House of Commons Hansard #9 of the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was pandemic.
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
Mr. Speaker, if things are going so well then why do we in Quebec still have to wait almost a week to get results?
Some lucky people get their results in hours and that is great. However, most Canadians are unable to get results in a timely fashion.
Why did the government wait so long to approve rapid tests?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, I know the provinces of Quebec and Ontario in particular are struggling with their testing strategies and with their capacity. We are there for provinces and territories that need additional help. We have a rapid response program, where we go into different jurisdictions to support them.
Whether it is with contact tracing needs, whether it is with human resources for long-term care or whether it is with epidemiological expertise, we have been there for the provinces and territories. We will continue to be there for provinces and territories because at the end of the day, no matter where Canadians live, they deserve excellence in health care.
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, the minister just claimed there are rapid tests for Canadians, yet Karl Skogstad in Thunder Bay said that he had to wait nine days to get his toddler tested. If one is keeping one's kid at home for two weeks and has to stay at home, it is difficult on families and the child's education.
The minister is claiming there are rapid tests; Karl says there is not. Who is right, the incompetent health minister or Karl?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, my heart goes out to Karl, because of course it is challenging, he is absolutely right, when we are waiting for the results of tests to determine whether we can continue on with our lives. We have been working very closely with the Province of Ontario to help deal with the backlog of nearly 78,000 tests or so that they are experiencing. Of course, as they refine their testing strategy, we are there with them to provide additional supports in clearing that backlog. We will be there for Ontarians, including Karl, including all Ontarians across the province, to make sure they get the test they need when they need it.
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, that is the point: The government has not been there for Karl.
In fact, in Thunder Bay, Dr. Stewart Kennedy, the physician leading up the COVID-19 response at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre says that the turnaround test time for COVID-19 is problematic. It is because they do not have access to rapid tests. That is this minister's job, and if she cannot even do the job in her own backyard, what hope does the rest of Canada have?
When are we going to have access to rapid tests?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, I speak with Dr. Kennedy every single week on the situation in Thunder Bay, so I am excited the member opposite knows so much about my home community. I would gladly include her in briefings with the department if she wishes to take me up on understanding the challenges Ontario is facing, including on testing capacity. Thunder Bay has the capacity to do 300 lab tests, but the rest it does not have the capacity to process. We are going to be there for Ontario, along with all other provinces and territories as they continue to work through testing strategies that make sense and will work for all Canadians.
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, if only there were some way to rapidly test people in Canada, let us say at home, using tests that have been approved around the world in other countries, maybe we could have more access to tests. The minister fundamentally does not understand this. She sat on her thumbs for months. Karl and her hospital are telling her this and she thinks that it is great and it is fine. The government is incompetent and it is killing people. There are people who cannot see their loved ones or go to work because of the lack of rapid tests, and the Liberals sit here and try to tell us it is okay.
When are we getting rapid tests?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, I reiterate my offer for the member opposite to be fully briefed by my department on what a comprehensive testing strategy looks like, because clearly when she indicates that perhaps people could test themselves at home and that would solve our problem, she is indicating a lack of awareness that, once people receive the test, something has to be done with that test. That is where the real work begins with public health with respect to contact tracing and the isolation of close contacts.
I am on the ground every single week talking to public health units at local levels to understand what their challenges are. I certainly invite her to take the briefing at her convenience.
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
Mr. Speaker, SMEs, like restaurants or bars, survived the first wave of COVID-19 by going into debt. That is no longer an option. Loans no longer cut it.
If we want to avoid thousands of bankruptcies during the second wave then we have to help our businesses pay their fixed costs. Quebec has brought in repayable conditional financial assistance for fixed costs and is calling on Ottawa to contribute to it. The Bloc has been calling on Ottawa for help with fixed costs since April.
Quebec has taken action. What is Ottawa waiting for?
Chrystia Freeland LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question, which is truly important.
In the Speech from the Throne, we promised we would help SMEs pay their fixed costs. This assistance is more important than ever since we are in the second wave and the provinces, including Quebec, have taken strong measures to combat this second wave. We must truly be there for them and we will be.
Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay Bloc Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
Mr. Speaker, what the government announced on Friday is more loans. However, there is a limit to how much debt bars and restaurants can take on. There is a limit to what can be put off to tomorrow. In its throne speech, Ottawa promised to help businesses being closed by order of the public health authorities.
Will they finally put their words into action? Will Ottawa join the Government of Quebec and provide assistance for the fixed costs of businesses in the red zone?
Chrystia Freeland LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, the answer is yes. I discussed this issue with Quebec's finance minister, Éric Girard, yesterday evening. He and I are going to be talking again this evening.
I have a question for the Bloc. Once we have completed the technical work, I hope the Bloc will vote with us.
