Debates of Oct. 26th, 2020

Public Services and Procurement

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, I very much appreciate the hon. member's question.

There was a process before the contract was awarded.

In fact, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada launched a call-out for contracts for suppliers. There was an independent process. Five contracts were granted, and one of those contracts went to the company mentioned. There were other contracts with parties of all political stripes. It is important that ventilator companies, like all companies, stepped up for—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Montarville.

Ethics

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Montarville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as my colleague said, the Liberals are so used to cronyism that they do not even notice it any more.

Look at the WE Charity scandal. It could have been avoided. If the government wanted to provide grants to students, it could have simply provided grants to students, through transfers to Quebec. This would have been settled and even avoided. But no, they chose to build an entirely new program tailor-made for their cronies at WE Charity.

Is it just me, or do the Liberals not even seem to realize that it is not normal to create a high-priced program for their friends to run?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to share with the member and all Canadians that when it came to the response to COVID-19, this government put out a $9-billion program for students as well as youth. The federal government stepped up in partnership with provinces and territories, because when it comes to the response to this pandemic, it is really important that we all work closely together. We are still in the midst of this pandemic.

When it came to the Canada emergency student benefit, over 700,000 students benefited. When it came to making sure that student entrepreneurs would be able to benefit, we increased funding to future entrepreneurs. When it came to making sure that students could pay back their student loans, we actually put a moratorium on student loan payments, as well as interest. The list goes on.

We are all working in this together, and the Bloc should realize it is going to take all of us to fight this pandemic. We have a lot more work to do.

Health

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

Mr. Speaker, while question period has been going on, the leaders of 11 municipal governments in the greater Toronto area have released a statement saying that they want to reopen after the current 28-day pause, which is reasonable given that we are nine months into the pandemic.

I have questions for the health minister. We see that cases are increasing. Why are cases increasing even though we are wearing masks and we have had restaurant closures? How much do restaurant closures actually reduce the spread of COVID-19? What data is she basing that information on, and has she shared that with the provinces?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the question reflects some misinformation on behalf of the member opposite. It is actually not the federal government that makes decisions about restrictions at a local level. It is provincial governments. In fact, I would encourage the member to have a conversation with her provincial colleagues about what data they are using to determine what public health measures they will apply.

Our advice remains the same. There are things that people can do to reduce the risk of infection, including keeping a distance from one another, washing our hands, staying home when we are sick and wearing a mask in public spaces.

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

Mr. Speaker, that exact answer, blaming the provinces for things like not having rapid tests, as if it is their responsibility to procure, and her not even taking her responsibility as a health minister seriously are why Parliament needs to study the government's response.

Just this weekend, we had the minister seated without a mask, seated beside a snack bag as her excuse, and we had the procurement minister say that Canada would not get vaccines or that we are on track for it, even though Radio Canada says that we are not. The government is all over the place on this.

Parliament needs to do its job in order to scrutinize the government's response and spending. Why it is not doing its job?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I think we can all rise above the partisan attacks and understand that all of us are working really hard to ensure that we get Canadians through the worst pandemic in a century.

I am proud of the work that we have done with the provinces and territories, including the $19 billion that we transferred to provinces and territories to ensure they had capacity for testing, contact tracing and data collection, all of the tools that the member opposite is talking about that the provinces are currently using to manage the pandemic in their jurisdiction of authority, which is health care delivery.

It is incumbent on all members of Parliament to understand exactly what levels of government are responsible for and have levers to control.

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

Mr. Speaker, there is not only one taxpayer. There is not only one single mom who cannot get a rapid test. There is not only one person who had to close their business down. We are responsible for this. We are all in it together. That is why Parliament needs to come together and scrutinize this response.

What the health minister just said was the antithesis of what we should be doing in this space in this time of crisis. We need to be reviewing the government's response. It does not have it together. That is where Parliament can help. That is what can unite our country.

Why is the minister so hell-bent on preventing Canadians from getting answers on the government's failed response to COVID-19?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, what I am “hell-bent” on is getting Canadians through this pandemic with their health and their economic security, as I would hope all members in this House are hell-bent on.

We have been working day and night, supporting the provinces and territories, supporting individuals with economic concerns, supporting small business with wage subsidies, low-interest loans and rent subsidies. We will be there for Canadians for the long haul. I am proud of the work of the government in making sure that every Canadian has the protection they need.

Telecommunications

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in just 66 days, residents in the rural community of Tlell on Haida Gwaii are going to lose their only Internet access when an agreement between Xplornet and Telesat expires. These residents need to run businesses, attend school, book medical appointments, bank online and stay connected with their families, all over the Internet. This pandemic has shown us that broadband Internet access is far from a luxury. It is essential for daily life.

What is the minister doing to ensure that people in Tlell and across rural Canada do not lose their Internet access?

[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 understand that Internet access is not a luxury; it is essential. In the last seven months, many more people are working from home. They are accessing goods and services online. The kids are doing their classes from the kitchen table. More than ever, it is important that all Canadians have access to the Internet.

