COVID-19 Pandemic Committee on May 6th, 2020

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you for the important and very timely question.

As most members will know, since day one our priority has been to protect the health of Canadians and minimize the very severe socio-economic impact of this unprecedented crisis for workers and businesses. The objective has been and will continue to be to preserve our social contract, the esprit de corps of our society. Indeed, behind the economic statistics there are real people—men, women and families—who are struggling, but who have the right to dignity and security.

The current crisis is, unfortunately, aggravating inequalities. We have a duty to reduce them as much as possible. Together we will go through this crisis, and together we will emerge out of it stronger and more united.

[The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

We are going to suspend for about 20 to 25 seconds to give our AV technicians a chance to move around.

Now the honourable member for Chatham—Kent—Leamington has the floor.

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair. Indeed, it is good to leave my own house and to be back in this one.

Pelee Island fits the traditional definition of a remote community, and it's also Canada's most southern inhabited community. It lies 14 kilometres into the middle of Lake Erie. It's surrounded by water, and it continues to lose its shoreline. It's inaccessible by water almost four months of the year, and its connection to the mainland is critical and a matter of life and death.

The Prime Minister has promised for five years to address the following situation. Since declaring high-speed broadband Internet a basic telecom service in 2016, does the Prime Minister even know what percentage of Canada's rural and isolated communities now still have only basic service, even after five years of this government? To paraphrase him, it's 2020, and Canadians are still waiting.

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Madam Chair, I share the member's frustration with not having access to reliable Internet in some parts of our country. In fact, we know the majority of Canadians have access, but some of these more remote communities actually struggle, including in some parts of my own riding.

Our government believes that everybody deserves reliable, fast, affordable Internet, no matter where they live or work. We will continue to work with all partners to make sure that their services are responsive to the needs of rural Canadians and that we continue to grow our network connectivity in this country.

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Madam Chair, the answer is 60%. Sixty per cent of Canadians in rural and remote communities don't have high-speed Internet.

For five years the agricultural industry has been calling on this government for, and has been promised a review of, business risk management programming without any action.

The Agri-food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University states that without receiving significant help quickly, up to 15% of Canadian farms could be gone by the end of the year. The impact on Canada's food security is alarming.

Is additional support from the federal government conditional on provincial support, yes or no?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Madam Chair, in general, risk management programs are shared-cost programs. These programs receive 60% of their funding from the federal government and 40% from the provincial government.

Since our second-to-last meeting with provincial and territorial ministers, our priority has been to review this. However, after the Conservatives' budget cuts in 2013, when everything was going well, it isn't easy to convince all the provinces to sign on.

Our commitment yesterday, in this time of crisis, shows that the federal government can make a larger contribution. We demonstrated this yesterday with the AgriRecovery program.

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Madam Chair, Ontario has funded the risk management program for grain and oilseeds even without federal support. Will the minister commit to fulfilling the federal share of its 60% funding obligation for this program, yes or no?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

In addition to the risk management programs, we have what's called the Canadian agricultural partnership. Under this $2 billion program, the provinces are free to put forward their priority projects. The provinces then ask us to contribute our 60%, which we almost always provide out of respect for the provinces' priorities and jurisdictions.

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Madam Chair, that was not an answer.

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture has called for an immediate investment of $2.6 billion in emergency funding to help maintain Canada's food security, yet yesterday the government announced 10% of that amount. Canadian farmers can compete with any others in the world on a level plowing field. Excuse the pun. The U.S., our largest competitor and largest trading partner in agriculture, has committed 2% of its ag economy as a response to COVID-19. In its response, Canada has committed one-third of 1%.

Why, Madam Chair, does the Prime Minister only value our food security and our ag industry at one-sixth the rate of our largest agriculture competitor?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

A range of risk management programs are already available to our producers, amounting to an average of about $1.6 billion a year in a normal year. We're very open to these programs. Our producers already have access to some programs. I encourage them to take advantage of the programs.

Yesterday, we announced additional programs: $50 million for pork producers; $50 million for beef producers; $77 million for processors; $50 million to purchase food surpluses and send the surpluses to food banks; and a legislative change for the Canadian Dairy Commission, which I hope will be made with the co-operation of my colleagues.

[The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

We will recognize the hon. member for Parry Sound—Muskoka.

[Scott Aitchison, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair. As excited as I am to be here to see all of you, I'm actually more excited to one day get a haircut again.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Scott Aitchison, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

I can't pull off what the government House leader does; I wish I could be like him.

I want to talk about small and rural communities like those in Parry Sound—Muskoka that are full of these truly small seasonal businesses that simply fall between the cracks. They don't qualify for the wage subsidy, the rent subsidy or the Canada business credit availability program. COVID-19 is threatening the survival of so many of our businesses in the tourism, hospitality and retail sectors.

