Evidence of meeting #25 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.
2:05 p.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Mr. Chair, the minister refused to answer the question.
A disabled senior was not sure if he was eligible, so he called the CRA. The agent told my constituent that he should apply anyway. Now he is worried that he will be penalized.
Vulnerable people trying to survive the pandemic should not be criminalized. Will the Prime Minister stand down and withdraw all the sections penalizing and criminalizing people trying to get help through the CERB?
2:05 p.m.
Liberal
Jean-Yves Duclos Liberal Québec, QC
I will say two additional things: First, this support is absolutely essential to millions of workers and families. Second, workers and their families, and members of Parliament as well, have the right, and sometimes the obligation, to get support from the CRA. We have committed public servants at the CRA to help those vulnerable Canadians.
2:05 p.m.
NDP
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Accepting that there is massive confusion and contradictory information, if the government proceeds with part 4 of Bill C-17, will it also be charging Parliamentary Secretary Adam Vaughan for being an accessory to fraud, or would there be another set of rules for the government versus the public?
2:05 p.m.
Liberal
Jean-Yves Duclos Liberal Québec, QC
Mr. Chair, all members of this House have not only the privilege but also the responsibility to assist their constituents in this particularly difficult crisis, and we know we can count on all of them to support our vulnerable people in our respective ridings.
2:05 p.m.
NDP
Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
Mr. Chair, here we are, more than three months into the COVID-19 pandemic, and I am still hearing from many local small businesses in my riding of Cowichan—Malahat—Langford that the government supports on offer to date simply have not been working for them. Businesses such as Sports Traders in Duncan and A to Z Kids Consignment in Langford, both of which have been in operation for over 20 years, may have to close their doors forever because of landlords who are unwilling to participate in or don't qualify for the commercial rental assistance.
When will the government step up and fix this program?
2:10 p.m.
Liberal
Mona Fortier Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Mr. Chair, our government is working closely with the provinces and territories to deliver the Canada emergency commercial rent assistance, and we welcome the steps that some provinces have taken to further protect commercial tenants. We expect that with these recent actions, the uptake will increase significantly. We will continue to monitor this program to support businesses across the country.
2:10 p.m.
NDP
Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
Mr. Chair, my next question is for the Minister of National Revenue.
My office has been working to help V2V Black Hops Brewing, which cannot access the much-needed emergency wage subsidy because of a mix-up with the CRA. I need the minister's assurance here and now that her office will commit to fixing this file so that this important social enterprise, which helps homeless veterans, can continue its operations. Will she do so?
2:10 p.m.
Liberal
Mona Fortier Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Mr. Chair, I thank my honourable colleague for sharing that example.
We have been working on making the wage subsidy available, and the eligibility will extend until the end of August. We will come shortly with a new approach to make sure the wage subsidy can be taken by businesses across the country.
2:10 p.m.
Liberal
2:10 p.m.
NDP
Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
Finally, in the midst of the pandemic, our country's opioid crisis continues its deadly scourge in our communities, especially here in B.C. The street supply of drugs is toxic, with record amounts of fentanyl present. Every single one of those deaths is a black mark on federal drug policy.
It's time to declare a national health emergency. Will the Minister of Health do so?
2:10 p.m.
Thunder Bay—Superior North Ontario
Liberal
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Chair, I had an excellent conversation with Minister Darcy, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions in British Columbia, just last night. We agreed to continue our shared work to ensure that people in B.C. and indeed across the country have access to harm reduction supports, including safer supply, community-driven treatment, access to safe injection—
2:10 p.m.
Bloc
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Salaberry—Suroît, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
As we know, we needed to concentrate our energy and our efforts in order to face the pandemic. However, we must remember that, just because we are in a pandemic does not mean that people stop being ill, stop being stricken with cancer or with serious diseases. Let us think about those who were in remission perhaps a few months ago and who have exhausted their employment insurance sickness benefits. Today, they find themselves completely lost and abandoned. In addition to fighting against a recurrence of cancer, they do not have the financial means to pay their rent or their electricity and telephone bills. They are going through a major financial pressure because we have not taken the time in the House to agree on a measure, an amendment to the Employment Insurance Act to increase employment insurance sickness benefits and extend them from 15 to 50 weeks. At this very moment, many members of this House have constituents who are fighting cancer and have nothing with which to do so.
