Evidence of meeting #47 for Finance in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cabinet.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Katie Telford  Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister
Clerk of the Committee  Ms. Caroline Bosc

6:05 p.m.

Conservative

Marty Morantz Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB

Yes, but this is different. This is announcing a billion-dollar program without knowing how it's going to be administered. How can Canadians have any faith that you are respecting their taxpayer dollars when the Prime Minister announces a program but has no idea how it will be administered?

Anyway, you know—

6:05 p.m.

Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister

Katie Telford

Would you like me to answer that?

6:05 p.m.

Conservative

Marty Morantz Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB

Sure, go ahead.

6:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

Please do, Ms. Telford. The floor is yours.

6:05 p.m.

Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister

Katie Telford

I think Canadians can have faith in how this government is delivering because of the supports they're feeling, the fact that this government is being responsive—

6:05 p.m.

Conservative

Marty Morantz Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB

No, not for students.

6:05 p.m.

Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister

Katie Telford

—and the fact that when the CERB and the wage subsidy weren't as simple and generous as maybe they needed to be—

6:05 p.m.

Conservative

Marty Morantz Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB

Students have been let down.

6:05 p.m.

Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister

Katie Telford

—we made sure to make those adjustments.

6:05 p.m.

Conservative

Marty Morantz Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB

You really let them down.

6:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

Mr. Morantz—

6:05 p.m.

Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister

Katie Telford

We did this for students as well. There was a $9-billion package announced for students, the large majority of which still—

6:05 p.m.

Conservative

Marty Morantz Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB

It was done without your knowing how it was going to be administered.

6:05 p.m.

Liberal

Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

6:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

Go ahead, Mr. Fraser.

6:05 p.m.

Liberal

Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS

Mr. Chair, as you've made very clear on a number of occasions that the rules for this committee are the same rules that the COVID committee has been using, in that the questioner and answerer have equal time, without interruption. I would ask that my hon. colleague show a modicum of respect to our witness and give her the time to answer the question, because, quite frankly, as a parliamentarian who is trying to pay attention to what's going on, I cannot hear the answer that is coming out. I would ask that you enforce the rules that you made clear were in application at the beginning of this meeting.

6:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

Thank you, Mr. Fraser.

6:05 p.m.

Conservative

Marty Morantz Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB

I will, Mr. Chair, and I apologize, but I ask that you not take my time away for that interruption.

6:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

We won't take the time away from you, Mr. Morantz, but I will give Ms. Telford time to respond.

Go ahead, Ms. Telford.

6:05 p.m.

Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister

Katie Telford

One adjustment that has happened during COVID, which we haven't seen by any governments in the past, has been hugely beneficial to the relationship between a government and Canadians. It is how transparent and forthcoming the government has been in saying what might be coming, what it's looking at, how it's going to adjust and when things are not exactly right.

I believe there are many reasons, especially in the programs that got out the door so quickly thanks to the very hard work of the public service in the early weeks of the COVID shutdown.

6:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

We will go back to Mr. Morantz, and this will be the last question.

6:05 p.m.

Conservative

Marty Morantz Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB

I still have not heard an answer to the question about how the Prime Minister announced this program without having any idea how it was going to be administered.

That wasn't an answer, quite frankly, Mr. Chair, and maybe they don't have one, because they knew otherwise.

6:05 p.m.

Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister

Katie Telford

I'm happy to try again.

6:05 p.m.

Conservative

Marty Morantz Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB

It seems to stretch credulity that the Prime Minister did not know, when he announced it, how it was being administered. Did he know or not?

6:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter

Ms. Telford, you have about 30 seconds to answer.