Summer camps, interestingly enough, are particularly vulnerable. This is a billion-dollar industry in Ontario alone. Will the Minister of Finance agree to meet with me and the Canadian Camping Association to discuss this urgent situation and the particularly unique needs of summer camps?

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Ottawa—Vanier, ON]

Madam Chair, as you know, we are providing immediate help to businesses in need, through programs such as the Canada emergency wage subsidy, the Canada emergency business account and other measures. We know, however, that it has become very clear that in certain sectors of our economy, workers may not qualify for these measures. That's why we're taking additional action to provide immediate relief to businesses in rural communities and businesses not eligible for emergency support. I believe that we will have to work together to find those solutions. I look forward to speaking with the hon. member about summer camps.

[Scott Aitchison, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

Madam Chair, interestingly enough, in my riding alone there are over 50 summer camps. They welcome over 70,000 campers in a season and employ almost 6,000 people. Those are just the camps in my riding.

COVID's impact on seasonal employment continues to be devastating. Hundreds of thousands of summer jobs across this country have been impacted, and the government quite rightly—I give credit where credit is due—has responded with aid to students by extending the federal summer jobs program. However, for some strange reason, even though there is more demand than funding currently permits, the government has chosen not to put more money into this great program.

Why is the government, through the CESB, paying students not to work, instead of putting more money into a program like Canada summer jobs, which supports students and employers?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I'll respond in French, because this issue is also very relevant in my constituency, Québec, where I know the students very well. I don't know all of them, of course, but I know a number of the students who live there.

We also have very successful summer camps. Unfortunately, for the students and for the summer camps, things may be a little difficult in the coming weeks and months. We've been increasing our assistance through the Canada summer jobs program over the past few years. I also want to mention the Canada emergency student benefit to help students make ends meet. We'll be providing more details on this assistance in the near future.

These measures, along with many others, will not only help students make ends meet and prepare for the coming school year, they'll also enable the students to fully participate in the community. As we know, the situation is the same in most cases.

[Scott Aitchison, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

Madam Chair, there are lots of summer camps that have applied to the Canada summer jobs program in my riding, as an example, and they have all said they would still use the positions. They're trying to be innovative and look for ways to do summer camp online and those kinds of programs. Canada summer jobs is a $263-million-a-year program. The Canada emergency student benefit is $9 billion. The government could very easily transfer a billion dollars, let's say, from the CESB to the Canada summer jobs program, and you would actually help employers as well as students.

Will the government consider transferring some money from the CESB to the Canada summer jobs program, yes or no?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

This is a very good question, and I know that my colleague, Minister Qualtrough.... I think I have the right to name her, and not only to name her but also to mention her, because she's working very hard. She has enhanced in all sorts of ways the ability of the Canada summer jobs program to provide support that is better adapted to the current crisis. Part-time students are able to apply. We can extend the help throughout more months. We can also allow for flexibility in the types of jobs that can be funded.

These are all the sorts of things my colleague, Minister Qualtrough, is working on, in addition to the important support through the Canada emergency student benefit.

[The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

We'll go to the honourable member for Sturgeon River—Parkland.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Cystic Fibrosis Canada has been lobbying Health Canada to remove barriers for the groundbreaking drug Trikafta, which can treat up to 90% of the 4,300 Canadians suffering with CF. This drug was approved in the United States last fall.

When will the government move forward and remove barriers to this company's bringing forward an application for Trikafta?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Madam Chair, I'm well aware of the call for Trikafta by the patient groups. We continue to work with patient groups to make sure they understand how to apply for the special access program. In fact, the applicant has now applied to market this drug in Canada.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Madam Chair, that's certainly good to hear.

Canadians with CF and their families are concerned that the Liberals' recent changes to the PMPRB will delay the approval of groundbreaking drugs like Trikafta in Canada. This drug does save lives and it enables Canadians to live to their full potential.

Why is the government introducing new rules that could kill the hopes of thousands living with CF, and will the health minister commit to changing course?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

As I replied to a couple of the member's colleagues, we will always stand up for the right of Canadians to have access to affordable drugs. The work that we started in our mandate, beginning in 2015, on affordability of medication for Canadians continues. I look forward to hearing the member's ideas about how we can strengthen and accelerate it.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Madam Chair, the trouble in Canada's energy sector is not over. Companies have lost billions of dollars, and tens of thousands of workers are being laid off. Meanwhile, it has been 42 days since the finance minister promised action within hours or days, yet companies still cannot access the promised BDC financing.

When is the government going to stop dragging its feet and help our troubled energy sector?