Evidence of meeting #4 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 crisis.
A video is available from Parliament.
2:40 p.m.
Independent
Jody Wilson-Raybould Independent Vancouver Granville, BC
Madam Chair, as other members in the House have commented and asked questions about, I'm wondering if the government will be setting national standards for long-term care.
2:40 p.m.
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Madam Chair, I was very pleased to work with my colleague the Minister of Seniors on a set of national guidelines that can help reform long-term care, and in particular during this crisis, to reduce the number of infections in long-term care all across the country. Those guidelines were developed in partnership with the provinces and territories.
We all agree more has to be done. We all agree that we need to take better care of our seniors no matter where they live in this country. I look forward to working together with my colleagues and the Minister of Seniors on a longer project.
2:40 p.m.
Independent
Jody Wilson-Raybould Independent Vancouver Granville, BC
Thank you.
Will the government be introducing a national licensure system, so that doctors and nurses can have their credentials recognized in all provinces?
2:40 p.m.
Liberal
Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON
Madam Chair, the provinces and territories have been working very quickly to ensure that doctors and, in fact, medical professionals can practise in new and innovative ways all across the country. Take the rise in virtual care, for example, something that was very difficult for Canadians to access which is now ubiquitous all across the country. We know that the provinces and territories are working very diligently to ensure there are the medical professionals that we will need now and into the future, and I look forward to continuing those conversations with my colleagues.
2:40 p.m.
Independent
Jody Wilson-Raybould Independent Vancouver Granville, BC
Madam Chair, recently my office has been made aware that some small businesses are running up against landlords who are refusing to take part in the Canada emergency commercial rent assistance program. For small businesses, what is the government's intention with respect to these challenges that they're facing?
2:40 p.m.
Liberal
Mona Fortier Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Madam Chair, this is an unprecedented challenge and I know many are having to make sacrifices they never imagined they would have to. Our government is inviting landlords to do their part and help tenants like the honourable member was mentioning to get through this. Many landlords have stepped up and we commend their efforts. We are counting on tenants and landlords to work together to take advantage of the programs available and the one that we just made available with the support of the provinces.
2:40 p.m.
Independent
Jody Wilson-Raybould Independent Vancouver Granville, BC
Madam Chair, recognizing that we are all focused on COVID-19 and making our way through COVID-19, we also recognize that we need to look towards the economy and the challenges we're facing with respect to the economy. Will the government be tabling a 2020 budget and has the government considered raising the GST?
2:40 p.m.
Liberal
Mona Fortier Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON
Madam Chair, currently, as we all know, we are putting a lot of effort into the economic emergency response. We will continue to monitor what needs to be done to support the next steps in the economy.
2:40 p.m.
NDP
Lindsay Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Madam Chair, provinces are starting to put forward plans for people to return to work. For parents, going back to work means making sure their children are safe and cared for. This crisis has shown us how essential quality, accessible child care is to the economy. The economy doesn't work if parents don't work, and parents don't work without child care.
For far too long the government has been promising a national child care strategy, but nothing has been achieved. When will the government make parents and their children a priority?
2:40 p.m.
Liberal
The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes
The honourable President of the Treasury Board has the floor.
2:40 p.m.
Liberal
Jean-Yves Duclos Liberal Québec, QC
Madam Chair, the question reminds us that although we are in an emergency, the types of investments we made prior to the emergency do make a difference when we go through these difficult times.
The $7.5-billion investment that we announced and implemented in the first mandate, which will continue until 2028, is an important part in the emergency context. We know that parents, as was well signalled, do need child care if they want to return to work throughout and after the crisis.
2:45 p.m.
NDP
Lindsay Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Madam Chair, there's a real emergency here, and those talking points aren't helping women right now and they're not helping those children.
Will the government finally make quality, affordable child care a reality in Canada?
2:45 p.m.
Liberal
Jean-Yves Duclos Liberal Québec, QC
Madam Chair, I would go beyond quality and affordable and would also say inclusive and accessible. Those are the four key principles of our long-term investments in child care that we started making in the first mandate, which are important in the current crisis, and which we'll continue to implement over time.
2:45 p.m.
NDP
Lindsay Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Madam Chair, in the first mandate, actually a lot of downloading onto the provinces happened. That's not the kind of leadership Canadians need right now. Apparently, women and children are going to continue to fall through the cracks, so let's move to young people.
I've heard from a lot of young people in high schools. They have been left out of these federal programs. They would normally be working over the summer, saving for their post-secondary education, helping pay the bills for their families, but because businesses have been closed because of COVID, they've been hard hit.
The government stated that it wants to support students, that it wants to make them part of this recovery. Will the government include those aged 15 to 17 years in the programs? When will the minister announce details on the service grant program?
2:45 p.m.
Liberal
Jean-Yves Duclos Liberal Québec, QC
Madam Chair, well, we are very grateful for that list of measures that we announced. Many of them have already been implemented. We're looking forward to announcing the details of some of them very soon, including on the Canada emergency student benefit.
The service grants are also very important. We know that our young Canadians are very ambitious. They want to make a difference in their communities. That will be part of the government's support for these young Canadians, of whom we are very proud. We are stronger because of them.
2:45 p.m.
NDP
Lindsay Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Madam Chair, I did not hear a date. Hopefully, I will hear a date in response to my next question.
It's not just young people who are being left out of those government supports. Adult learners are being left out. They're working to earn their secondary school diplomas.
When can we expect some announcements in terms of the service grant program? Also, what is the government doing to help those adult learners who, so far, have been left out of that program?
2:45 p.m.
Liberal
Jean-Yves Duclos Liberal Québec, QC
Madam Chair, again, that's a very relevant set of comments. We know that when we go through these very difficult crises we end up emerging out of them in a very different context. Training, supporting adult learners, supporting all learners will be absolutely essential once we get through this health crisis and reinvest in people, in workers, so that we can grow the economy again.
2:45 p.m.
NDP
Lindsay Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Madam Chair, now that the minister mentioned workers, I'd like to shift a little bit and yet stay on the topic of post-secondary education.
Last year the public funding of universities and colleges made up less than half of their revenues. Because of years of decline in that public funding for the sector, at least one-third of academic staff are working contract to contract, with limited, if any at all, access to those benefits. They are vulnerable to any downturn in enrolment and other revenue losses, which will result in significant revenue loss, leading to program closures and cuts to those jobs and student services.
Post-secondary institutions were not included in the government's wage subsidy program. Will the government change that exclusion?
2:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes
The honourable President of the Treasury Board, a very short answer.
2:45 p.m.
Liberal
2:45 p.m.
Liberal
Jean-Yves Duclos Liberal Québec, QC
Madam Chair, 15 seconds is very unfair, because there would be so much to say.
I will reach out to you directly to let you know about all the things we've already started to do. We have a number of important comments that we would like to be able to fully provide.
Thank you.
2:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes
The honourable member for La Prairie has the floor.
2:45 p.m.
Bloc
Alain Therrien Bloc La Prairie, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Last week, during a virtual sitting of Parliament, I repeatedly asked the Minister of National Revenue about tax havens and I was treated to a broken record. She kept telling me things that didn't make sense and that didn't answer any of my questions. Believe me, even a Buddhist monk would have lost patience.
I've analyzed the situation. Everyone thinks that it makes no sense that people who can afford to pay their taxes aren't doing so. Everyone understands this, except the government.
In the minister's responses, throughout her broken record, I found something. She said that the government would fight aggressive tax avoidance. I think that I understood and my question is simple. What's non-aggressive tax avoidance?