Debates of Oct. 9th, 2020

Regional Economic Development

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Madam Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is concerned because Ottawa is not an ally of specific economic sectors in Quebec.

We have expertise in naval construction, yet the Davie shipyard, Canada's largest shipbuilder, was completely shut out of a $100-billion bonanza in federal contracts. We have expertise in aerospace, yet there is no federal assistance for a sector that is one of those hardest hit by COVID-19 and no policy for the future of the industry.

Will the government commit to investing in Quebec's electrification industry instead of moving our expertise to Ontario?

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

Madam Speaker, while the Bloc Québécois airs its concerns, we are taking action. We know that investing in the electrification of vehicles is good news for everyone. It is good news not only for the environment, but also for all Canadians. This will also benefit businesses in Quebec. In fact, we are already investing in electrification in Quebec.

Again, this is not about pitting Quebec against the other provinces. We can work together in our country, Canada.

Taxation

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Madam Speaker, Canadians are struggling to get through this pandemic. Small businesses are closing and families are losing their homes, yet Canada's billionaires have increased their wealth by over $37 billion. Canada's web giants have profiteered enormously during this crisis, yet they pay the same in taxes as Donald Trump pays in the U.S. We need action.

Why is the Prime Minister so weak on having the wealthy pay their fair share, and why is the government not putting into place immediately an excess profit tax to ensure that those who profit from this pandemic pay their fair share?

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, our government recognizes that for far too long Canadians have fallen further and further behind, even while those at the top have gotten further ahead. Over the last four years, we have improved tax fairness by closing loopholes, eliminating measures that disproportionately favour the wealthy and cracking down on tax evasion so that every Canadian has a real and fair chance at success.

We have also committed to taxing extreme wealth inequality, including by concluding work to limit the stock option deduction for the wealthy—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie.

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Madam Speaker, the Liberals clearly lack the guts to go after the uber-rich who are profiting from the current situation.

Many small businesses have been suffering since the beginning of the pandemic, but some businesses are raking in huge profits. Companies like Netflix and Amazon have seen their profits soar, or even double. What do these big companies have in common? They do not pay taxes here.

These capitalist behemoths do not contribute to our collective efforts to pay for health care and schools. The NDP has a very simple question. When will the Liberals have the guts to—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. minister.

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, our government recognizes that for too long, middle-class Canadians have been falling further and further behind, while the rich get richer.

In the past four years, we have made our tax system fairer by eliminating loopholes and measures that disproportionately favoured the wealthy. We also committed to taxing extreme wealth inequality, for example, by following through on our plan to limit stock option deductions for the wealthiest Canadians.

I look forward to working with the opposition member to grow—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Chicoutimi—Le Fjord.

COVID-19 Emergency Response

[Richard Martel, Conservative, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Madam Speaker, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business reported yesterday that 80% of business leaders are worried about the potential impacts of the second wave of COVID-19.

For our businesses to survive, we have to make sure we do not leave any of them behind. We are still waiting for programs to be adapted. For instance, businesses that have until October 31 to apply for the Canada emergency business account still do not have the updated form.

When will this government finally announce how these programs are to be updated?

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Small Business]

Madam Speaker, we have been there for our entrepreneurs since the beginning of the pandemic. We have helped more than 763,000 businesses across the country through the Canada emergency business account.

I invite my colleague and all members of the House to listen to the today's announcement from the Minister of Finance about how we will be there for our businesses in the second wave of the pandemic.

Public Services and Procurement

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

Madam Speaker, the minister of procurement originally claimed that the government publicly listed all of its contracts and suppliers for PPE online. The parliamentary secretary then rebuked the minister by admitting they have been using the national security exception to keep contracts secret.

Canadian companies cannot be competitive for government contracts if they do not know who got what and for how much. Taxpayers deserve to know how much they are paying for non-medical disposable masks.

Can the minister tell us how many times she has used the national security exception for pandemic-related contracts since March 15?

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

Madam Speaker, on July 31, we disclosed supplier names and contract values for all of the contracts that Canada has entered into for PPE and other supplies, except certain commodities that have been proven difficult to obtain and where additional procurements may be needed. When we see case numbers rising, it is extremely important for us to protect our supply chains in order to ensure that we can continue to secure PPE for Canadians now and into the future.

Ethics

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Madam Speaker, the government blacked out hundreds of pages of WE scandal documents requested by the finance committee, so we raised a question of privilege with your table saying, “Could you please help in getting those documents un-blacked out?”

