Debates of Oct. 23rd, 2020

Infrastructure

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities]

Mr. Speaker, we have a bilateral agreement with Ontario that will see our government invest over $11.8 billion in Ontario over the next decade, including $8.3 billion for public transit. We are absolutely committed to moving forward on good public transit projects.

I would like to remind the member opposite that it was under their election platform that they were going to cut infrastructure investments. Would they have cut this project?

[Leona Alleslev, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the federal government has promised $8.3 billion just to public transit in Ontario, but none of it will go to the Yonge subway extension. The Yonge line is the lifeblood of the GTA, with 800,000 commuters a day and almost 100,000 of them passing through Finch. The extension would create 60,000 jobs, reduce gridlock and deliver economic growth for the entire GTA.

The business case is obvious, so what is the real reason the government will not invest?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to repeat our commitment to public transit. We have committed $8.3 billion to public transit in Ontario. I have had direct conversations with the minister responsible for this project about the opportunity to move forward.

Once again I would like to ask this of the member opposite. When they said they would cut $18 billion from the infrastructure budget, would they have cut the investment in this project?

Indigenous Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, last week the Premier of Nova Scotia said to The Chronicle Herald regarding the fishing crisis, “We are in a position where [all parties] are not sitting at a table to find what is a workable solution.... This is only getting more entrenched.” He continued by saying, “We need the federal minister to sit down with all sides in a room. It is not enough to sit down with indigenous leaders or with fishing associations by themselves.” No one is happy with this minister's performance, including the Liberal Premier of Nova Scotia.

When will the minister meet with both indigenous and non-indigenous fish harvesters to come to a peaceful solution?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government will continue to work collaboratively with first nations communities to fully implement their treaty rights. Right now, our government's number one priority is keeping people safe. We need to work together to lower tensions on the water and find a calm resolution to this impasse.

We know these issues are long-standing, complex and deeply personal to everyone involved. The only way to resolve them is through a respectful and collaborative dialogue, and that is exactly what we are doing.

[John Williamson, Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

Mr. Speaker, after dithering, hiding and ignoring the dispute over how to implement a moderate living for indigenous communities as outlined by the Marshall decision, the fisheries minister has decided to appoint a negotiator to do her job. However, it is too late. People are speaking out and blaming the minister.

Chief Sack has been unhappy for months; so are fishing community leaders. Alan Clarke, who was head of DFO fisheries enforcement in southern New Brunswick for 25 years, also blames the minister. Former MLA and once provincial fisheries minister Sterling Belliveau puts the blame squarely on the hapless MP for South Shore—St. Margarets.

Why should Nova Scotians continue to have faith in this minister?

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

Mr. Speaker, we are fully committed to working in collaboration with first nations to implement their treaty right to fish in pursuit of a moderate livelihood.

Right now, the minister's number one priority is to keep people safe, lower tensions on the water and find a calm resolution to this impasse. She has spoken directly with first nation leadership and industry representatives in Nova Scotia, and our government will continue to work collaboratively with first nations communities to fully implement their treaty rights.

Health

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, in Manitoba, residents and families at Parkview Place care home are in a crisis. There are now 14 deaths due to COVID-19. Families are devastated. The Liberal government has done nothing to keep people safe during the pandemic. They refuse to get profit out of long-term care and to ensure the well-being and security of long-term care residents and workers.

People need urgent help now. When will the federal government end for-profit care homes, develop national standards for long-term care and ensure that workers and residents have what they need to be safe?

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

Mr. Speaker, we are deeply concerned by the outbreaks of COVID-19 in long-term care facilities. We are working with provincial counterparts closely, and PHAC released guidance for facilities on how they can protect their residents from COVID-19. Under the safe restart agreement, we are providing $740 million for measures to control and prevent infections, including in long-term care.

Going forward, we will work with provinces and territories to set new national standards for long-term care.

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, as the second COVID wave hits Canadians, our loved ones in long-term care are bracing for the worst. They have good reason to be worried. Some of the deadliest outbreaks in Ontario and Manitoba happened in for-profit homes owned by the federal government. These homes were grossly understaffed and there was not enough protective equipment to keep residents or workers safe, all to maximize profits.

The federal government is failing our seniors in care homes it owns. When will it act and fix the problems in for-profit care?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I said, we know that we must act to protect our loved ones in these facilities and those who care for them. The Public Health Agency of Canada has created interim guidance for long-term care facilities, which was validated by chief medical officers of health. The guidance recommends that a no-visitor policy be considered, that physical distancing take place at all times and that staff in long-term care homes stay home if they are ill.

We will continue to work closely with our partners and with our provincial and territorial colleagues to ensure we do everything possible to protect our valuable seniors.

Seniors

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, isolating and maintaining their mental health are among the greatest challenges faced by seniors during this pandemic. Many seniors live alone and may have difficulty finding ways to communicate with others.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health tell us what measures our government has taken to ensure that our seniors remain connected on all levels to break their isolation and support their mental health?

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

Mr. Speaker, COVID-19 has made many seniors feel isolated, and we need to be there for them when they need us the most.

