heart of our work supporting businesses through COVID-19 and through this difficulty. The Canada emergency business account has helped over 660,000 businesses get the operating funds to help them manage through this period. We have deferred costs like the GST, HST and customs duties payments.

On commercial rent, we are working with provinces and territories to make sure that they introduce complementary measures, to make sure that this program is successful.

Nothing is more important to us than helping—

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We'll turn to Mr. Godin once again.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Madam Minister, I have a great deal of respect for you, but you are not meeting the needs of our businesses to reopen the Canadian economy.

Last Wednesday, I asked a virtual question in the House about the Canada business emergency account, to find out when the announced changes will be implemented.

The Prime Minister announced on May 19 that the program would be enhanced to include family SMEs that pay themselves dividends, SMEs that employ contract workers, as well as entrepreneurs who use their personal bank accounts. Well, those entrepreneurs are still waiting, and today is June 11.

Last week, I was told that it is now available, but it is not. I would like to inform the minister that those categories of businesses do not have access to the program.

I ask her again: when will this program be available?

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

Mr. Chair, I want to thank the honourable member for his hard work in raising the issues of small businesses. Indeed, it's those business owners all across the country that we have, from day one, been listening to and those entrepreneurs whom we want to respond to, and we have.

We've created the Canada emergency wage subsidy, which is helping them keep their employees. In this restart, it's going to help them keep those employees so that they can get on that road to restarting and helping our economy.

I'm also really pleased to say that the expansion to the business account, the $40,000 interest-free loan, will be available to them within days. Within days, those entrepreneurs, those sole proprietors, those family business owners who are paying themselves through dividends and their employees through dividends, those who are paying—

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The floor goes to Mr. Godin.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Chair, when the government finds that it can win votes, there is an urgency to act on certain issues. In this matter, the minister told me last week that it was available. Now she has just told me that it will be available in a few days.

Can the minister give us the facts? Can we show some respect for our businesses that need help? The government says that it must help our businesses. It is right, but it must act now.

Can the minister say when it will be available?

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

Mr. Chair, in a few short days, through the banks and the credit unions, those incredible small business owners will have access to this funding support.

I might say, over 660,000 businesses already are getting this help. Many businesses are using these funds to help manage through this difficult time, and into recovery, they are going to be so important. We have the utmost respect for those businesses that are all over the community—

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Mr. Godin, you have about 15 seconds left.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

I would like to inform Parliament that Canadians are concerned about the attitude of this minority Liberal government. In addition to having to adapt to the COVID-19 crisis, they are worried about their future.

This government has lost control of its spending. When will we get an economic update?

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

Mr. Chair, since the beginning of this crisis, Canadians have been a priority for us. We have been transparent and open about our spending to support them.

As soon as it is possible to have clear projections, we will provide an economic update.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We'll now continue with Ms. Stubbs.

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

There will be no economy and no economic update if the Liberals don't help the oil and gas sector survive. After five years of bad Liberal policies that devalued Canadian energy companies.... Here is an example: If Athabasca Oil asks for a $400-million LEEFF loan, the government can own 50% of the company based on current low stock prices, on top of the crazy predatory 14% rate by year five.

The government must fix the mess it helped make. Why is the finance minister using this pandemic to seize significant control of Canadian oil and gas employers?

[Seamus O'Regan, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Chair, we have been working diligently with industry to provide supports both through liquidity and of course through the inactive orphaned well program, where we have seen almost an over-subscription, working with provincial governments in three provinces: Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia.