COVID-19 Pandemic Committee on May 13th, 2020

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

This allows me to go even further and thank the hon. member again. Some 7.7 million Canadians have received emergency assistance in an emergency situation—

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Mr. Poilievre has the floor.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

So now he's claiming that 7 million Canadians are in jail?

The question was this: How many prisoners have received a benefit cheque?

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

Mr. Chair, jokes can be made about the plight of Canadians who are suffering tremendously in this crisis, but I'm not here to make—

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Mr. Poilievre has the floor.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Even the CBC is saying that prisoners are receiving the cheque. They can't have lost their jobs. They were already in prison.

It's a simple question: How many prisoners have received the cheques?

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

I'd like to remind hon. members that we're talking about an extremely serious situation, a situation that has called into question people's ability to make ends meet, a situation that required emergency measures. We're going to continue to do the job that Canadians expect.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

The question was, how many prisoners have received the cheques?

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

I've already explained to the hon. member—and I'm pleased to remind him—that this benefit is an emergency measure.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

The Auditor General says that he's dropping half of his audits because the government refuses to provide him with funding. If the government has enough money to send 200,000 fraudulent applicants emergency cheques, why won't the government give the Auditor General the funding he requested?

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

I thank the hon. member. It gives me the opportunity, in this emergency situation, to talk about the role of institutions, including that of the Auditor General, which we will continue to support because it helps us do things right.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Then what does the Auditor General have to do to get the money to do his audits? Does he have to file a bunch of fraudulent applications for an emergency response benefit?

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

Mr. Chair, because I know the hon. member well enough, I'm sure that he isn't giving—and doesn't want to give—the impression that the Auditor General wants to commit fraud to do his job properly.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

I agree, and that's why he should get the money he needs to do his job. He did twice as many audits under the previous government as he is doing now, but he doesn't have the money to do the audits he needs to do to keep an eye on this government's extraordinary spending.

Yes or no, will the government give the Auditor General the funding he has requested so he can get back to doing the same number of audits he did under the much more robust funding of the previous Harper government?

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. Prime Minister.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Chair, the previous government cut funding to the Auditor General and caused the office to lay off dozens of employees. We increased the funding for the Auditor General. We recognize the important work the Auditor General needs to do, and that's why we increased the funding for the Auditor General. The party of the member opposite cut this funding.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I appreciate the help from some of the members in keeping time. I do have my own chronograph here, so I'll take care of it from this end, but I appreciate the help. Thank you.

I now give the floor to Mr. Deltell.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Chair, I fully agree with the Treasury Board President that we aren't here to make jokes, but to set the record straight for Canadians. Yesterday, the National Post reported on the front page that 200,000 people had fraudulently used emergency assistance. Is that statement accurate, yes or no?

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

Mr. Chair, I thank the hon. member from my region. A few minutes ago, I was reminding people in my region that, in the greater Quebec City area, about 200,000 people had received this emergency benefit and that it was not for fraudulent reasons, but because they really needed it.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

The question is about fraudsters, and I know that there aren't many of them in Quebec City. That said, my question is very simple. I want to know whether or not 200,000 people fraudulently used emergency assistance.

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

I know my colleague already knows this, but we announced at the outset that strong and rigorous mechanisms would be put in place quickly to ensure that this delivery would respect the importance of integrity in government.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

The integrity of the government must be upheld, and this must be done by telling the truth. Yesterday, the National Post reported on the front page about 200,000 fraudsters. Is that correct, yes or no?

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

To set the record straight, the Minister of National Revenue, Ms. Lebouthillier, made it very clear that there was no tolerance for fraud in this system, that all mechanisms would be put in place to ensure that integrity would be respected.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

The Treasury Board President is one of the few Canadians to find that Ms. Lebouthillier was very clear yesterday. With respect to the Minister of National Revenue, I would point out that the member for Richmond—Arthabaska asked her a very clear question yesterday, which she was unable to answer.

What does a person who has received the full CERB, $2,000, and returns to work this week have to do? Do they have to pay back the amount they aren't entitled to? Do they keep the $2,000? Do they have to wait and include it on their next year's tax return? Which of these three options should the person choose?

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

I thank the hon. member for his question, which is very relevant.

In fact, that person must contact Service Canada or the Canada Revenue Agency, depending on the system under which he or she received this benefit, and ensure that, in the circumstances that apply to him or her, the decisions and actions taken are appropriate.