Debates of Nov. 16th, 2020

Taxation

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.

Last week, we introduced a bill that seeks to reform Canada's Broadcasting Act for the first time in 30 years.

That law will significantly impact and benefit Canadian culture. My colleague is well aware of that, because we consulted him many times regarding the introduction of the bill, which will enable us to provide an additional $1 billion in funding so that we can tell our stories in French in Quebec and Canada, as well as English and indigenous languages. That is a first for our country—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Drummond.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we are talking about two completely different things.

During our conversations, we were clear about the importance of tax fairness, which means requiring web giants to charge GST. The Liberals have been promising that for five years. Three heritage ministers, all of them from Quebec, ironically, have promised that. Being from Quebec, they should follow the Government of Quebec's lead and force the GAFAM to charge sales tax.

By failing to do so, the minister is robbing Quebec's culture sector, which has already been crippled by the pandemic, of hundreds of millions of dollars while the GAFAM rake in record profits. He could move today to ask web giants to collect GST.

Why is he refusing to do so?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my hon. colleague that our government has provided Canada's arts, culture and sports sector with over $4 billion since the pandemic hit.

According to a recent survey, almost 78% of artists are very happy with what the federal government has done. Of course we can do more and will do more. The broadcasting bill is not about taxation, it is about broadcasting.

We will keep working to improve the system in this country.

Telecommunications

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the government's announcement on rural broadband last week was too little too late. Rural small businesses need broadband now, not between 2026 and 2030. The government was late on commercial rent assistance and late on the wage subsidy. Now it is busy auditing small businesses in the middle of a pandemic.

The Prime Minister wants more lockdowns, and rural small businesses do not have the infrastructure to move online. Why do small businesses always have to pay the price for the government's COVID-19 response?

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

Mr. Speaker, last week we launched phase 2 of our government's plan to connect every Canadian to high-speed Internet. The universal broadband fund builds on the efforts that we began early on in our first mandate. It is the plan Canadians asked for. It is the plan our rural members of Parliament shaped. It is a plan shaped by experts, and it includes flexibility, backbone, last mile and a rapid response stream.

I want to thank the Prime Minister for his care and support for rural Canada and particularly for appointing the member for Long Range Mountains to colead this file with me. She truly moves mountains.

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer—Mountain View, AB]

Mr. Speaker, millions of people in rural communities across Canada lack adequate Internet connections. The announcement made by the Liberal government last week will not change this. One reason is that a large portion of funding is through the Canada Infrastructure Bank. In three years, that Liberal boondoggle has completed zero projects.

Why does the Liberal government continue to fail hard-working rural Canadians through smoke-and-mirror initiatives that get great headlines but, thanks to Liberal incompetence, accomplish nothing?

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

Mr. Speaker, because of our government's efforts, tens of thousands of households at the end of this year will be connected to this essential service. Because of our government's commitment to rural Canadians, we have put more in investments than all previous governments combined. In fact, our government's support for rural broadband is 10 times higher than all governments that have come before us.

There is an unusual consensus emerging across the country that every Canadian deserves access to this essential service. Our plan is the plan Canadians asked for. It will work. I encourage colleagues to support their communities to put high-quality applications forward.

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, many students in my riding have to do online learning at home during this pandemic.

These students are at a disadvantage simply because they live in a rural area. Chantal Bédard, from Sainte-Hénédine, contacted me to tell me how hard it has been for her children to connect to their online classes. From Sainte-Hénédine to Saint-Gédéon in my riding, I keep hearing the same stories.

This government loves to keep announcing its funding commitments for high-speed Internet, but when will it unveil a real plan to successfully connect people like Ms. Bédard?

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

Mr. Speaker, women like Chantal have been hit hardest by COVID, and one of the additional responsibilities they bear is supporting their kids with online learning. When that high-speed Internet access is not a reliable one, Chantal's life is that much more difficult.

We have heard her. We are working to address the challenge. Before the universal broadband fund was launched last week, our government had already invested five times more to connect the people of Quebec than the previous government. We know the work is not done, but there is a program there to support Canadians to get connected. I encourage my colleague to work with us to do that.

Child Care

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I was thrilled to hear about the commitment that our government has made toward the creation of a Canada-wide learning and child care system. We also know that help is needed, especially now, to help support parents as they re-enter the labour market.

Can the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development please update this House on the investments being made in New Brunswick to support families through this economic recovery?

[Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her continued and effective advocacy on this issue. We know that for Canadians child care is not a luxury, it is a necessity. COVID has showed this especially to be true.

That is why the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development was pleased to announce today a $14-million investment to help make child care more accessible and affordable for New Brunswickers through the safe restart agreement. This is in addition to $10 million announced just a couple of weeks ago to support thousands of families in that province.

This government has investment more in child care this year than any other government in Canadian history. We are proud of that record, but there is more to do. A national framework for national funding is needed. We hope the other parties in this House can be disciplined and continue to support our good work on this file.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Mr. Speaker, more than ever Canadians appreciate how essential farmers are. In the time of need, farmers stepped up to feed Canadians and made sure our grocery store shelves were fully stocked.