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

Health

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, since COVID hit Canada, we have seen a series of errors and poor decisions from the government. The Liberals failed to ensure our front-line responders had enough protective equipment. They cancelled Canada's early warning system, costing us precious time and, worse, Canadians' lives. They created a vaccine task force that operates in total secrecy and suffers from conflicts of interest. There are concerns that we are months behind other countries.

Canadians need answers to build a better future. Is the real reason the Liberals fear transparency is that they are failing to protect Canadians?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, this government has been fully transparent with Canadians all along. In fact, many officials of both the Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada and I have appeared in front of the health committee a number of times. We have provided documentation. We have included and briefed the opposition critics all along the way.

We will continue to be there for Canadians, working with provinces and territories in the worst global pandemic of our lifetimes.

Public Services and Procurement

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, when COVID-19 hit Canada last spring, our government put out a call to Canadian companies telling them Canada needs their help. Canadian companies did what Canadians do best: They sprung to action. They retooled and manufactured personal protective equipment. They reached out to their contacts around the world to get equipment to Canada that we needed. Those companies are now concerned about the Conservatives' political games around the motion being voted on after question period today.

Could the Minister of Public Services and Procurement comment directly on the industry's concern?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, I want to say that as a government, our obligation from day one has been to protect the health and safety of Canadians. It is not just our government that is concerned with the motion on the table today. We have heard from doctors, the vaccine task force, suppliers, manufacturers, exporters, the immunity task force and vaccine suppliers about their concerns with the motion, if it goes forward. Why? It is because it puts their sensitive commercial proprietary information at stake.

I hope that all members of the House will vote against the motion today.

The Economy

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, at the bottom of the sea lie approximately six different rust-gathering, fiscal anchors the Prime Minister has cut loose from his ship. The deficit is only $10 billion for only three years. The deficit debt-to-GDP ratio will never rise and we will never be downgraded. All those anchors have since been abandoned. In fact, we have not had a budget in well over a year, the longest period ever.

What is Canada's new fiscal anchor?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, let me tell members what our economic policy is right now. Our economic policy is to do what is necessary to fight COVID and support Canadian workers while doing so. Our policy is working. Some 76% of jobs have now been recovered in Canada since the depths of the COVID recession, versus only 52% in the United States. We are going to keep doing what we are doing because it works.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it works to make sure Canadians cannot work. In fact, we have the highest unemployment in the G7, even higher than the United States. As for all the programs, we support the wage subsidy, the emergency benefits to Canadians and the emergency loans to businesses, but they only account for $175 billion of the $380-billion deficit. In other words, the majority of the money is not going to everyday Canadians. If it were, every household would have $40,000. That is their share of the deficit.

The money is going missing from the time it leaves the government to the time it goes out to the economy. Where is all that money? Is it at the bottom of the sea with those missing fiscal anchors?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, if the Conservatives want to offer Canadians an economic policy of austerity in the face of COVID, they are more than welcome to do so.

Let me mention TD Economics and what it has to say about how our policies are working. It states, “No matter how...[we] slice the data, the Canadian labour market has been on a steadier road to recovery relative to the U.S.” The report concludes that perhaps the old adage, “When the U.S. sneezes, Canada catches a cold,” should be changed to, “When the U.S. sneezes, Canada builds antibodies.”

Foreign Affairs

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last year the government suspended arms exports to Turkey because it was not upholding its obligations. Last April, the Prime Minister spoke with Turkish President Erdogan and reports indicate he committed to addressing Turkish concerns about the suspension of these arms exports. Subsequently, seven drone systems were approved for export from Canada to Turkey.

Did the Prime Minister or foreign affairs minister override the recommendations of Global Affairs officials and approve these exports to Turkey?

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, over the last several weeks, allegations were made regarding Canadian technology being used in the military conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. Upon learning of these allegations, the minister immediately directed Canadian officials to investigate the claims. In line with our robust export control regime and due to ongoing hostilities, the minister suspended immediately the relevant export permits to Turkey to allow time to further assess the situation. We call for all measures to immediately stabilize the situation on the ground. We want a peaceful resolution.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the last two previous investigations took a year and a half and six months, and led to nothing conclusive being done. The government still has not answered the question. It is clear that Canadian drone systems were diverted to the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in clear violation of the Arms Trade Treaty, the Wassenaar Arrangement and Canadian law.

Once again, did the Prime Minister or foreign affairs minister override the recommendations of the Global Affairs risk analysis and approve these drone systems for export to Turkey?

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, let us be very clear: Our government is committed to a strong and rigorous arms export system, and that is why we have acceded to the Arms Trade Treaty. Human rights considerations are at the centre of our exports regime and Canada has one of the strongest export control systems in the world, respecting human rights. These are enshrined in our Canadian legislation.

The minister will deny any permit application where there is substantial risk of human rights violations in keeping with Canadian law and in keeping with human rights obligations.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised that Canada would do more for peace missions around the world. He promised the UN a quick reaction force of nearly 200 soldiers for peacekeeping missions.

Last year, the government said it was a done deal, but the UN says otherwise. This force is not part of the available resources.

Will the Minister of Foreign Affairs set the record straight and apologize to the House?