Government Operations Committee on June 9th, 2020

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Lukiwski]

Please go ahead, Irek. You have four minutes.

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Thank you very much, Chair.

Minister, it's wonderful to see you here. Thank you again for your excellent testimony and your wonderful answers to the questions.

I want to speak to you a little about the emergency community support benefit. We know that charities and not-for-profits are playing an incredibly important role in Canada's response to COVID-19, and are really supporting the role that the government is playing as well. We know more than ever that Canadians are relying on local community organizations. I can tell you that in our riding of Windsor—Tecumseh, we have excellent organizations. Whether it's the Unemployed Help Centre, the United Way or the Windsor-Essex Community Foundation, they are doing tremendous work supporting our community and supporting vulnerable members in our community.

We've seen this government take some really important steps—for example, making charities and not-for-profits eligible for the wage subsidy program. Can you talk a little about the development of the emergency community support program and detail how this fund will support community organizations across Canada and in ridings like Windsor—Tecumseh?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Thank you so much for that question. You point to a really important need during COVID-19 to support the non-profits and charitable organizations that are providing much needed services to the most vulnerable populations in our community.

The emergency community support fund comes from feedback we received and discussions we had with the charitable and non-profit sector. The $350-million fund was essentially put together to help the helpers, to help them continue the work they're doing, but also, hopefully, to expand their capacity to deliver even more support and more services to the most vulnerable populations in Canada.

We are doing everything we can through that fund to make sure they cover every vulnerable community across our great country from coast to coast to coast. We have a rural lens and an urban lens on it. We have demanded disaggregated data up front with respect to that fund. We will continue to monitor any gaps that emerge in the implementation of that fund. I'm very proud of the fact that we moved very quickly to establish it and we are getting money out the door.

Many organizations that already provide important services to our most vulnerable are themselves facing financial pressures, and the $350-million emergency community support fund is meant to support them.

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Thank you very much, Minister.

I've heard from a number of constituents that parents with children really have been hit particularly hard during this COVID-19 crisis. Many parents, for example, have lost their jobs or they have had to leave their jobs or have reduced hours, and they also have to stay home to be with their children. What has our government done to support parents and families during COVID-19?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Thank you so much for your question.

The Canada emergency response benefit as well as the wage subsidy are ensuring that Canadian workers are supported through this difficult process and, indirectly, are supporting their families. The one-time top-up to the Canada child benefit is also a recognition of the financial pressures that families are facing at this difficult time.

We're moving ahead on July 20 with an additional increase to the Canada child benefit. The GST tax credit is also delivering more money into the pockets of Canadian individuals and couples. We are doing everything we can to continue to support Canadian families.

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Lukiwski]

Thank you, Minister.

We'll now go to our final interventions of two minutes each.

Mr. Barsalou-Duval, you have two minutes.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

My question is for Minister Hussen. I have heard him say on many previous occasions that his government is working hard to help society's most disadvantaged and most in need.

There is a housing shortage in Quebec. People have been waiting a long time for access to government-assisted housing. Unfortunately, for the past three years, Quebec has been waiting on the federal-provincial-territorial housing agreement. Quebec is the only place in Canada where people have no access to financing for their housing.

Is the Minister finally going to give the grant to the Government of Quebec so that it can put it to good use and help people in need?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

We will ensure that we work diligently and continuously to make sure that we reach a bilateral housing agreement with Quebec, an agreement that is signed in the spirit of collaboration and true partnership. We are very keen to ensure that this is an agreement that works for Quebec and Quebeckers.

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

Mr. Minister, while we are waiting in Quebec, ribbons are being cut across Canada and people are very happy to have some money. Housing is a Quebec jurisdiction. When will we get some money? We have been waiting for three years and I feel it is time we got some.

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

We have committed to entering into a bilateral agreement with the province of Quebec based on the principles of partnership, cooperation, consensus and accountability. This is not about imposing an agreement, but about working with the Government of Quebec to make a real difference for Quebecers who want access to affordable housing.

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

I just want to hear a date, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Lukiwski]

Thank you, Minister.

Our final intervention is a birthday present, I believe, from Mr. Green to Ms. May.

Ms. May, you have two minutes.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Yes, it's very nice.

Thank you very much, Matthew.

