COVID-19 Pandemic Committee on May 19th, 2020

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

Mr. Chair, I can assure my colleague that today over 500 sexual assault centres and women's shelters have received funding to respond to the challenges that COVID-19 brings. There is an additional $10 million to be rolled out to those organizations that have not yet received funding. That funding will flow as early as early June.

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

How many seconds or minutes do I have left, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

You have two minutes and 41 seconds.

I will take this opportunity to remind you that when I'm speaking, usually the clock is stopped, so you don't have to worry about it eating into your time.

I want to remind all members that when you are asking a question or answering a question, please talk at a reasonable pace. The interpreters are working hard in the background. We don't see them, but we want to make sure their health remains intact during this crisis.

Go ahead, Ms. Vecchio.

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Thank you very much for the reminder. I do get excited about my questions.

Organizations from across Canada are providing services to young women and girls who are vulnerable to sexual exploitation and human trafficking. They are calling on this government for support.

In September 2019, the Minister of Public Safety announced $75 million to support anti-trafficking initiatives, yet agencies like the London Abused Women's Centre, La CLES and RESET are closing their trafficking programs this week.

I'm going to ask this very simply. Where is the money and why are we not supporting these vulnerable women and girls at this incredibly difficult time?

[Maryam Monsef, Liberal, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Mr. Chair, let me take this opportunity to thank every individual on the front line of support for survivors of gender-based violence, be it in trafficking or sex work, and of other forms of hardship that affect too many women in this country.

We've already invested over a quarter of a billion dollars to support these agencies pre-COVID. We've rolled out tens of millions of dollars to further support them. We have a human trafficking strategy, as my colleague suggested, with $10 million in additional supports to ensure that every organization providing this critical work is supported, and we do this in partnership with provinces and territories.

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Thanks very much, but as I said, we are closing the programs at the end of the week. There are nine organizations, including the London Abused Women's Centre, that have come together to ask about the $75 million announced. Where's the money?

[Maryam Monsef, Liberal, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Mr. Chair, we have rolled out tens of millions of dollars to the front lines and we are committed to ensuring that every organization providing critical support is able to keep its doors open and its staff paid. We are working very closely with provinces on this issue.

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

That's fair enough, but they are closing this Friday. As of this Friday, any of these vulnerable young women and girls who are looking for support will not have it. What happens after Friday?

[Maryam Monsef, Liberal, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Mr. Chair, our government is in regular conversation with those on the front line of supports for survivors and victims of gender-based violence. We have rolled out more funds than any other government before, and we are committed to ensuring their success.

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Where's the money?

[Maryam Monsef, Liberal, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

We've already rolled out funds, and come early June, new funds will flow to organizations that are eligible for further supports.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The next question goes to Mr. Moore.

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

This is an ongoing issue that is impacting small businesses all over my riding and small businesses from coast to coast to coast in our great country.

Two weeks ago I asked the minister about businesses that continue to fall through the cracks, businesses that are not eligible for supports for the simple fact that they have operated their business out of a personal bank account rather than opening up a business bank account. They qualify in every other way except for the bank account they operate from.

When I asked the minister about this a couple of weeks ago, it was indicated that help would be coming, yet we have not seen it. Where is the help for businesses that are struggling and are at risk of closing down permanently?

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Chair, I want to thank the honourable member for his question. As members know, throughout COVID-19 we have listened to small businesses and entrepreneurs across the country.

Today we announced the expansion of the eligibility criteria for CEBA. It will now include many owner-operated small businesses.

We will continue to work on potential solutions to help business owners and entrepreneurs who operate through their personal bank accounts or who have yet to file a tax return, such as in the case of newly created businesses.

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Mr. Chair, applicants to the regional relief and recovery fund program in Atlantic Canada are to receive help through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. They are required to attest that they've applied to other government programs before being deemed eligible for support.

Let's think of what that means. It means that they are required to have applied for a program even if they know they do not qualify. Even if they have been told by their accountant or their lawyer that they do not qualify, they are being told that they must attest to having applied for one of these other programs. This means they are applying for a program like CERB, CEBA, or the wage subsidy even if they know they are not eligible.

Is it the government's intention to have small business owners apply for programs they know they are not eligible for in order to receive support from Canada's regional development agencies like ACOA?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages]

I thank my colleague for this very important question, because what businesses across Atlantic Canada are being told is that they have access to the wage subsidy and they have access to the CEBA. As my colleague just mentioned, access was further expanded today.

Those businesses also have access to ACOA, and we know that ACOA is trusted by people in Atlantic Canada. It is a very well-known federal agency that is there to support economic development and to stabilize businesses as they go through this very difficult and anxious time.

It would be a pleasure, if my colleague has specific examples, to work together to make sure businesses have access to the regional relief fund, because this is the intent of the government. We have their backs; that's what we're telling businesses.

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

I thank the minister for her answer, but this gets to the very question being asked of businesses before they apply. They have to attest that they've applied for one of these other programs in order to be eligible. I would be happy to take the minister up on the offer to help out with specific cases, but there are many cases across our country of business owners receiving advice from professionals that they're not eligible for these other programs. That cannot be a criterion. If we want to help these businesses, it cannot be a criterion for accessing programming under ACOA that they have applied to another program for which they are not eligible.

Will the minister commit to clarifying this so that a business isn't being asked to do something they know they ought not to do?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

Mr. Chair, as my colleague knows, we've massively expanded the social safety net, including the safety net for businesses. While we were expanding it, we didn't want businesses to fall through the cracks. If they have access to the wage subsidy, great, and now we have the wage subsidy until the end of the summer. If they have access to the CEBA, the $40,000 loan, perfect. We've also just increased the eligibility criteria of the CEBA.

If that's not the case, I really hope that they come and see ACOA, because it will be there to help. Also, if they already have access to CEBA—

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Mr. Barsalou-Duval, you have the floor to ask the next question.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Mr. Chair, after Air Canada announced that it was laying off 20,000 people over the weekend, the Prime Minister said that he would be working closely with companies such as Air Canada to see what more he could do to help them.

Before giving more money to airlines, will the Prime Minister at least ensure that the airlines reimburse the thousands of customers whose money they confiscated?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Chair, as you know, the government has implemented measures to help the airline industry. I'm referring, of course, to the wage subsidy program. Several airlines have used this program, including Air Canada. There's also the loan program for large businesses. This program has just been launched and we'll see how it progresses over the coming days.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

I asked the minister whether he would be seeking a refund for the thousands of customers who had their money confiscated.

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

Mr. Chair, I understand the frustration of people who would have preferred a refund at this time. However, the industry is going through a very difficult time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

A point of order was raised.

[Kenny Chiu, Conservative, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

Mr. Chair, on a point of order, could you ask the member to switch over to the French channel when he speaks, please?