Evidence of meeting #3 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 farmers.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

1:25 p.m.

Bloc

Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Salaberry—Suroît, QC

Yes, it's working.

1:25 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

Let's try that again, Minister.

1:25 p.m.

Liberal

Carla Qualtrough Liberal Delta, BC

Last week, as part of the measures announced around supporting our students, we announced the creation of 76,000 additional jobs, including jobs in the agriculture and processing sectors. We know we need to work directly with employers to ensure they have the people they need. This is exactly what we're doing through our youth employment and skills strategy, and that's what we'll continue to do. We won't apologize for supporting students with income support in these difficult times.

1:25 p.m.

Conservative

Richard Lehoux Conservative Beauce, QC

I'm not sure the minister understood my question about the Canada emergency student benefit.

I am very concerned about the agricultural sector, but the tourist and horticultural sectors are also on my mind. A number of business owners in my riding have reached out to me because the shortage of student workers is forcing them to shut down for the summer. This government has pulled the rug out from under them with the benefit it introduced for students.

Minister, what do you have to say to those business owners in the tourist and horticultural sectors whom you are not helping?

1:25 p.m.

Liberal

Carla Qualtrough Liberal Delta, BC

Mr. Chair, with all due respect, I believe we are helping students. We've heard very clearly from the students that they want to work and want to serve in their communities in this time of crisis. That's why we're creating additional employment opportunities and an income support mechanism that allows them to work. We're going to continue to look at ways we can support them through additional opportunities this summer. We know they want to work and they want to serve.

1:30 p.m.

Conservative

Richard Lehoux Conservative Beauce, QC

I hope that we'll see some concrete results.

Pork and beef producers are feeling the impact of the country's shutdown triggered by the pandemic. Processing plants are suspending operations and buyers are tearing up their contracts. For the past five years, the government has been saying that the programs to help producers will be improved. Now more than ever, producers need these programs. However, the programs haven't been reviewed yet.

When will the government make these changes, including the changes to agristability, and when can producers access them?

1:30 p.m.

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON

We announced over $77 million in assistance for food processors to help them protect their workers and deal with the costs associated with the coronavirus.

To help livestock and pork producers, we established agrirecovery, a national initiative that will provide $125 million to help producers adapt to market changes.

We're launching—

1:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

Mr. Lehoux has the floor.

1:30 p.m.

Conservative

Richard Lehoux Conservative Beauce, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I understand some of what the minister is saying.

The measures announced at noon today received a very cold reception from the entire agriculture and agri-food sector, since the sector had asked for about $2.6 billion. I think that it's important to support our agri-food industry and our farms, given the significant need for sovereignty. Many Canadians in the agriculture and agri-food sector have made this clear, as I was saying earlier. Something must be done quickly, before our country becomes completely dependent on its neighbours.

Has the government considered making significant changes to the various programs currently in place?

1:30 p.m.

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON

Our country, Canada, will never depend on its neighbours or any other country for food. Canada is a major beef, pork and grain producer. Canada is an agricultural superpower and we should all take pride in that.

I want to mention another significant part of our announcement today, which is the $50 million surplus food purchase program. This is very significant. I think that all Canadians must support this initiative.

1:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès (Brossard—Saint-Lambert, Lib.)) Liberal Alexandra Mendes

We'll now move on to the next question. Mr. Calkins, the member for Red Deer—Lacombe, has the floor.

1:30 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB

Madam Chair, how will the government's forced confiscation of law-abiding firearms owners' property prevent criminals from illegally acquiring firearms from the United States?

1:30 p.m.

Liberal

Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON

Madam Chair, in response to that, I would simply remind the member that we have made it very clear that these weapons have no place in civil society, so we have prohibited military-style assault weapons that have been designed to be used to kill people and have been used to kill people.

I would also advise the member we will bring forward legislation to deal more effectively at the border. We'll make significant new investments in border services officers and in police. We'll bring forward new authorities, new offences, new penalties to deal with people who smuggle weapons across the border.

We're also bringing in new regulations for the storage of weapons to make it more difficult for people to steal these guns. To deal with people who purchase them illegally and sell them illegally, there will be new offences and penalties to make ensure that they face the consequences.

1:30 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB

The government previously has said that decisions like classifying firearms should be left to experts. The recent decision was purely political and it flies in the face of evidence-based policy.

A legal opinion that's already been obtained says that the bore of a 12-gauge shotgun with the choke removed is in excess of 20 millimetres. That means every 12-gauge shotgun with a choke in it with that choke removed is now prohibited. That is the same firearm that Olympic trap shooters, Olympic skeet shooters, duck hunters and geese hunters all across our country use on a very regular basis.

Why did the government abandon an evidence-based policy?

1:35 p.m.

Liberal

Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON

Madam Chair, I'm pleased to have the opportunity to correct the member.

