COVID-19 Pandemic Committee on May 19th, 2020

[The Acting Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The next question is from the hon. member for North Island—Powell River.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

First of all, like so many of my colleagues before me, I would like to express my personal condolences to the loved ones of Captain Jennifer Casey. This is from the NDP, my riding of North Island—Powell River and, of course, specifically from 19 Wing Comox, which I have the great honour to represent. The Royal Canadian Air Force is a small family, and I know this has hit everyone so badly. My prayers are also, of course, with Captain MacDougall and his loved ones as he faces the challenges of his recovery.

My riding of North Island—Powell River has a significant and diverse group of small businesses that serve the communities very well. COVID-19 has hit them very hard, and these businesses are working to keep their heads above water during this very trying time. Money for the regional economic development agencies and community futures program was announced weeks ago as a means to support these types of businesses that can't access other COVID-19 emergency funds, but the money is still yet to be seen.

Small businesses in my riding are lining up for these supports. They are ready to get to work, but every day that they have to wait brings them closer to losing everything that they have worked so hard to build. When are they finally going to get the help that they so desperately deserve and need?

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

Thank you, Madam Chair, and thank you, dear colleague. It's a pleasure to answer a question about that.

We announced last Wednesday the launch of the new program, so in direct response to the question, the money is available now. Obviously, if they can't access the wage subsidy and they don't have access to the new version of the CEBA account that was announced today, please let's make sure that they have access to the regional development agency, including, of course, in western Canada, Western Economic Diversification Canada and the different community futures organizations, which are also called the CFDCs.

If my colleague has a clear example in mind, please feel free to connect with me, and we'll make sure that we can find solutions.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

I certainly will be contacting the minister, as I know in my riding there are wait-lists and the money is still not there.

Now I'd like to move to the important issue of seniors. The government announced a much-needed top-up for seniors in receipt of GIS and OAS, which the member of Hamilton Mountain has fought so hard for. I encourage the government to follow his recommendations to maintain this in the future to prevent the growing poverty in the senior populations across Canada.

The top-up that was announced was said to be tax free, but OAS is taxable under the Old Age Security Act. How does the minister plan on delivering this benefit tax free? Can she explain as well when this money will be coming to the seniors who need it so desperately?

[Deb Schulte, Liberal, Minister of Seniors]

I want to assure the member that we are totally committed to deliver for seniors. We have provided financial support to seniors sooner through the GST credit top-up and now through an additional tax-free payment to recipients of OAS and GIS. This provides support for seniors of all ages. It's comparable for many, and is greater for the most vulnerable. This year we are investing over twice as much in financial assistance for seniors as we committed to in our platform. Seniors need our help, and we took action sooner and delivered.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

I will let the minister know that seniors in rural and remote communities have been waiting months for this little bit of funding and have had no extra additions for services or supports for them.

The next subject that I want to talk about today is the concern around the Canadian border. I appreciate the 30-day extension that was announced today, but communities in my riding, rural and remote communities, have specific challenges and specific vulnerabilities that are challenging because of their limited health resources. In my riding, we saw an outbreak in one of our smaller communities that is accessible by ferry. The chief in council and the mayor in council were amazing and worked very hard during that time. Unfortunately, we did lose an elder to COVID-19.

I'm just wondering if the minister could inform us all how rural and small communities are being included in my riding and across Canada to address the issue of changing border-crossing abilities, because they are more vulnerable to COVID-19, and an outbreak in their communities can be absolutely devastating.

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, University—Rosedale, ON]

I would like to thank the member opposite for her very important question. It gives me an opportunity to underscore what the Prime Minister announced earlier today, which is that our government has now agreed with our American partners to roll over for another 30 days the restrictions on non-essential travel between Canada and the United States.

The member is quite right that for ridings like hers, these restrictions are particularly important. We've worked very closely with the provinces on the border. The Premier of British Columbia was very clear that the epidemiological situation in B.C., in his view, meant that we needed to maintain those restrictions in place. I'm very glad that by working co-operatively and collaboratively with the U.S., we have been able to do that.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Madam Chair, contracts normally lay out the expectations of the buyer and commitments by the seller. Given the number of contracts the government has signed for PPE, what is the total amount of PPE supplies Minister Anand expected to have received to date based on these contracts?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Madam Chair, I thank the member opposite for the question. As she knows, our government has been working through a whole-of-government approach to ensure that we can acquire personal protective equipment for all front-line workers and medical workers. We've been working very closely with our counterparts at the provincial and territorial levels to ensure that we understand the demand and to make sure that we have appropriate orders in place.

In addition, we've been working, as you know, on the domestic front to ensure the ability to produce PPE going into the future.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Madam Chair, stories about suitcases of cash and supplies being diverted are appearing in media around the world. How many of the government's orders for PPE have gone missing?

[The Acting Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

We'll have a brief answer from the minister.

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

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

As we know, the supply chain is extremely fragile in terms of acquiring PPE around the world. Canada, like many other countries, has struggled, but we have been working very diligently, as you know, on the ground—

[The Acting Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Ms. Block.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Madam—

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

—and with many countries as well here to ensure the safety of the supply.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Madam Chair, I'll take that to mean that they have no idea.

Over 80% of the N95 masks received have not met the standard of an N95 mask. What are the names of the suppliers and manufacturers that provided Canada with the eight million substandard N95 and KN95 masks?

[The Acting Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The honourable Minister of Health can give a brief answer, please.

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

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

As the member opposite knows, we would never allow defective N95 masks to be used by front-line workers. That's why all of the masks that we receive here in Canada—

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

That's not what I asked, Madam Chair. I asked for the names of the suppliers and manufacturers.

[The Acting Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The honourable member will have to allow the minister to respond in the appropriate amount of time that she used to ask the question, and if she has another question, she can then ask that question.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

[The Acting Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The honourable minister may respond.

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

Thank you very much, Madam Chair, and I thank the member for the question.

As the member knows, it's extremely important that the equipment we procure overseas meets quality standards to protect the front-line health care workers for whom it's destined and that we ensure that we complete full testing.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Madam Chair, what is the total value of the contracts to these suppliers and manufacturers of the substandard N95 masks?

[The Acting Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

We will have a brief answer, please, from the honourable minister.