Human Resources Committee on Dec. 10th, 2024

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

With all due respect, Minister, I think your last answer is incorrect, since the regulations are still not in place. The Canada Disability Benefit Act provides for regulations to be put in place within 12 months of the act coming into force. I am not going to go over the entire act, because I am not trying to play lawyer, but you announced a figure in a budget when there were no regulations. We went ahead with passing this bill on the promise that the regulations would be put in place with and for persons with disabilities, and yet they are still not in place.

Moving on. On September 19, you announced that you were going to meet with your provincial counterparts. Given that the act states the principle that the Canada disability benefit is intended to supplement what is being done in Quebec and the provinces, what discussions have there been about this with your Quebec counterpart?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

I think the discussions obviously were about the fact that I, as I have done in all my conversations with all my provincial and territorial counterparts, am ensuring that there are no clawbacks for persons with disabilities, that this benefit we have put forward is going to support over 600,000 persons with disabilities and that there is going to be consistency all across this country so that, whether you're from Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan or any other province, you will get this benefit. That's been the universality and consistency of this benefit. Obviously, it's a federal benefit, and it's extremely important.

It's unfortunate to say Quebec is one of the provinces that has not publicly said yet that they are not going to claw back this benefit. I continue to push them, and so do the disability stakeholders I met with from Quebec. There are incredible organizations in Quebec when it comes to the disability community that have been working extremely hard with the provincial government to ask them not to claw back any of the benefits. This is a significant step forward to ensure some of the most vulnerable and poorest in our country get the extra support they need.

I'll give you an example of—

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

These are vulnerable people, Minister—

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Ms. Chabot.

Thank you.

Ms. Zarrillo, go ahead for two and a half minutes, please.

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Again, I'm going to ask the minister to open her mind to having a discussion with folks rather than—how do I want to say this—trying to create animosity around the table today.

I'm going to say to the minister that I did not receive any invitation to any reception. I did last year, but this year I did not. Perhaps that's why there was no one from other parties there.

I'm going to go back and ask the same question again. I'll start by saying that the minister has been very evasive. It's been very hard to reach the minister and get the minister here. I have not been able to get a meeting with the minister after multiple requests over many months. Even before I brought in a bill last week on clawbacks of the Canada disability benefit, I personally reached out to the minister to ask for a meeting, and the minister would not take a meeting. I would like an answer, because I don't get any access to the minister because she's hiding.

You mentioned at the beginning of your statement that there are four priorities in the road map, but the road map says there are seven. Are there four or are there seven, and is there a mechanism for continuous improvement for the road map when you identify something that isn't working or something that is missed?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

There are a couple of things.

First, and foremost, there are four priorities for the disability inclusion action plan. Two, there are indeed seven priorities within the road map. I just want to clarify that for the honourable member.

The third thing I'll say is that the honourable member has been engaging with me ever since I became a minister for this portfolio. In fact, the honourable member has my personal cell number and has texted me, and we've had conversations around important disability issues. The member has had the opportunity to meet with my staff multiple times, so for the member at this committee to say that she has not had access to me is quite simply not true. I have a lot of respect for the honourable member. For the last two years, we have worked collaboratively, and I hope that we can continue to do that. However, to sit here and imply that she has not had access to me when she has my personal number, Mr. Chair, is just ridiculous.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Ms. Zarrillo. That concludes your time.

I'm going to suspend for a couple of moments, and then we'll resume with the second part of the meeting. The minister will stay on for the supplementaries.

Thank you, members. We'll have a two-minute suspension for a health break. Is that good enough?

[Wayne Long, Liberal, Saint John—Rothesay, NB]

Five...?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

No.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Three minutes...?

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Okay. We'll suspend for three minutes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

I call the meeting back to order.

Committee members, we're resuming the committee meeting.

Pursuant to Standing Order 81(5) and the motion adopted by the committee on September 17, 2024, the committee is resuming consideration of the subject matter of the supplementary estimates (B) and ministerial priorities for the return of Parliament and mandates.

I would like to welcome back Minister Khera.

We're joined by one more official, Ms. Karen Hall, who is the associate assistant deputy minister of income security.

There will be no opening statements, so we will go directly to questions.

We're beginning with Mrs. Gray for six minutes.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Minister, the finance minister admitted that deficits cause inflation and promised she would cap the deficit at an already crazy amount of $40 billion and wouldn't go a penny over. Your fake feminist Prime Minister came along and not only bullied her into spending more, but pushed her through her own fiscal guardrail and is making her take the fall. All the while, he's trying to fire his female cabinet minister and replace her with carbon tax Mark Carney.

Do you think what the Prime Minister is doing to Canada's first female finance minister is disgusting?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Mr. Chair, I think it's disgusting to see what the Conservatives are doing, trying to play political, partisan games, when what they should be doing is supporting Canadians when it comes to affordability. We just put forward a GST and HST tax break that is going to start this Saturday, which they voted against. It's shameful. I expect members of the Conservative Party—

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Minister, are you not going to answer the questions today?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

They talk about axing the tax, but any opportunity they get to cut taxes, they vote against it.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Minister, get back to my time, please.

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

It is quite shameful for them to do that.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

You're obviously on the side of Justin Trudeau and Mark Carney, rather than on the side of Minister Freeland.

I will end it there, because the minister is not willing to answer the question. I will turn it over to my colleague, Mr. Jivani.

[Jamil Jivani, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Thank you.

Minister, last time we had a conversation at the heritage committee, it became apparent that you were not familiar with the Black justice strategy. Have you had a chance to read the external report for that yet?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

I have always engaged with and worked alongside my colleague Minister Virani on the Black justice strategy, and I'll continue to do this work.

[Jamil Jivani, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Again, it's not clear whether you've read it, which is, again, what happened last time.

Can you comment on whether you support the policy recommendations in that report?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

There are many recommendations that come out of different reports. My colleague Minister Virani is leading this work. I work extremely closely with him to address systemic racism and systemic anti-Black racism within our institutions and our criminal justice system, and I'm going to continue to do that work alongside my colleague Minister Virani.

[Jamil Jivani, Conservative, Durham, ON]

One of the policy recommendations in that report is the decriminalization of a 30-day supply of illicit drugs. I think members of the Black community who saw that might have questions about whether you support it or not.

I think it's fair to ask you: Do you support that policy recommendation?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

As I said, that is work my colleague Minister Virani is leading.

We work extremely closely with Black stakeholders across this country. Addressing systemic racism within our criminal justice system is extremely important. I work alongside my colleague. When the justice strategy comes out, the honourable member can read it to really understand what it aims to do, rather than try to imply—