First of all, we have prohibited large-bore weapons, such as grenade launchers, but with reference to the 10-gauge shotgun and the 12-gauge shotgun, I would simply remind the member that the bore of a 10-gauge shotgun is 19.69 millimetres in width and the bore of a 12-gauge shotgun is 18.53 millimetres in width, both of them under the size for prohibition and therefore not covered in the new prohibitions that the government introduced on Friday. I'm afraid his expert opinion is wrong.

1:35 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB

Madam Chair, the opinion is that of one of the foremost experts we have in Canada when it comes to firearms legislation.

If the entirety of the barrel length is considered, then the removal of the choke makes that barrel in excess of 20 millimetres. I would appreciate the minister clarifying that for law-abiding firearms owners. There is no plan for a buyback program in this policy, and law-abiding firearms owners are not able currently to surrender their firearms. Given this, and the fact that law-abiding firearms owners aren't committing any gun violence, what was the government's immediate benefit of making this announcement on May 1?

1:35 p.m.

Liberal

Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON

Thank you, and I'm very grateful for the opportunity to clarify.

Along with the prohibition that we have put in place, we have also, using the order in council, established an amnesty period, but the amnesty period is non-permissive grandfathering of those weapons. They cannot be used, they can't be taken to the range for shooting, they can't be used for hunting, they can't be sold and they can't be transferred, so we have put in strong measures to ensure that these weapons will not be available for use. We have also put in an amnesty period that will allow us to bring forward the legislation and a budget in order to effect a responsible, safe and effective buyback program to remove these weapons from society.

I look forward to the member's support for those measures as we go forward.

1:35 p.m.

Conservative

Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB

Madam Chair, since January 1, 2002, any law-abiding citizen who was issued with a firearms licence by the government would have been cross-referenced with a continuous eligibility check 6,695 times up until May 1 of this year. How many times was this most recent mass murderer here in Canada checked against a criminal database since January 2002?

1:35 p.m.

Liberal

Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON

As the member is probably aware, there is a very extensive investigation currently being conducted into that individual and how he acquired his firearms, and it's not appropriate to discuss that.

However, I think what is appropriate is to recognize that the weapons that this individual had available to him are weapons that were not designed for target shooting or hunting purposes or any sporting purposes. They were designed for soldiers to kill soldiers. In the hands of someone who is intent on mass murder, they represent an unacceptable and deadly risk to Canadians, and that's why we have prohibited them.

I'd also remind the member that other countries that have adopted sensible gun control laws, such as New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom, have also implemented very similar bans.

1:35 p.m.

Liberal

The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes

Now we will go to the hon. member for Nanaimo—Ladysmith, Mr. Manly.

1:35 p.m.

Green

Paul Manly Green Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I'd like to start by giving my condolences for the crew from the HMCS Fredericton who died, and in particular to the family of Captain Kevin Hagen. He was originally a constituent from Nanaimo—Ladysmith.

Other countries are strongly recommending that all citizens wear masks wherever people gather indoors, including in schools, on public transit and in stores. Taiwan has effectively stopped the spread of the coronavirus by supplying people with masks and installing dispensers of hand sanitizer throughout public spaces. The Taiwanese do not do a lot of testing or contact tracing. They do not have a lockdown. Taiwan started in the top 10 countries affected by COVID-19, and today it is number 119.

Will Canada follow Taiwan's example so we can lift the lockdown safely and get Canadians back to work?

1:35 p.m.

Thunder Bay—Superior North Ontario

Liberal

Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Health

Thank you very much, Madam Chair, and I thank the member for his question.

There's no doubt that masks can play a role in a layered approach to protecting Canadians' health and safety, but as the member has mentioned, there are many other aspects to ensuring that Canadians are safe no matter where they go. For example, it is of utmost importance that Canadians practise social distancing. Social distancing can provide the most protection, in fact, when you're out in public or you're in another place where there are other people. Wearing a non-medical mask can add a layer of protection, and certainly Dr. Tam has said that when physical distancing is not an option, Canadians should consider wearing a mask.

1:40 p.m.

Green

Paul Manly Green Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC

Thank you.

I'd like to give a shout-out to Martha and her team, who are doing a fundraiser for the SPCA by making masks for citizens in my riding.

Madam Chair, many people are falling through the cracks in the pandemic relief plan, including seniors who face an increase in the cost of living and a loss of retirement investment income. Will the government make the CERB a universal benefit to ensure that all Canadians who need help get help? If not, will the government increase old age security and allow seniors to withdraw funds from their RRSP without penalties so that they can pay their bills?

1:40 p.m.

Liberal

Deb Schulte Liberal King—Vaughan, ON

Thank you very much, and I really appreciate the question.

We do recognize that OAS and GIS are very important parts of the retirement income of Canadians, particularly lower-income seniors. We've already introduced measures like the GST credit supplement to help seniors. The CERB is there for working seniors who have lost income as a result of COVID-19. We've also reduced the mandatory retirement withdrawals by 25%, and we've also spent half a billion dollars to support organizations that assist vulnerable Canadians, including seniors—

1:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes

We are going back to Mr. Manly. Thank you.