Debates of Oct. 2nd, 2020

Health

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the second wave of coronavirus is turning into a tsunami because the Prime Minister has failed to get Canadians rapid testing. This is insane, because the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health actually has a rapid testing company in his own constituency in Dartmouth. This is crazy.

Either the Prime Minister wants the economy to completely shut down and people to miss family dinners, or he is just blindly incompetent. These tests are not coming because of Liberal failures. Which one is it?

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, every step of the way, as I have said, we have been at the table with our provincial and territorial counterparts to help them respond to COVID-19. We have been very clear with every jurisdiction that testing, contact tracing and timely data are key to responding to outbreaks.

Not only have we provided billions of dollars through our safe restart program to increase capacity of testing, but we have also ordered 7.9 million Abbott tests, rapid tests, that will begin arriving in the next few weeks, with 2.5 million of these tests here by December 31.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, that is months away. This guy has a rapid testing company in his own backyard and did not even think to raise it with the minister months ago. I will tell members who this impacts: the elderly. What the Prime Minister is doing with this is saying that long-term care facilities have to be locked down, and aging and elderly people have to stay in their homes. That is the only tool we have because we cannot frequently and rapidly test each other.

Why has the Prime Minister allowed becoming elderly or being aged to become a prison sentence in Canada?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, as an integral part of our plan to safely restart our economy, we are securing the testing supplies, including as my colleague said up to approximately eight million tests from Abbott ID NOW to meet our needs now and for the long term and increase our capacity to test more Canadians.

What I am perplexed about is this. We have spent six months procuring the equipment we need and we are confident about that. We have spent six months building our domestic capacity. We have spent six months assisting and standing side by side with our provinces. What is it about yes, yes and yes does the opposition over there not get?

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, Charie Santiago is dying of stage four cancer. Her dying wish is to be reunited with her sister, her best friend, and for her to be by her side in her final moments. However, her sister is in the Philippines and has been denied entry into Canada by the Liberal government. Surely, there is a way we can ensure Charie and her sister are reunited safely. Canadians are tired of the talk and endless promises of details to come. They want answers and they want them now.

Where is the compassion? Where is the plan?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, since we introduced a process to reunite families last June, we have been working on ways to address additional families and compassionate cases. I know it has been a long and challenging wait, but we are working very closely with health and border agencies and across federal and provincial governments to find solutions.

Cases like the one my hon. colleague just mentioned are inspiring our work and we hope to have more to say very shortly.

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I think “inspiring” is absolutely the wrong word to use. The Liberals have been announcing reuniting families for months and still nothing. Canadians deserve the dignity and clarity of timelines, rather than “more details coming soon”.

Donna McCall was dying of cancer and her children were denied entry into Canada. As she took her last breath, her husband held her hand, and in his other hand, had his children on FaceTime on his iPhone. This is not the Canada I know. The Liberals have allowed billionaires on private jets into this country, but will not allow people who are dying to be reunited with their loved ones one last time. That is unacceptable.

Where is the plan?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, if my hon. colleague was listening, what I said was that cases like the one she had mentioned were inspiring us to continue to reunite as many families as possible. On this side of the House we believe in compassion, but we have to exercise that compassion responsibly. We will always stand up for families when it comes to our immigration system, while not compromising the health and safety of Canadians during the pandemic.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this year was the worst run for Fraser River sockeye in recorded history. The minister cannot both promote open net salmon farms and claim to be a protector of Pacific wild salmon. Open net-pen farms increase the risk of disease and sea lice in wild salmon. By choosing to defend these farms, the minister is ignoring not only local and indigenous knowledge but also the Cohen commission report, a $36-million scientific study.

When will the Liberals make good on their promise and remove the promotion of open net fish farms from the Department of Fisheries' mandate?

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, wild Pacific salmon is a priority for our government, to British Columbians and to all Canadians, so I want to be very clear. Our government is committed to transitioning away from open net-pen finfish aquaculture in British Columbia in a responsible way. Part of that responsibility is to consult meaningfully with affected first nations, and that is exactly what our government is doing.

We also need to work with the Province of British Columbia as we know all parties want to see a plan that is timely, workable and economically feasible. We are doing that work.

Airline Industry

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to hear that the government will support regional airline routes that are essential for ridings like mine. We know airlines are going through a tough time, but I want assurance that any direct support also requires that the airlines provide refunds for travellers who have been given only vouchers in return for cancelled flights. Every MP has heard from travellers who now have vouchers for thousands of dollars that they may never be able to use.

The minister passed a law that clearly states passengers must be compensated in cash. While supporting airlines, will he also support everyday Canadians?

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, we have heard from all of our constituents across the country about the concerns that they face. No Canadian should have to choose between paying for rent and having income insecurity as a result of being unable to receive refunds. The minister's office continues to work with airlines across the country to ensure a solution. We will continue to work with them and hope to have more information in the coming weeks and months.

Pacific Salmon Fishery

[Ken Hardie, Liberal, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Mr. Speaker, can the minister update the House and fisheries stakeholders in British Columbia on the minister's response to recommendations 18, 19 and 20 in the Cohen Commission of Inquiry into the decline of sockeye salmon in the Fraser River?