The Speaker said that the finance committee should take that issue up. Yesterday it did, at which point Liberals said, no, that it was a matter for the Speaker. When we explained the contradiction, the chair of the committee jammed his fists in front of the camera and suspended the meeting altogether, so here we are back in front of the Speaker.

Madam Speaker, can you help us get these documents un-blacked out?

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

As the member is aware, the Speaker does not answer questions during Question Period. Seeing no member arising to answer the question, please go to the next question.

The hon. member for Carleton.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Madam Speaker, I feel like I have just called the CRA and they have transferred me from one agent who says they have to transfer me back to the other agent, who says to go back to the first agent, and then when I get back to the first agent the line just goes dead altogether.

We have blacked-out documents and a dead line, and we have been transferred from agent to agent. How the heck are we supposed to get at the truth?

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

Madam Speaker, our colleague has been here for a while. He knows that the committees make their own decisions and do their own jobs.

I encourage the opposition to work with us with Canadians to help them as we are facing COVID and these economic challenges. As they concentrate on politics and the committees, we concentrate on our work and efforts for Canadians.

Government Priorities

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

Madam Speaker, last week I rose from my seat and took the government to task for hiring a storyteller position in the PMO for up to $90,000 a year. I was mistaken. Today I can correct the record. We recently learned that it was not one but two storytelling positions they desperately need to fill.

Can someone on the government side please stand and explain to Canadians why the Prime Minister needs to spend $180,000 of taxpayers' money on storytime to attempt to repair his damaged image?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, I think it is really important that as a government we have focused our attention on the coronavirus. All Canadians want this, not only from the national government, but also from provincial governments.

We would ask the Conservatives to do likewise as the government continues to work on programs, from the CERB program that helped Canadians from coast to coast, to the wage subsidy program which is helping employers. There is a lot more work to do. Hopefully, the Conservatives will come on board with other levels of government and support Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

Madam Speaker, another sad story from the member for Winnipeg North.

Here is a true story for the Liberals. In my riding of Regina—Lewvan, the hard-working members of USW Local 5890 at Evraz steel mill are facing layoffs. That means a thousand families will be sitting around their kitchen table this Thanksgiving trying to pencil out how to pay their bills. Does the government realize what a slap in the face it is to Canadians everywhere to see it prioritize two storytellers, for a combined $180,000 a year, to attempt a desperate makeover of the Prime Minister's tarnished image?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, as the government, obviously we are very much concerned about any job layoffs. That is one of the reasons why we have been so focused on providing the programs that are absolutely essential for Canadians to be able to get through this coronavirus. The wage subsidy program and the CERB are programs that are reaching the pockets of Canadians and saving jobs. That is what this government is focused on. I would ask the members of the Conservative Party to get on side and start working co-operatively in order to combat the coronavirus.

Forestry Industry

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Madam Speaker, this is another slap in the face for Quebec's forestry industry. Yesterday, the government announced $68 million to combat an insect that is ravaging the forests in western Canada, the pine beetle. This is in addition to the $200 million that Ottawa had already invested.

In the meantime, back home, we are having the same problem with the spruce budworm. We are not as lucky as western Canada. The federal government has not invested one cent to help Quebec protect its forests.

When will the government collaborate to combat the spruce budworm problem?

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

Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to answer my colleague's question.

We are very concerned about this situation and we are having ongoing discussions with the Government of Quebec to see how we can support Quebec's forestry industry and the workers in Quebec. The spruce budworm is certainly a very important challenge, but we must continue to innovate and support the forestry sector in Quebec and across Canada.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Madam Speaker, somehow they have no problem interfering in provincial jurisdictions.

Why not help the Maritimes' forestry industry, since that has not happened in a few years? It has been luckier than Quebec, too.

Ottawa invested $75 million to fight the spruce budworm, but Quebec did not get a penny of that. It is a special federal fund to help Maritime barons like Irving protect their private forests at taxpayers' expense.

The government also invested $75 million in New Brunswick. Quebec got nothing even though more acreage on the North Shore alone, where I am from, is infested than in all of New Brunswick. I am not making that up.

When will Ottawa stop giving Quebec's forestry industry the short end of the stick?

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

On the contrary, Madam Speaker, we are working with the Province of Quebec on forestry issues. I had the opportunity to go to Quebec to announce measures in support of the forestry industry and the good jobs it creates all the way from Chibougamau to Témiscamingue.

I am very happy to continue working with the sector and the Government of Quebec to support workers and this industry, which is extremely important to Quebec and Canada.