Debates of Oct. 29th, 2020

Employment Insurance

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, we actually lifted the requirement that severance be considered as part of forward-looking income as we changed the EI system to welcome more Canadian workers into the system. I can happily report that 1.8 million Canadians are in the new, more relaxed and generous EI system, with another 2.5 million Canadians on the new recovery benefit.

We have four million Canadians who are very happy today, because they are getting support from the federal government.

Health

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Mr. Speaker, Ontario's Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission released an early report last week. This report has urgent recommendations to help protect Canada's seniors in care and to mitigate the risks of outbreaks. It emphasizes the critical need for prioritized access to rapid testing in these facilities.

The number of COVID-19 cases is on the rise again, and there is no time to wait. Why do our most vulnerable people, our seniors, still have no access to rapid testing?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, in fact, the member opposite is incorrect. Since October 21, nearly 1.2 million rapid tests have been sent to provinces and territories; in Ontario alone, 530,000, and I could go through the list.

Rapid tests have been deployed and are in the process of being shipped to provinces and territories on a rolling basis. Provinces and territories will be able to use those with the populations they deem the most urgent.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Jakob Guziak is a one-year-old in my riding who suffers from severe combined immune deficiency, and he has been given six months to a year to live. His family has been working tirelessly to get him access to gene therapy treatments, which are currently unavailable here in Canada.

Over a month ago, and on behalf of the family, I wrote the Minister of Health about Jakob, and we still have yet to receive a response. Time is precious. Will the minister commit to reviewing Jakob's case so his family, and hopefully others, can get the help they deserve?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I would be pleased to speak with the member opposite about Jakob's case and understand it so that we can ensure that Jakob has the supports he needs.

Intergovernmental Relations

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today I heard Liberal MPs say that they could not apologize for the invocation of the War Measures Act because they have to focus on the pandemic. However, it is their stubbornness alone that is forcing us to debate this historical issue today.

It would take eight measly seconds for the Government of Canada to officially apologize for invoking the War Measures Act and using the military against the citizens of Quebec.

The government prorogued the House for six weeks, but it cannot take eight seconds to apologize to the 497 Quebeckers who were unlawfully imprisoned.

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

Mr. Speaker, in order to prevent history from repeating itself, it must be addressed in its entirety, in all its beauty and ugliness, without erasing its constituent elements. Some people sometimes refuse to see or accept certain elements.

The Bloc Québécois motion presents a partial account of the events and history. We cannot ignore the death of Pierre Laporte and the other victims, nor the pain inflicted on their families. This is not a mere historical detail that we can allow ourselves to simply forget.

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the federal government rightly apologized for the mass internment of Japanese Canadians without cause during the Second World War. For the same reasons and the same war, the Prime Minister himself promised an official apology to the Italian community.

The only people that the federal government arrested en masse and without cause, which the Prime Minister has no time to apologize for, were the 497 victims of the war measures.

Why is an apology warranted for the other groups, but not for the innocent Quebeckers who were unjustly imprisoned?

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

Mr. Speaker, there were indeed arrests, but there were also bombings, deaths, injuries, kidnappings and the assassination of Pierre Laporte. All of that happened.

When we want to approach history responsibly, we have a moral and political obligation to talk about it in its entirety, not just the bits we want to raise.

That is an obligation that the Bloc Québécois had, and it failed.

Air Transportation

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the airlines are in jeopardy. The government must find a way to save these companies and the jobs associated with them.

Consumers who have paid for vacations and have not been able to take them are also important. The government must require the airlines to provide a full refund to Canadian travellers as an essential condition of the airline bailout.

When will the government ensure that Canadian consumers receive a full refund for services not rendered?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I certainly understand that passengers who want a refund are very frustrated because of the current situation.

We are working on this matter, as well as on the important issues affecting the entire airline sector. This sector was hit hard, and we are working to find measures that will allow us to reassure Canadians who depend on air transportation that it will be there for them after the pandemic.

Telecommunications

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after months of COVID restrictions, we know that our Internet connectivity is more important than ever. Despite years of Liberal promises, we still have areas that lack broadband Internet and adequate cell service. In my own riding in 2016, I was promised $12 million for a specific SWIFT program, which the Liberals now say they are going to deliver in 2026, which is not swift.

When are the Liberals going to deliver on their promises to build broadband Internet in rural areas?

[Maryam Monsef, Liberal, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development]

Mr. Speaker, like my colleague from Sarnia—Lambton, I too care about rural economic development and see high-speed Internet as a vital recovery tool for every Canadian. Whether in Curve Lake First Nation, Douro-Dummer, Trent Lakes, Havelock-Belmont-Methuen, North Kawartha, Selwyn, Peterborough or any corner of this great country, Canadians deserve access to this essential service. Our government has been there for them, including partnerships with SWIFT. There is more to say and I look forward to working with my colleague to that end.

