Human Resources Committee on May 28th, 2020

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and thank you to the witnesses for their presentations.

My first question goes to Mr. Kucheran.

On the issue around the stimulus package, really what we need the government to do, of course, is invest in an array of economic activities and infrastructure building. You've mentioned some of them.

Within that frame, do you see that building housing for Canadians, and affordable housing in particular, would be an important component of this infrastructure package for stimulus purposes?

[Robert Kucheran]

Thank you for that question.

Of course, we're involved in residential construction, mostly in the greater Toronto area, but there is a need for affordable housing, and we would support that. I will recheck our list of shovel-ready projects, but I think it's a good point to have the government support affordable housing. I'm all for that.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Thank you. After the committee, perhaps, if you have any additional information that you would like to submit, please make sure you that submit it to the clerk's office, because I think it would be very helpful to hear about that.

One of the big issues that we're hearing about across the country is the lack of affordable housing, the homelessness crisis and the vulnerability of the people who are at risk, and the pandemic has really amplified the problem. We have a national homelessness crisis. I think the lesson from here is to look at it and see how we can address this issue in a comprehensive way that, hopefully, prepares us for the next pandemic. I hate to say that. Hopefully there won't be another one, but there may well be another.

Thank you for that.

On the question of what is really the road to recovery for our economy, Ms. Nord, in our previous panel we talked a bit about the importance of supporting businesses so that people can survive the pandemic. On the wage subsidy, many of the businesses—certainly those in my own community—are saying that they don't qualify for the wage subsidy, that the threshold for lost revenue is too high and so on. As we reopen the economy, the issue is also being raised that people might actually start to get some income, which therefore will cause them to not qualify for the subsidy. Then, with the subsidy ending, there might be a longer period for people to transition into full recovery. I wonder if you can comment on that.

[Leah Nord]

Yes, and I did hear that from the last panel. Colleagues from the CME from the last panel were referring to a number of their members, and I was delighted to hear it was over 50%. I had alluded to the fact that we're going back out in the field with Stats Canada, and the results will be back in mid-June. It will be really interesting to see what our members and businesses across the country are saying, because when we first did this survey in a two-week period in April, the wage subsidy didn't exist.

We have recommended even a graduated approach for that revenue cliff that everyone keeps referring to. I heard your comment, MP Kwan, before that as well. Maybe it's not 75%, but maybe it could be graduated as we go up.

We also feel, and I had mentioned this before, that there should be flexibility around this program to allow us to be gradual in the initial phases. It's this dimmer switch analogy. We're not going from “off” to “on”. If businesses are able to bring back furloughed employees and get their revenue base back up slowly but surely through this process, we would welcome that.

Again, we are giving credit where credit is due. It went from the 10% to the 75% when the voice of business was heard, and I think this continued discussion will be helpful.

The other point to make is about an extension. I heard my colleague from the CME give a date that he thought it should extend to. It cannot extend forever, and we're not asking for that either, but it should be through the reopening into the recovery period. Then, as I said, we have to keep our eye on financial sustainability in the long term as well.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

One of the key things I'm hearing from my businesses in Vancouver East, from the BIAs and so on, is that flexibility is the name of the game, both for eligibility and as we head onto the road of recovery. I'm glad to hear both panels of witnesses supporting this approach.

I'd like to touch on the issue of returning to work, because there are some issues with respect to sick leave. People are worried about the lack of sick leave. Some workers in the business sector do not have access to sick leave. I have constituents who had to resign their jobs in the early phase of COVID because they couldn't get sick leave and they were worried about what that could mean, both for themselves and for their co-workers, in terms of potential spread. We're advocating very strongly, and we're glad to hear the federal government has made a commitment to work on this 10-day sick leave issue.

I'd like to turn to Mr. Kucheran on this. From a labour perspective, how important is paid sick leave for the workers?

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Give a short answer if you could, sir.

[Robert Kucheran]

We don't have sick leave in the construction industry. The nature of the business is not to have sick days. For partner industries that negotiate sick benefits into their agreements, God bless them, and I support that, but the nature of construction is that we don't have seniority and we don't have sick benefits. We get paid really good wages and benefits, but we get paid good wages for an honest day's work, so it's a bit foreign to me.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

Thank you, Mr. Kucheran. Thank you, Ms. Kwan. Thank you, Ms. Nord.

This has been a very instructive and insightful session. We very much appreciate your being with us and sharing your expertise and that of your membership.

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

We have a point of order from Mr. Vis.

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC]

Before the meeting ends, I want to raise the fact that when we had officials from IRCC and ESDC appear before the committee and discuss the labour market impact assessments and immigration numbers, they committed to providing the committee with a list of immigration figures and LMIA figures within 10 business days. Could I please request that you, Chair, follow up with the relevant witnesses and provide that information to the committee?

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

I can do that, Mr. Vis, but I think I also have an update as well for you on that point. Yes, both departments have confirmed that the response is in its final stages of approval and should not take much longer, but yes, I will follow up, and I expect you're going to have an answer fairly shortly.

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC]

Thank you, Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sean Casey]

You're quite welcome.

With that, colleagues, enjoy your weekend, and we'll see you Monday.

We are adjourned.