This called for an evaluation of the risk to wild Fraser River salmon posed by aquaculture operations in the Discovery Islands and a decision by September 30, 2020, on whether they should continue operations in that area.

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his work on the fisheries committee and specifically for his recent work on wild Pacific salmon, a subject that we both share a passion for.

I want to be very clear. Our government is committed to transitioning away from open net-pen finfish aquaculture in British Columbia in a responsible way. Part of that responsibility is to consult meaningfully with affected first nations, and that is exactly what we are taking the time to do.

COVID-19 Emergency Response

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, 108 workers at Princecraft in Princeville, 30 workers at Fournier Industries in Thetford Mines, and 16 workers at Plessitech in Plessisville have lost half of their pay since May because of a computer glitch between the CERB and the federal government's work-sharing program. Despite my repeated requests to the minister's office, these families are still without that money nearly five months later; #PhotoOp, but also #Incompetence.

When will those workers start getting their full salary to provide for their families?

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the government is doing everything it can to help our workers, to help people who have lost their jobs. We began with the CERB, an historic program that helped millions of people. Now we are transitioning that program to EI to make sure no one is left behind, to make sure we are there for everyone in need. We will continue to do so.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, they are talking about how they want to transition, but they have not even managed to complete the transition that should have been done five months ago.

How are people supposed to pay their bills with just half of what they normally earn?

I am talking about 154 people who trusted the government's measures, who returned to work instead of continuing to receive CERB, and who have now been working for five months making just half of what they used to. It took much less time for the Liberal government to find a way to help its friends at WE Charity.

When will these honest workers get paid?

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, we recognize the urgency of the situation and that is why our government has taken action to support workers and their families.

In August, we announced the next steps in our government's plan to support Canadians through this pandemic. Our plan includes a seamless transition to EI coupled with the creation of new benefits to ensure that no Canadian worker is left behind. Last week, we introduced legislation to create these benefits.

Our goal during this transition from emergency to recovery is to provide Canadian workers with certainty and comfort they can count on over the long term. No matter what stage or phase of recovery communities are in, we will leave no worker behind.

Telecommunications

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government's plan to get rural Canadians connected by 2030 is a slap in the face to the regions.

The pandemic has made Internet access an urgent priority. We must support small businesses across the country and ensure that young people can keep up with their studies. This is essential. The vitality of our regions depends on it.

When will the government get the CRTC to develop a real plan for high-speed Internet access and, most importantly, get telecommunications providers to contribute? This is urgent to rural areas across the country. I would like a date.

[Gudie Hutchings, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development]

Mr. Speaker, I live in a rural area, and I really understand that Internet is no longer a luxury. It is essential.

In the last six months, many people have worked from home. They have done their classes from the kitchen table, visited their doctors online and accessed government services remotely, so it is important, more than ever, that all Canadians have access to the Internet.

As confirmed in the throne speech, we are going to accelerate the connectivity timelines and the wonderful ambitions of the universal broadband fund to ensure that all Canadians, no matter where they live, have access to high-speed Internet.

[Richard Bragdon, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

Mr. Speaker, with the rise of working and schooling from home due to COVID-19 in much of the country, access to strong, reliable Internet is more important now than ever. The quality of Internet service continues to rise in our urban centres, while places from Borden-Carleton to Fernwood and Malpeque, Prince Edward Island, are left behind. This is just another example of the Liberal government ignoring rural Canadians.

When will the Prime Minister listen to the concerns of rural Canada and ensure that all Canadians have access to quality broadband Internet?

[Gudie Hutchings, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to echo my comments to my colleague across the way. I, too, understand the importance of connectivity and how we need to move forward.

I am delighted that we connected just over one million homes with our last program, and we are looking forward to the new universal broadband fund. We are excited with the partnerships that will avail themselves of it, in connecting rural and remote communities, and will leverage money. Of course, with the announcement made the other day on the Canadian Infrastructure Bank, which is a $2 billion investment, to connect more than—

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

The hon. member for Jonquière.

COVID-19 Emergency Response

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government House leader seems to be creating a narrative in which the Bloc Québécois wants an election and does not want to collaborate.

The cultural sector has been hit hard by the pandemic. The House leader should listen to what his colleague, the member for Malpeque, said this week. He told us that Canadian taxpayers could not be an ATM for Quebec. Whenever the cultural sector tries to access Canada's ATM, they get an “insufficient funds” message.

I do not want to hear talk of an election. I do not want to hear about collaboration. I have a simple question. Will the Minister of Canadian Heritage commit to making sure that Quebec's cultural sector gets access to immediate, direct assistance to pay rent and fixed costs?

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the Minister of Canadian Heritage for his extraordinary work. Having had the privilege of once holding that job myself, I know how important culture is, so, yes, we will be there for the cultural industry.

I would like to ask my Bloc Québécois friend a question. I have a lot respect for many Bloc Québécois members. They do good work. However, since yesterday, they have been saying that they will never vote with the government again. If we implement a cultural program, will they vote against it like they plan to vote against everything else?