COVID-19 Pandemic Committee on May 14th, 2020

[Kerry Diotte, Conservative, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Mr. Chair, an official at that facility and I made several calls to Canada Post. After quite a lot of hand-wringing and so forth, we now have a situation in which they are delivering to that seniors facility. It's been restored, but it's only once a week.

I'm wondering how many other seniors living complexes in Canada are only getting once-a-week mail delivery.

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

I will tell you that there have been areas across Canada where delivery has been interrupted but restarted because of the global pandemic.

The employees of Canada Post are working so hard to ensure that deliveries continue to reach Canadians during this crisis.

I would like to take a moment to thank the employees of Canada Post as well as the union members for their hard work during the pandemic to do whatever they can to ensure that Canadians continue to have their mail delivered on time or as close to on time as possible. This is difficult.

[Kerry Diotte, Conservative, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

I share the minister's thoughts about Canada Post employees. They're very hard-working individuals. However, constituents in my riding have also complained about sporadic mail service.

I'm wondering what impact COVID-19 has had on national mail delivery service. I'm also wondering what action the minister has taken to support Canada Post and ensure that seniors especially, but all Canadians, still receive their mail.

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

I will say that there have been incredible volumes and some delays.

I am in regular touch with Canada Post, and it has been taking action to protect employees and customers while continuing to deliver mail. Some of these actions are extra cleaning in facilities, reduced hours of service to clean, priority service for those at higher risk, signage and floor decals, suspending normal 15-day hold periods, and asking customers who are ill or self-isolating to delay their visit to pick up mail.

It is a priority for our government to ensure that mail is delivered, and we will continue to monitor that.

[Kerry Diotte, Conservative, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

I will switch gears, Mr. Chair. A memo from Employment and Social Development Canada, which we all know about now, tells federal workers they should give people EI and that $2,000-a-month CERB benefit, even when they know applicants are committing fraud. How is [Technical difficulty—Editor] programs?

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The honourable minister.

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Delta, BC]

Mr. Chair, I can assure you that we take the integrity of our programs incredibly seriously, and we will recover funds from anyone who has received the CERB and shouldn't have received the money.

The reality is that we have thousands of public servants processing millions of applications, and as I made it very clear from the beginning, we moved some of our integrity measures to the end, but that is in no way saying that we are compromising integrity.

We will make sure that money is recovered from anybody who got CERB payments when they shouldn't have.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The next question goes to Ms. Gazan.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Happy birthday, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Thank you.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Chair, families of murdered and missing indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people are tired of all the talk and platitudes, especially in light of the pandemic when we are seeing a drastic increase in domestic violence. In fact, the Native Women's Association of Canada reported that one in five indigenous women has experienced some sort of violence during COVID.

Although $10 million was invested in shelters on reserve and in Yukon, this has been highlighted as grossly inadequate. Lives are on the line.

Mr. Chair, my question is for the Prime Minister. Although he acknowledged that this work is more important than it has ever been, why does his government continue to knowingly underfund measures to keep indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people safe?

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The honourable minister.

[Maryam Monsef, Liberal, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development]

Mr. Chair, let me begin by recognizing that the COVID pandemic has hit women the hardest, and those who are already vulnerable are even more vulnerable now.

We've invested more than any other government to support the safety and well-being of all women in all their diversities. Over 500 organizations have received supports, but we are not done yet and will have more to say in the near future.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

I want to thank my colleague for her response, although I was hoping for one from the Prime Minister.

Mr. Chair, this government has committed to publicly releasing a national action plan to address the calls to justice of the national inquiry into murdered and missing indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people. Families deserve a timely release of this action plan.

My question is for Minister Bennett. Can the minister confirm that her government will release the action plan by June as promised, and why does her government continue to inadequately respond to the calls for justice now? It was a crisis before, and with the increased rates of violence occurring during the COVID, communities are being left in further turmoil.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

Through you, Mr. Chair, to the member, our government, indigenous nations, provinces and territories are working together to co-develop a national action plan that will set a clear road map to end the systemic causes of violence against indigenous women, girls and LGBTQ and two-spirit people. This work remains a priority, but at this time the focus is working together to respond to COVID.

As part of that commitment, we are investing $50 million to support shelters and sexual assault centres for women and children fleeing violence, which includes targeted funding for facilities—

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair. His screen is frozen.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Yes. We have a point of order that is well placed.

Minister Vandal, could you repeat the last part of your statement so that we can get it?

We seem to have lost Minister Vandal.

There we go. He's back.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

—which includes targeted funding for facilities serving indigenous communities.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Chair, the lives of indigenous women and girls are dependent on long-term sustainable funding with programs that are rooted in indigenous knowledge and are indigenous-led. That continues not to occur.

My question is for Minister Vandal. When will his government act on "Calls for Justice" section 1.8, and make proper and sustainable investments to ensure that the epidemic—

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair. I could not hear the first part of the question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Ms. Gazan, if you don't mind, please repeat the question right from the beginning, and hopefully the technology will co-operate.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

The lives of indigenous women and girls are dependent on long-term sustainable funding with programs that are rooted in indigenous knowledge and are indigenous-led. This continues not to occur.

My question is for Minister Vandal. When will his government act on “Call for Justice” 1.8 and make proper and sustainable investments to make sure that the epidemic of murders and violence against indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people ends?

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

Mr. Chair, as our Prime Minister has often said, there is no relationship more important than the one between Canada and indigenous nations. All of the calls for justice are a priority for our government, as I've clearly stated. However, at this time, we are in a pandemic; we are dealing with the COVID issue. But all of the calls for justice are a priority for our government and we are committed to getting them all done.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We have 22 seconds left. The honourable member has time for a 10-second question.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Chair, according to Hilda Anderson-Pyrz and Sandra DeLaronde, co-chairs of the MMIWG2S—Manitoba Coalition, families and grassroots organizations have not been consulted in the development of a national action plan.

Why does the Prime Minister continue to leave out impacted families and indigenous organizations on the front line?