That is why we launched the Wellness Together Canada portal to provide confidential support to Canadians during this pandemic. Canadians in need can access this service through canada.ca/coronavirus or the Canada COVID-19 app. We also invested an additional $20 million in the new horizons for seniors program to keep seniors connected to their communities.

Together, we will get through this.

Health

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Calgary airport will soon offer international arrivals the option to quarantine if they have a negative COVID-19 result. This is after seven months of the industry calling for action, both WestJet and Air Canada setting up pilot programs in Vancouver and Toronto international airports, as well as robust testing all around the world in other nations.

Canadians needed this months ago. Why did it take the government so long to act?

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

Mr. Speaker, we are going to continue to enforce border measures, including a mandatory 14-day quarantine or isolation period for travellers entering Canada.

Any changes to public health measures, especially testing and quarantine requirements, must be supported by strong scientific evidence. There is a study with Alberta to determine the feasibility of using a rigorous testing and monitoring program as a strategy to reduce the mandatory quarantine period, while at the same time keeping Canadians safe.

Infrastructure

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, five years ago the Liberals promised to repaint the Quebec Bridge.

Since then, rust has been eating away at our heritage gem. If the Liberals had kept their promise, the paint would have dried a long time ago. However, they decided to appoint a negotiator to buy time. His report has been under wraps for over six months. When will the Liberals release the Charest report and implement its recommendations? They need to act now before the bridge rusts out.

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

Mr. Speaker, indeed, five years ago, Canadians chose a progressive government that was open to the world, would be there for all Quebeckers and Canadians, and would deal with the Quebec Bridge.

We made a promise and the bridge will be fixed. Mr. Charest has submitted his report and it is being studied. I can say that this is a matter that will be dealt with by the Government of Canada.

Regional Economic Development

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in the last five years, Liberal policies have been an assault on Alberta and the west. They made resource extraction more difficult, less profitable and highly uncertain. Liberals have outright cancelled already approved projects that would have provided much-needed market diversification and access.

They have done nothing for our farmers and producers at a time of tremendous need and difficulty. Liberals have attacked our plastics manufacturers and are even getting in the way of Alberta becoming a plastic recycling hub.

Why does the Prime Minister not just show the west what he truly thinks of us, just like his father did?

[Paul Lefebvre, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, as the member knows, there are right now 5,600 workers building the TMX pipeline. This is because of the time we took to do the hard work necessary to meaningfully consult with indigenous partners. Now there will be thousands of more workers going to work because we approved NGTL 2021.

The House knows very well that skipping steps and rushing through projects do not get them done. Taking the time to do the hard work to meet our duty to consult does get them done. We work with partners. We want to be sure that good projects are able to move forward and will create good jobs for the people of Alberta and western Canada.

Youth

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

Mr. Speaker, Jordan is a student in Saskatoon and he believed in the Prime Minister's call to volunteerism. He applied for the Canada student service grant within a day of its being announced. He was matched to a program adviser and he happily volunteered his time in Saskatoon to better the community. Jordan had no idea this was just a sham to launder millions of taxpayer dollars to the Kielburger brothers. The Prime Minister's friends keep getting richer, but Jordan gets nothing.

Will the Prime Minister apologize to Jordan?

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth and to the Minister of Canadian Heritage (Sport)]

Mr. Speaker, the public service worked to find the best possible delivery of this program to get students grants for their volunteer hours. The public service worked with the WE organization to develop this agreement, and this work was done and negotiated at the officials' level. I work with students in my riding as well. We need to continue to support our students and young people across the country.

Public Services and Procurement

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals gave $237 million to a friend, former Liberal MP Frank Baylis, to manufacture medical ventilators at twice the market value. There was no bidding process and the contract went to a shell company that did not exist seven days earlier and that does not manufacture ventilators for retail.

I try really hard to act in good faith. Just because someone is a Liberal does not mean that they cannot offer their services. The urgency of the pandemic may explain the lack of a bidding process. It is costly, but it is local.

Even then, why did they grant a contract for ventilators to a shell company that does not manufacture them?

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to remind members what it was like in March. Canada was worried that it did not have enough ventilators. We called on Canada's private sector to help out. We signed agreements with four manufacturers who dropped everything to help Canada meet our supply needs. That is what we did and that is what Canada will continue to do. We will continue to protect Canadians, and Canadian ingenuity will help us achieve that.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that is the problem. The Liberals are confusing Canada with its friends.

We can try to show good faith, and I tried hard to do so earlier, but all we see are irregularities and Liberals who are benefiting from them. Today, it is a former MP who is pocketing $237 million through a shell company. Yesterday, it was the friends at WE Charity who were given $900 million dollars, again through a shell company. I am tempted to talk about what will happen tomorrow, but that is not part of my speech, so I will leave the House in suspense. Let us remember that, when cannabis was legalized, no fewer than five former Liberal ministers were waiting with outstretched hands for contracts.

Why is it that everywhere we look all we see are Liberals who are getting richer—

[The Deputy Speaker, Bruce Stanton]

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement.