House of Commons Hansard #21 of the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was quebec.
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, all Canadians and all political parties in the House condemn the violence we witnessed in France a few weeks ago. We wholeheartedly support the people of France, who were faced with a horrific terrorist attack, the murder of Samuel Paty.
We will always stand united. I thank the Bloc Québécois for moving that motion, but we all would have moved the same motion. It was good of the Bloc to do that. We will continue to stand up to violence and extremism all around the world.
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Mr. Speaker, for months, the Prime Minister has been promising a new tone on China, but nothing has actually changed. For almost two years, Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor have been in prison in China. In that time, the government has given almost $350,000 to the Canada-China Business Council, the same group that protested even raising the issue of the two Michaels at its recent dinner. Why does the government's new tone sound like the same old song and dance?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we have been clear from the very beginning about our principles, our commitment to the rule of law and our deep concern for our detained citizens. We have worked over the past many months to try to bring them home. We will continue to work extremely hard, not just on our own but with allies around the world who have consistently spoken up against China's arbitrary detention of citizens and its coercive diplomacy. We will continue to be loud and clear on the principles of defending human rights and the rule of law. We will continue to work with countries around the world, even as we highlight the excesses and the wrongs on human rights.
Michael Barrett Conservative Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON
Mr. Speaker, we would think that with the ties that this Prime Minister has to the CCP he would be able to get more action, but that dinner was also paid for with a grant from Canadian taxpayers, thanks to the heritage minister and Destination Canada. We do not know yet how much Canadians paid so that the Canadian business elites could applaud Communist China and wag their finger at their own government, but we know a dollar is too much.
Can the Prime Minister tell this House how much Canadians paid for the latest love-in with Canada's corporate China lobby?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, even as we have consistently stood up strongly in defence of the two Michaels, stood up in defence of the Uighurs, and have been concerned for Canadian citizens and indeed all citizens in Hong Kong, we have continued to look at China as a market for our grain farmers, for our seafood producers, and for so many Canadians who recognize that the second-largest economy in the world represents opportunities for Canadian families and businesses. Walking that careful line of being unequivocal on the defence of human rights and recognizing economic ties with the second-largest economy in the world is what we have been doing.
Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
Mr. Speaker, the first contract for the development of a COVID-19 vaccine was signed with CanSino Biologics, a Chinese pharmaceutical giant. The agreement ended in August when China's communist regime prohibited CanSino Biologics from exporting its products to Canada. Canadians currently do not know how much the Government of Canada paid CanSino Biologics.
Could the Prime Minister tell us how much was paid?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, our approach for vaccines and personal protective equipment is to try to find all kinds of solutions to ensure we have enough.
We have signed seven different contracts for vaccines from around the world, which we hope to provide to Canadians. No one knows which vaccine will be developed first and which one will be the most effective. That is why we signed multiple contracts. We are working with the global COVAX initiative to ensure that we will have other sources of vaccines for Canada.
We are doing everything we can to keep Canadians safe. If the Conservatives do not want to negotiate to protect Canadians, let them say so.
Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, all we want is to address the situation.
The government has bet everything on China since the beginning. We have been had by the Chinese communist regime. We got taken for a ride. Radio-Canada is reporting that the contracts signed with other companies are putting us three months behind. As a result, we will get vaccines three months later than other countries.
The other ministers have been insulting us all along.
Instead of insulting us, can the Prime Minister tell us whether it is true that we will get vaccines three months later than other countries?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, as a government we have negotiated with vaccine manufacturers around the world.
They are not currently manufacturing vaccines, but they are researching potential ones. We do not know which company will find a vaccine first or which vaccine will be the best.
We have negotiated with a lot of companies. We know that Canadians want Canada to have access to vaccines in a timely fashion. That is precisely what we were able to negotiate.
Lindsay Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Mr. Speaker, when the folks of Garderie Tunney's Daycare contacted their local Liberal MP for Ottawa Centre to ask for help to keep their doors open, she suggested that they should apply for a rental subsidy. The landlord for this day care centre is the federal government. It almost doubled the rent to $14,000 per month. Families are losing their day care service in the middle of a pandemic.
How can the Prime Minister justify to parents the loss of their day care services over his increase in rent, and when will he make sure Garderie Tunney's Daycare stays open so parents have a safe place for their kids?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, the need for child care is exactly why we moved forward in the throne speech, and are working forward to ensure we are delivering child care with the provinces right across the country. We understand it is not just a social necessity, but an economic necessity as well.
With regard to Garderie Tunney's Daycare, which is a well-loved day care in Ottawa, during the pandemic PSPC has ensured that rent relief is available to all tenants under the Canada emergency rent assistance program. More recently, we have informed the day care that its November rent will be deferred. We will continue to work with it on a path forward.
Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC
Mr. Speaker, at the Global Forum just a few minutes ago, the finance minister said there is no free lunch during the pandemic. I disagree. Banks have made over $15 billion in profits so far, billionaires have amassed more than $37 billion in wealth and web giants like Amazon have made obscene profits and paid little tax. It really sucks that hard-working people who are struggling are going to be forced to pay for the economic recovery.
Will the Prime Minister commit today to imposing a wealth tax on the ultra-rich to pay for the recovery, and will he force the web giants to pay their fair share?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we committed in the throne speech that we would be moving forward and making the web giants pay their fair share. That is something that all Canadians can understand, and we are happy to move forward with that.
