COVID-19 Pandemic Committee on June 17th, 2020

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, North Vancouver, BC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I think the honourable member should be aware that, even in the context of a very challenging circumstance with respect to COVID-19, this government has moved forward with key elements of its climate plan, including the pricing on pollution, including ensuring liquidity for large corporations was put in the context of commitments to climate change. This government has been very clear this is an enormous priority. It's a priority guided by science. It's a priority we are working on not just domestically but internationally, and it is something we will continue to work on because we must.

[The Acting Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Next is the honourable member for Windsor West, Mr. Masse.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I'll be splitting my time with the member for Timmins—James Bay, Mr. Angus.

Bonifacio Romero died May 30. Rogelio Santo died June 4. Both were Mexican migrant farm workers who died of COVID-19 in Leamington. They died alone. They died without their families, and they died in our country when no one cared.

Can the minister tell the families of Mr. Romero and Mr. Santo what they have to say about their deaths in our country?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Delta, BC]

Madam Chair, on behalf of the Government of Canada, we are deeply saddened by the death of these two temporary foreign workers. It shouldn't have happened, and it did.

We're working very closely with Mexican officials and with the employer. We're digging in. We put in place robust quarantine measures that yielded very good results, instead of worker safety. We're now trying to figure out how this happened, perhaps through community transmission, but I can assure everyone in the House, we are very sad and we are working to correct these incredible, deplorable situations.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Saddened is not sorry. Saddened won't change the lives of their loved ones and their families without them. When the minister signed their access into our country, the issues around migrant workers and the way they're treated in our country had been well documented by Migrant Workers Alliance and others for decades. When the minister signed their coming into this country with the conditions of COVID-19, she signed their death warrant.

What does the minister have to say about the fact they knew about these issues and they did nothing about protecting the workers before they came to Canada?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Delta, BC]

Madam Chair, we are terribly sorry this happened in Canada. This shouldn't have happened, and we're working very hard to figure out what happened.

Madam Chair, we are very proud of the way we have worker protection in this country, but the temporary foreign worker program is in need of an overhaul, and we are working to make sure workers' rights are protected. We are working with employers, farmers and foreign governments, in particular the Mexican government, and we are deeply sorry of course for the families of these workers.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Madam Chair, I will not be heckled that I'm being shameful for raising this issue and what really took place here. These issues are real. They are not new. They didn't happen just this last month. They've been very real in our country, and I will not be told I'm being shameful for raising these hard issues in this chamber. I'm proud to do so on behalf of those workers and their families.

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Delta, BC]

Madam Chair, since the beginning of COVID, we've been working with countries around the world, including Mexico, to make sure sufficient safeguards for workers were in place in the quarantine period and beyond. We know that system is broken, and we are working hard to fix it. We again sincerely offer our condolences to the families of these workers.

[The Acting Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Next is the honourable member for Timmins—James Bay, Mr. Angus.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

This week the Minister of Indigenous Services signed a letter to his own cabinet colleagues telling them not to block justice for indigenous and black people. This is a minister whose own department and government has been found guilty of “wilful and reckless” discrimination against first nations kids, so why doesn't he just take a spoonful of his own medicine and end the legal battle against first nations kids?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous Services]

I thank the member for the question.

Indeed, as the Prime Minister has said time and time again, and as we have said time and time again, we will compensate first nations children for the harm that they have suffered. The member knows this well. There are three cases that are outstanding, and we are making modest progress but very positive progress on these cases. I hope to have more information to share with the House at a later date.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Modest progress...? This week the minister was willing to chastise the RCMP commissioner and rebuke her for her failure to live up to the best. Now he's telling us “modest”. I don't know if he read the Human Rights Tribunal ruling. It found the government guilty of “wilful and reckless” racial discrimination that was “intentional” with no regard for the consequences to children, and children have died.

Is he willing to say that his ongoing legal battle that is now up to $10 million is modest progress?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

Madam Chair, in the course of implementing those court orders, the budget of Indigenous Services Canada allocates over $600 million to achieve equity between first nations children and non-first nations children. This is significant progress over years. Progress is slow. It is sometimes too slow, and we keep moving aggressively to make sure that first nations children aren't left behind. We will continue to do so, Madam Chair.

[The Acting Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

This is the last question, Mr. Angus.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Thank you. Let's talk about how they implement this budget.

In order to pretend compliance with the Human Rights Tribunal, his officials told child and family services that they had “unlimited prevention funding” for prevention work. That was the quote. Then, after the organization spent the money, he refused to pay. In Saskatchewan, they're owed $47 million.

Why doesn't he stop telling people how to take a knee, and tell us that he is going to pay that money that was promised to front-line child and protection services across Canada?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

Madam Chair, as part of implementing child and family services legislation reform, we're moving forward with first nations to ensure that they exercise that right of self-determination, to ensure that they have control and custody of their children. We will absolutely continue to do so.

We are also, as part of COVID, allowing and ensuring that first nations communities, and children aging out of care, are properly supported as well. The federal government will not cease to ensure that first nations children are indeed properly taken care of in the conditions set forth by first nations communities.

[The Acting Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The honourable member for La Prairie, Mr. Therrien.

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I want to get back to the fact that the party that formed the government, the Liberal Party, used the wage subsidy program for partisan purposes. I looked at section 2 of this program. I was surprised. I was wondering how the Liberal Party had had access to it.

Section 2 says that those who are entitled to it are companies or businesses—so clearly not the Liberal Party—, individuals or persons—so not the Liberal Party—, or charitable organizations.

Is the Liberal Party of Canada a charitable organization?

[Bill Morneau, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

We’ve decided to offer the wage subsidy to each business, across the country, in every sector of the economy, in order to protect its labour force so it can continue to operate. It’s a very important measure.

It will help our economy and will continue to protect employees all over the country.

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

He is not answering my question. The minister says that it’s for all businesses, but the Liberal Party of Canada is not a business.

My question was a bit mischievous, because I knew very well that it would not get an answer. The Liberal Party is against the wall. It can’t answer those questions, because it’s much too embarrassed to do so.

In my opinion, the Liberal Party is at the bottom of the list. The last point concerns a prescribed organization.

Is it as a prescribed organization that the Liberal Party was able to obtain its wage subsidy?

[Bill Morneau, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

I think that all MPs in the House understand that, in a time of crisis, it is necessary to protect employees. That’s our goal. We did reach it through the Canada Emergency Response Benefit as well as the wage subsidy.

We will maintain our approach, which helps all Canadians experiencing difficulties because of COVID-19.

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

The government’s situation is really embarrassing. We now know that it’s through the prescribed organization category that it managed to obtain the wage subsidy.

My question is simple. I don’t know whether it’ll get an answer.

Which minister had the bright idea of suggesting that the Liberal Party of Canada put its hand in the cookie jar? Whose wonderful idea was this?

Was it the Minister of Finance or the Minister of National Revenue?

[Bill Morneau, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Madam Chair, as a government, we’ve decided that it was necessary to protect each business in the country that saw its revenue drop because of COVID-19. This way, they can protect their employees and their revenue. It’s very important. This means that after the crisis, people and businesses will be in a better situation.

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

We’re not making headway with the answers, but I think that we are with my questions.

A Liberal Party of Canada minister says that they’ll include this in the rules and that they’ll line their pockets. This looks like a conflict of interests.

Who’s guilty of having a conflict of interests in this government?

[Bill Morneau, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Madam Chair, it was a lot simpler than that. We’ve decided that Canadians who needed help and who were experiencing difficulties would receive help from the government. This was our approach.

A business that experiences a drop in revenue can access the wage subsidy to retain its employees.