Public Safety Committee on March 10th, 2021

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

You have roughly a minute.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Mr. Chair, if I may, let me begin.

I thank the member for his observations, but let me be very clear. The measures that we have put in place have been entirely intended to protect Canadians, and they have been effective in protecting Canadians from the introduction of the virus and its variants—

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

That's because you have never been assaulted.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

—into this country.

The allegations of sexual assault are taken very seriously. I would just remind the member that these issues are being thoroughly investigated by the police of jurisdiction. I think it's probably appropriate to await the outcome of those investigations so that we can talk about the facts.

Both of these terrible events are alleged to have occurred in jurisdictions not under federal authority, so they are being investigated. I might also remind the member that these measures—hotel quarantine just as an example—have been introduced in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries around the world. Again, those countries, like Canada, are doing their very best to protect people.

Frankly, this is not a matter of politics. It's a matter of the safety and the health of Canadians. That's our priority, and that's what we're doing.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

We're going to have to leave it there, Mr. Motz.

The final question goes to Mr. Iacono for five minutes, please.

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Ministers, thank you for being here today.

Madam Minister, I was recently asked by one of my constituents from Alfred-Pellan whether a child over the age of 18 returning from a trip with their parents could be considered a dependent child, thus being an exception to this hotel isolation rule.

Is this the case?

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

Mr. Chair, thank you.

To my colleague, thank you very much.

If the child is travelling with his parents, then, yes, he would be subject to mandatory quarantine as well.

I will turn to Iain Stewart to speak a little bit more about minors who are travelling.

[Iain Stewart]

Minister, you're completely correct. The minors would be kept with their family, with their parents, and travel with them in that regard.

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Thank you, Madam Minister.

Just generally, in response to people who are asking for an exemption from hotel isolation, which is becoming more and more complicated and difficult to manage, could you reiterate the only exceptions that are in place now?

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

Thank you, and it's a great reminder to tell all Canadians that now is not the time to travel. We've been saying to Canadians for a long time to forgo non-essential travel.

What is essential travel? That is travel that is only required for work. There are very few exemptions to our request, and anybody who pursues non-essential travel will be subject to the mandatory quarantine rules when they arrive back in Canada.

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Thank you, Madam Minister.

Minister Blair, we are here today to talk about hotel quarantine for those arriving in the country from abroad. Yet no similar requirement exists for those crossing the border at a land port of entry.

Is there a logistical reason for this?

What measures are being taken to ensure that those crossing the border at a land port of entry will not introduce COVID-19 into the country and pass it on to others?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Let me assure you that it's entirely logical if we consider the environment at land borders. We have all international travel concentrated into four large, urban international airports where there are lots of facility resources and staff to manage the measures that the Public Health Agency of Canada has put in place, but we recognize we have 117 land border points of entry. The vast majority of people crossing those borders are essential workers or people moving essential goods.

Under the circumstances of our land borders in some jurisdictions, such as Lacolle just south of Montreal, the Public Health Agency of Canada is present. Everyone entering at Lacolle, for example—and there are 20 other locations in Canada similar to Lacolle—is required to produce a negative test taken within three days of their arrival. They are also subject to enhanced screening. They are ordered into a 14-day quarantine, and they are tested at point of entry to determine whether or not they are negative even as they come into the country.

Those are very rigorous, important and effective measures. We've seen a very high degree of compliance. In fact, compliance with land border measures we've put in place is at 99.5%, so it's very effective. It would be impractical and perhaps even impossible to require people to transit to a hotel from the vast majority of our points of entry where the nearest hotel might be hundreds and hundreds of kilometres away, so we have other measures we've implemented in those places in recognition of the unique environment.

I would simply remind this committee that those measures are working, and we are doing the work necessary to keep Canadians safe.

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Thank you, Minister.

I have another question for you.

Quarantine measures in the hotels are often under attack, being compared to measures in prison, even in violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Could you set the record straight again on these allegations?

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

You have 30 seconds, please.

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

I can take this one, Mr. Chair.

Obviously these are hotels where professional hoteliers are providing the utmost service to regular travellers who travel for other purposes. The isolation is through the Quarantine Act, which exists to protect Canadians from the domestic spread of disease.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

We'll have to leave it there.

Thank you, Mr. Iacono.

On behalf of the committee, I'd like to thank the ministers and their colleagues for attending. We are now about to suspend while we prepare for the next two hours of witnesses.

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

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Welcome to the witnesses. For some of you, this will be the first time before a parliamentary committee and others, I see, are real veterans before the committee.

Colleagues, this time is scheduled to be two hours but we went about 15 minutes over last time. I need some indication as to whether you wish to go two hours or whether you wish to go an hour and 45 minutes.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Mr. Chair, an hour and 45 minutes I think should be fine if it's okay with everyone else?

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Okay.

Mr. Motz.

[Glen Motz, Conservative, Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB]

The motion was for three hours—the ministers for an hour. We started at 4:49 and we ended at about 5:49 so let's do a full two hours with the officials, please, in honour of the motion.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

We started earlier than that.

I am in the hands of the committee. We can go two hours; I'm fine with that. I want to make sure the witnesses are as well.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

How long were the ministers here, because you did extend it?

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Yes, I did extend it. We were supposed to end at 5:45 and we ended at not quite 6. I was clocking it as an hour from 4:45.