On the issue of raising taxes on the wealthiest 1%, that is actually the very first thing we did when we came into office in 2015. We created a new higher tax bracket and forced the wealthiest 1% to pay more. Unfortunately, the NDP voted against it.
We will always look to ensure that we are supporting the middle class, and people working hard to join it, through this pandemic and beyond.
Judy Sgro Liberal Humber River—Black Creek, ON
Mr. Speaker, in the most recent Speech from the Throne, the government committed to acting on critical issues important to seniors. This included increases to the OAS and the CPP, which will positively impact seniors in my riding and, of course, across Canada. I would like to thank the Prime Minister for his leadership, especially his commitment to work with the provinces to establish national guidelines for long-term care homes.
Can the Prime Minister elaborate today on just how we will continue supporting our seniors?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Humber River—Black Creek for her tireless work for her community.
In addition to the Speech from the Throne commitments the member mentioned, we are building at least 7,000 new affordable housing units for seniors under the national housing strategy. To create opportunities for seniors to be more connected, supported and active members of their community, we invested an additional $100 million over five years in the new horizons for seniors program, which helps community groups provide local programs with support.
We will continue to work hard every day to provide more support for our seniors.
James Cumming Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
Mr. Speaker, Come By Chance refinery has shut down, there are Suncor layoffs, the White Rose oil field is in jeopardy, there are Husky layoffs and it is now being sold. The government has left energy workers out in the cold. News broke yesterday that the steelworkers union is putting more energy into finding a buyer for Come By Chance than the natural resources minister is.
Why is the Prime Minister's biggest energy accomplishment in five years unemployment lines instead of pipelines?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, since day one we have taken action to support our oil and gas sector. During the pandemic we invested $1.7 billion to remediate inactive and abandoned wells, which will protect and create thousands of jobs. We continue to support the sector with the wage subsidy: Almost one in every three workers in mining and oil and gas stayed in their jobs thanks to the subsidy, and the Speech from the Throne announced it will continue until next summer. We are getting our resources to new markets and using revenue to fund clean energy and climate solutions, and the workers will continue to be at the heart of everything we do.
James Cumming Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
Mr. Speaker, another Alberta company, a frac sand company, was forced to lay off nearly its entire staff. The government is approving $20 million in loans to a competing company that mines exclusively in the U.S.: a loan with interest that can be paid back in kind. When the government interferes like this, it is directly picking winners and losers, forcing yet another mass layoff in the energy sector.
Does the Prime Minister realize he is allowing a Canadian company to fail, so one with a large interest in the U.S. can succeed?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, this pandemic has been difficult on Canadians from coast to coast to coast, but we recognize the extra degree of difficulty that the current oil crisis is having on oil workers in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and indeed in Newfoundland and Labrador. We have been there for them with wage subsidies, with the CERB and with EI supports. We will continue to look for ways, like we did with orphan wells, to continue to support those workers who have been working hard to build and contribute to our country's well-being over the past many years.
We need them, going forward, to have strong jobs, strong families and a strong future, and that is what we are committed to working on with them.
Tracy Gray Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Mr. Speaker, the United Kingdom is our third-largest export market. We share common values, but we will not have a free trade agreement with it as of December 31. Not having one in place will mean higher tariffs. For example, they will be 8% on Canadian lobster and 16% on beef. As of right now, the amounts are zero under CETA.
Where is the Prime Minister's plan to maintain competitive U.K. access for our seafood workers and ranchers, if a transitional agreement is not in place at the end of the year? We are running out of time.
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, from the very beginning, we were committed to improving international trade. That is why, under our watch, Canada has signed and ratified major trade deals that give us free trade access to two-thirds of the global economy. We are the only G7 country to have free trade with every other G7 country.
Obviously the U.K.'s decision to withdraw from the European Union has made it more complicated with CETA. I continue to assure people that we are working with the United Kingdom to ensure a seamless transition. We have been working on it for many years, at their rhythm. We will ensure that we are moving forward the right way.
Tracy Gray Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has us at the back of the line for PPE, at the back of the line for rapid testing and at the back of the line for vaccines. Now we are at risk of being at the back of the line for a new trade deal with our oldest ally.
The new Japan-U.K. trade deal goes farther than the old deal the U.K. had with the EU. Time is running out again.
When is the Prime Minister going to get serious about a trade agreement with the United Kingdom?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her interest and can reassure her that over the past three or four years, we have been working closely with the U.K. in order to ensure a seamless transition as it exits the European Union. We look to continue the excellent trading relationship that we have with the U.K.
We understand that there are levels of complexity in Brexit, but that is something that we are working with them on as we ensure continued access to Canadian markets for the U.K., and to the U.K. for Canadian markets.
Yves-François Blanchet Bloc Beloeil—Chambly, QC
Mr. Speaker, we all condemn terrorists, but 50 years after Prime Minister Trudeau, this Prime Minister is trying to equate a peaceful political movement to terrorists. That movement was championed by honourable people, people who have become party leaders, a premier, the people who made the artist-inspired Quiet Revolution a reality.
In 1970, the Canadian army engaged in state-sponsored terrorism at Pierre Elliott Trudeau's command, did it not?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, as I said, I know there are still political debates about what happened 50 years ago.
My goal right now and in the days to come is to make sure that, 50 years from now, my children, my grandchildren and all of the grandchildren in Quebec and Canada will acknowledge that we managed this health and economic crisis well and that what we are doing now will help us for the next 50 years.