Earlier this month, the opposition secured relief for small businesses that are burdened by emergency wage subsidy audits. These audits are causing distress and anxiety among our farmers. Will the minister confirm that this relief for small businesses will include our Canadian farm families?

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

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member we have been working closely with our farmers since the beginning of the COVID crisis. We made sure they were eligible for all the programs meant to support businesses like the CEBA and the subsidy support. I can assure the member we will continue to make sure our farmers are well supported.

COVID-19 Emergency Response

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

Mr. Speaker, last month, I met with with Chorus Aviation which, like many in the air industry, was waiting with bated breath for the transport minister’s aid package. It is a Maritimes success story and operates many of Air Canada's regional routes. As Air Canada struggles, Chorus is struggling too. The Saskatoon Airport depends on its planes staying aloft.

Liberal MPs in Nova Scotia will not challenge the government on behalf of Chorus, but I will. Why will the minister not expand rapid COVID testing to all airports, so airlines can attract customers back onto planes?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, as I pointed out about 10 days ago, we are working on an aid package with respect to the air sector, and that includes airports as well as airlines.

We are also in parallel, led by the Minister of Health, working on rapid testing. As the member will know, there is rapid testing under way at Calgary airport and a separate test is being done at Toronto airport.

We realize this may be a way of speeding up and reducing quarantine.

Infrastructure

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Quebec Bridge is a Canadian heritage gem.

Five years ago, the Liberals promised to have the bridge repainted. Ever since, the paint has been drying on the brushes. The Quebec Bridge continues to rust before our eyes while the Liberals keep making empty promises. To buy some time, they hired a negotiator to acquire the Quebec Bridge. There has been no news in six months.

Where is the report from the negotiator, Yvon Charest? When will they release the report, and when will they implement its recommendations?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian government recognizes the importance of repairing the Quebec Bridge.

Yvon Charest was appointed as a special negotiator in the Quebec Bridge file in August 2019. The negotiator's job is to recommend options for restoring the Quebec Bridge, in collaboration with stakeholders.

This file remains a priority for the Government of Canada, and Mr. Charest and I share the same goal, which is to ensure that the Quebec Bridge meets the long-terms needs of the region. Mr. Charest's report is currently being analyzed. We will keep the members of the House informed of the results of that analysis and the next steps that should—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Markham—Stouffville.

Health

[Helena Jaczek, Liberal, Markham—Stouffville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, cases of COVID-19 are growing in Ontario, and modelling suggests that the number of cases could increase dramatically in the coming months.

As former chief medical officer of health for York Region and former Ontario minister of health and long-term care, I can see how important federal support has been in Ontario's response to the pandemic.

Could the Minister of Health please update us on the investments and support that our government has provided to the Province of Ontario to date?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for her leadership, expertise and experience. It certainly has been helpful to me over the past several months to have conversations with her.

We have been there to support Ontario all the way through in its responsibility of delivering on health care. In fact, over the summer, 97 cents on every $1 spent on pandemic support in Ontario came from the federal government. We also, through the safe restart agreement, provided $5.1 billion for effective testing, contact tracing, data systems, support for long-term care, 1.78 million rapid tests to date, and of course, the army and the Red Cross, supporting long-term care homes.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

Mr. Speaker, first nations, Métis and Inuit communities have worked tirelessly to stay safe, but the second wave has hit hard, as we have warned.

OCN/The Pas, 147 cases; Arviat, up to 26 cases. For first nations, we are seeing higher rates of infection and increased severity. From mass testing to immediate contact tracing to self-isolation to ventilators, the government must pull out all the stops.

What is the government going to do for first nations, Métis and, now, Inuit communities to stop the spread of COVID-19?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous Services]

Mr. Speaker, my thanks to the member for her tireless advocacy on behalf of indigenous peoples. I do think that she and the rest of the House will appreciate the update that I have with respect to Opaskwayak.

I have been in conversations with Chief Sinclair over the course of the weekend to ensure that the surge capacity of the Government of Canada is there to help the community, as well as in its role as a hub in the coming weeks. We are now at double the active rate of the total cases that occurred during the first wave. This is indeed exceedingly alarming.

First nations, Inuit and Métis should know that the Government of Canada will always be there for them and they will not be left behind.

[Paul Manly, Green, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the government has reserved 414 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines with six private sector contracts. What will this cost taxpayers? For 70 years, government-owned Connaught Labs developed low-cost vaccines and other medicines. This model would ensure the financial viability of a universal pharmacare program in Canada.

Will the government return to this model of publicly owned laboratories to develop low-cost medicines and vaccines to serve the greater good?

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, that is an important question that highlights and underscores our made-in-Canada initiative for investing in Canadian ingenuity and creativity, and supports our scientists and researchers. I am proud to say that we made significant investments in therapeutics and vaccine initiatives here in Canada. For example, from Vancouver, AbCellera received our support, as well as Medicago from Quebec City. We also invested in VBI in Ottawa and, of course, in Saskatoon through VIDO-InterVac and Dartmouth's IMV.

Those are some examples of made-in-Canada solutions that we have come forward with.