Martin Champoux Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, COVID-19 has hurt the cultural sector more than most. The sector was just coming back to life when people were told to shut down again. This year is a write-off for festivals and events. Our artists are in lockdown again. They are worried.
Quebec has announced measures, such as box office income support, that will really help.
In the throne speech, the Liberal government promised support for the cultural sector specifically over and above the Canada emergency response benefit and the Canada emergency wage subsidy because everyone knows that is not enough to save an industry worth over $53 billion. The throne speech clearly states that the government will introduce “further support for industries that have been the hardest hit, including travel and tourism, hospitality, and cultural industries like the performing arts.”
Existing programs are not good enough. When will the government announce something? What is it waiting for?
Steven Guilbeault LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.
We are also very concerned about the situation in the arts and culture sector. This is why our government has so far provided $4 billion in assistance, including $500 million in emergency assistance, to help the sector through this serious crisis. Just last week, we announced a $50-million fund to provide insurance coverage so that television and film productions can resume across the country.
We have been there, we are there and we will continue to be there for the arts and culture sector.
Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
Mr. Speaker, in the Liberal Party, the arrogance starts at the top and trickles down to its members. I implore this government to stop wasting time and make rapid testing a priority.
Instead of taking responsibility for their inaction, they blame others. Last week, the member for Gatineau attacked Outaouais health officials, saying that decisions are often made in the Outaouais that leave people confused about health.
Will the Prime Minister take him to task and ask him to apologize?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, it is important that we, all of us in the House, understand that every public health official, every health care worker, every person in our health care systems across the country, at the local, provincial and federal levels, are working flat out to protect Canadians' health. I think that on this side of the House and, certainly I would hope, all of us understand that we owe a debt of gratitude to these hard-working professionals who, in many cases, have not slept for months.
Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
Mr. Speaker, that is precisely why the comments made by the member for Gatineau are shameful.
At a time when we should be grateful to health care professionals, the Liberals are attacking them. So many of our health care workers are tired, overworked and in need of support. Instead, the member for Gatineau chooses to insult health care workers by questioning their procurement strategy and management skills.
Will the Prime Minister stand up in the House and apologize for his paternalistic attitude toward the Government of Quebec, yes or no?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, I think I can say that all of us have a profound respect for the work of health care workers all across this country, regardless of which area they are working in.
We know that we cannot get through this without our health care workers. Furthermore, we know that people are learning every single day about this virus: how to manage it, how to contain it and how to deal with the second wave. I am proud to be part of a government that knows that when it gets hard, we roll up our sleeves and we work even harder.
Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Gatineau hospital bought a state-of-the-art rapid testing machine. The Quebec minister of families, Mathieu Lacombe, said that this is like we have a Ferrari in the garage and are just waiting for permission to drive it.
What is the federal government waiting for? When will it give the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l'Outaouais the green light?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, I am unaware of the particular testing device that the member is speaking about, but I will certainly dig in and find out exactly what the delay is and what kind of equipment they are waiting for.
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Mr. Speaker, local businesses in Edmonton have been hit hard by COVID. Instead of helping small businesses like Fred's Truck Outfitters, the government laid out a flawed rent assistance program that did not do the job. Now that the Liberals have ended the program without replacing it, Fred and other business owners are left scrambling to stay open as the second wave hits. Small businesses create jobs and contribute to our communities and the country.
When will the Prime Minister stand up for small businesses and support them into the second wave?
Chrystia Freeland LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, personally, I love the small businesses of Edmonton Strathcona, in particular.
In the Speech from the Throne, we committed to extending CEBA to support small businesses across the country and to support small businesses with their fixed costs, including rent. That is something that we are working on right now with the provinces and municipalities. Small businesses need our continued support and we are going to be there for them.
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Mr. Speaker, a damning report released today says that the decisions made by the Public Health Agency of Canada put health care workers at risk, because unlike other countries it failed to learn lessons from SARS.
Canada's infection rate for health care workers is twice that of the global rate. The nurses union has not been properly consulted. Some nurses were denied N95 masks and the safety needs for long-term care homes were ignored. The president of the PHAC stepped down after only 18 months and now this.
Does the minister accept any responsibility or is she just going to point fingers again?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, in fact, I accepted full responsibility and insisted that the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, CFNU, was at the table as guidance continued to be developed for the appropriate use of personal protective equipment in hospital and clinical settings. The CFNU was included in those guidance documents. Their suggestions were included and updated guidance was released.
We will continue to work with unions to protect the health and safety workers across this country.
Geoff Regan Liberal Halifax West, NS
Mr. Speaker, in Halifax West and across Nova Scotia, we are seeing a concerning decline in housing affordability. The government has taken important steps to help Canadians find an affordable place to call home with a national housing strategy, which has had a real impact for communities across Canada. Still, many Nova Scotians are concerned about paying rent.
Could the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development please provide an update to the House on the measures being taken to make rent more affordable?