First of all, thank you, Mr. Minister, for being here with us. I know that you won't discuss legislation that hasn't been tabled yet, but I just want to put on the record that I think the structure of the not yet tabled legislation is a poor one. There are much easier ways to create an incentive for people to go back to work without creating what I think amounts to fake threats that will be unpleasant and cause trouble down the road. I hope that before we see this bill tabled it can be improved.

My questions are really for your officials. I know CMHC is the agency to house the Canada emergency commercial rent assistance for small business, so I turn to Mr. Siddall.

I'm wondering about it. It's one of those programs that seems not to have been terribly easy to access, in having the property owners and landlords have to make the application. I hear from a lot of small businesses that it's not working, and I wonder if there are plans to improve it.

[Evan Siddall]

Mr. Chair, if I may wish Ms. May a happy birthday, I will do that too.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Thank you very much.

[Evan Siddall]

In response to your question, we've actually staged the rollout of this program deliberately. We've held back large landlords, with their understanding, and we're working with them proactively so that those can funnel through.

This program was actually established in record time and with no infrastructure in place. I'm actually quite proud of that. We are working day to day to improve it. We've doubled our call volumes. We've prepared our partner for an increased volume in the future and we are in active consultations with landlords and tenants on how to do so.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Is there more time to pursue this, Mr. Chair?

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Lukiwski]

You have 10 seconds, Ms. May.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Okay.

In 10 seconds, comment on the deferral cliff, if you will, Mr. Siddall.

[Evan Siddall]

We are concerned about the volume of mortgages. I was trying to get the number for you, but we don't have much time. We'll get you some numbers.

We're concerned about that now. Deferred mortgages don't necessarily mean that they will go into arrears or result in claims, but there can be a correlation. We're looking forward to the economy being restarted so that this won't happen.

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Lukiwski]

Thank you very much.

Colleagues, that brings to an end our questioning of Mr. Hussen.

Minister, I want to thank you and your officials for being here with us today. I wish that you and all of your officials remain safe and healthy, as I wish that for all of our committee members. You, sir, are now excused.

Colleagues, I would like to keep the rest of you on the screen for just a few moments. I have a couple of quick things to go over with you prior to this Friday's meeting.

Minister, you and your officials are excused. Thank you.

Colleagues, we are in public. As all of you are aware, we have now received authorization from the House that the committees have been fully restored in terms of their powers, so that we are not restricted only to asking questions of witnesses about COVID-19. We have also been informed by the party whips, all four of them, that committees are authorized, if they so wish, to continue to meet over the course of the summer until Parliament is resumed sometime this fall. My understanding is that there is at least one committee planning to meet over the summer and perhaps more. I am not suggesting that by any stretch of the imagination, but I am asking all committee members to think about what your plans might be for this committee.

We have three meetings left. One is for this Friday at 11 a.m. eastern time. That's June 12, by the way. Next week, we meet on Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. eastern, and finally, on Friday, June 19, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sometime within the next three meetings, I will be scheduling a brief period of time for committee business, if you will, for us to discuss future plans for this committee. In the interim, I would just like all of you to consider whether or not you feel we have exhausted all of the questions and all the witnesses we have called or wished to call for this study, and what you think our plans could be or should be throughout the summer months.

Just to let all of you know, from a personal standpoint, I will definitely be taking some time off this summer. I've also talked to many of my colleagues who inform me that they find the Zoom meetings—Elizabeth and I were talking about this earlier before I convened the meeting—far more trying in many respects, and far more exhausting, than meeting in public. I would like all of you to consider that. I want everyone, frankly, to be able to take some time off this summer, to spend it with friends and family, and to recuperate and to recharge your batteries, but I also don't want to direct this committee away from any meetings that they feel might be necessary over the summer months.

I raise all of that for your consideration.

Ms. May, I see that you have your hand raised, so I will go to you.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

I know I'm not a member of the committee, but I want to propose that we all go to your place. Saskatchewan in the summer is lovely. I think we could have bonding time at a six-foot distance.

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Lukiwski]

You might not be able to get a six-foot distance on my deck, but I'd accommodate as many of you as I possibly could.

Anyway, colleagues, those are the only comments that I have. I'm not looking for—

[The Clerk of the Committee, Mr. Paul Cardegna]

Mr. Chair, I believe Mr. McCauley had a comment.

[The Chair, Conservative, Tom Lukiwski]

Please go ahead.