Is the government going to use the next sitting of the House, on July 8, to introduce a bill to extend employment insurance sickness benefits from 15 to 50 weeks?
2:10 p.m.
Liberal
Jean-Yves Duclos Liberal Québec, QC
Mr. Chair, I would first like to thank the honourable member for expressing, with much compassion and much empathy, what she has heard from those in her constituency.
Unfortunately, there are families and workers who, for a number of weeks, if not years, have been living in difficult conditions of illness. The conditions endanger their ability to make ends meet and to take care of their loved ones.
We understood the situation; moreover, we have worked on it in recent years by making significant improvements to the special benefits in employment insurance, such as maternity and parental benefits, and compassionate and caregiving benefits. In fact, we have made significant improvements to all the special benefits in the employment insurance program.
We will continue to do that, including for the sickness benefits. It was a commitment we made in the last election campaign.
2:10 p.m.
Bloc
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Salaberry—Suroît, QC
Mr. Chair, I do not think that the minister's words will provide comfort for those currently dealing with cancer and who have exhausted their special sickness benefits from employment insurance.
On February 18, a motion by the Bloc Québécois was passed unanimously with a view to extending the benefits from 15 to 50 weeks. The government committed to extend them from 15 to 26 weeks. At the moment, those who are sick, who are about to lose their subsistence income, or who no longer have any income and who are struggling to survive, have no indication or encouragement from the government that, on July 8, by unanimous consent, we will together increase the sickness benefits in the employment insurance program.
Can the minister tell us, and make the commitment, that on July 8, he will use the sitting of the House to introduce this measure and arrange for it to be passed? The measure is simply an amendment to an act that already exists.
2:15 p.m.
Liberal
Jean-Yves Duclos Liberal Québec, QC
Mr. Chair, that allows me to continue by once more thanking the honourable member for her ability to be fully aware of the sickness and economic difficulties that thousands and, currently, during the pandemic, millions of Canadians and Quebeckers are experiencing.
That is why the government recently announced that it is enhancing the Canada emergency response benefit by extending it to 24 weeks. This is another example of the Government of Canada's commitment to help people not only to protect their health, but also to make ends meet.
The other example that the honourable member mentioned is the commitment we made in the last election campaign to increase the number of weeks of eligibility for sickness benefits. We look forward to working with all members of the House to fulfill those commitments.
2:15 p.m.
Bloc
Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Salaberry—Suroît, QC
Mr. Chair, I am going to correct the minister, if I may. Currently, those who are sick and who have exhausted their special sickness benefits from employment insurance are not eligible for the CERB; they are not eligible for anything.
I therefore encourage the government to come back on July 8 with a bill. TheLeader of the Government may be assured of our cooperation in helping those who are sick.
2:15 p.m.
Liberal
Jean-Yves Duclos Liberal Québec, QC
Mr. Chair, we are very pleased to hear about the cooperation from honourable members of the opposition, because we need cooperation in order to take care of each other.
2:15 p.m.
Conservative
Warren Steinley Conservative Regina—Lewvan, SK
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
The minister responsible for Chinese mortgages jumps into his chauffeured car, drives across the U.S. border for non-essential travel and then drives to New York City, the epicentre of COVID-19 in the U.S. Could the Prime Minister or the House leader confirm that when the minister gets back, he will be quarantining for 14 days?
2:15 p.m.
Liberal
Karina Gould Liberal Burlington, ON
I can confirm that the minister will be quarantining for 14 days.
2:15 p.m.
Conservative
Warren Steinley Conservative Regina—Lewvan, SK
Mr. Champagne was able to attend the vote in New York City. Does the House leader know how many people were present at the United Nations for these votes?