Public Services and Procurement

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, for the Liberals, a team Canada approach means helping their friends in business.

Months ago, manufacturers in the Prairies and in B.C. were quick to retool, prove their capacity and offer ready support. They were not picked by the Liberals, and now there are piles of PPEs going nowhere.

However, there is totally the opposite treatment for companies like Baylis Medical and Medicom.

Why does the government prioritize Liberal connections and Liberal ridings?

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

Mr. Speaker, since the beginning of this pandemic, we have taken every effort to procure PPE from domestic and international suppliers. We have received support from suppliers right across the country who have stepped up to support this great effort.

We now have two billion items of PPE procured. We have 28.5 million rapid tests procured. We have seven agreements for vaccine procurement. Why? Because our government is here for Canadians, and will remain so.

Health

[Peter Fonseca, Liberal, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, COVID-19 has exposed significant ugly weaknesses in our health care system.

Of all of Canada's deaths related to COVID-19, a staggering 85% have occurred in long-term care homes. With a second wave, we must do more to protect our most vulnerable. Many seniors from my riding are residents of Camilla Care long-term care home. Tragically, Camilla Care lost over 70 residents to the coronavirus.

I would like to hear from the hon. Minister of Health regarding what is being done to support those living and working in long-term care homes in these difficult times.

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I share the member's concern about the outbreaks of COVID-19 in long-term care facilities. My heart goes out to all of the families who have lost a loved one across Canada.

Under the safe restart agreement, we provided $740 million for measures to control and prevent infections, including those in long-term care. We supported provinces and territories in their work to boost care in these long-term care homes through the Canadian Armed Forces and, of course, the Red Cross services.

If provinces and territories need support, we are there. We continue to provide support to long-term care homes across the country. We will continue to do that and to support Canadians no matter where they live.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we recently learned that the U.S. has set its sights on yet another Canadian industry. This time it is blueberries that are the target of American tariffs.

The Americans know a weak-kneed Liberal government when they see one. They went after our steel and aluminum. They went after our softwood lumber. We all know how the Liberal government sold out our dairy industry in the NAFTA renegotiations.

Does a similar fate await our blueberry producers? What action has the minister taken to defend our blueberry industry?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, our government will always stand up for Canadian producers, farmers and the agri-food industry.

We are very concerned by the U.S. decision to launch a global safeguard investigation of fresh and frozen blueberries that could eventually lead to the imposition of tariffs on imports from Canada.

Minister Ng raised the issue during a recent call with U.S. representatives. We are confident that there will be no problems.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I want to remind all members, and I have heard on both sides, to refer to their colleagues by their title or riding, not by their names.

The hon. member for Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon.

Housing

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this week we learned the Liberals allocated more than half of the promised $1 billion for rapid housing behind the scenes. How is it fair that some big cities get funded while the remainder of Canada’s communities struggling with homelessness are left to compete among themselves and apply for the rest?

What about Coquitlam? What about Trois-Rivières, Mission and Guelph? What about rural Canada and the north, where housing challenges are more acute than anywhere else? Why are these communities and regions less important to the Liberal government?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, the rapid housing initiative is focusing the first $500 million to the top 15 municipalities that have the highest number of individuals experiencing homelessness. The second $500 million is open to every other community that has ready-made projects that can turn into affordable housing solutions in 12 months or less.

That is the advice we got from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. That is the advice we got from the mayors of the top 15 municipalities that have the highest number of homeless individuals.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal strategy for Fraser River chinook salmon has been an utter failure. Instead of implementing an effective recovery strategy for our iconic Pacific salmon, the Liberals chose once again to place unnecessary restrictions on fishing opportunities for British Columbians.

The minister has closed the fishery where there are a lot of fish and impeded the efforts of groups trying to restore salmon stocks in areas with low numbers of fish. The Liberals have ignored balanced proposals and the advice of experts, including their very own scientists.

When will the minister stop scapegoating British Columbian fishers for her failing to protect our B.C. salmon?

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, we know that we need to do a lot to protect the B.C. salmon. That is one of the reasons we have put a number of initiatives in place. This is an iconic species that means so much to the province of British Columbia.

We continue to make our decisions based on the best science available. We will continue to work with our provincial and territorial partners as well as with indigenous groups to ensure we are protecting salmon.

This is a long-term solution that we have and we will make sure we do everything we can to protect this species.

Small Business

[Han Dong, Liberal, Don Valley North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, since the beginning of the pandemic, local businesses in my riding of Don Valley North have been reaching out to my office to ask about what supports are available to help them throughout this difficult time.

Shutdowns due to COVID-19 have been extremely difficult for small businesses. That is why I am proud that from day one, our government has acted quickly to support small businesses through this crisis.

Could the Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade please explain how these changes to the Canada emergency business account will continue to help small businesses in Don Valley North?