Debates of Nov. 18th, 2020

Public Services and Procurement

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Proline Advantage was awarded an untendered $371-million contract for medical gowns. The problem is, that company does not make gowns.

FTI Professional Grade was awarded an untendered $237-million contract for medical ventilators. The problem is, that company does not make ventilators. This summer, WE Charity got an untendered $900-million contract to create a grant system.

Why is it so easy for this government to hand out hundreds of millions of dollars to people who do not provide the goods or services required?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, from the beginning of the pandemic, we have seen Canadians, businesses and creators mobilize to help fight COVID-19.

From manufacturers developing new PPE to individuals finding ways to bring it here from around the world, we have been able to develop solutions right here at home so we would no longer face the challenges of sourcing the necessary medical equipment and PPE.

We are very proud of the efforts that all Canadians have made, and we will continue to work to ensure that all Canadians are protected.

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last month, the government pushed for the creation of a special committee to study all COVID-19-related spending.

Since then we have learned that $371 million was awarded to just one man for medical gowns for twice the price, a man who was selling protein drinks out of his basement, not medical supplies. We also learned that the government had given $237 million, which is $100 million too much, to former MP Frank Baylis, who just a year ago was still a Liberal MP.

Can the Prime Minister explain to us why he does not want us to have this committee to study COVID-19 spending?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I know that some people watching this question period might be worried that there is a tremendous shortage of medical equipment or personal protective equipment. I can assure the House and Canadians who are watching.

Over the past few days alone, the following products have been delivered to the provinces and territories: more than 5.2 million N95 masks, more than three million surgical masks and more than one million gowns. We will continue to deliver the necessary equipment to the provinces and territories and to all Canadians in the country during this pandemic.

Official Languages

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal member from Saint-Laurent shocked francophones when she called into question the decline of French in Quebec.

Privately, we are even hearing that other Liberals believe that French is not all that important. It was the Prime Minister who appointed the member to the official languages committee, and she no longer has the legitimacy to sit and remain on the committee.

When will he do what is required and immediately replace her on the Standing Committee on Official Languages?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the member apologized for her comments.

We will always be there to protect the French language. We will always be there to protect the French fact in Quebec and across the country. It is this government that has always been there to protect linguistic minorities. We have always recognized how important it is to have a bilingual country. For Canada to be bilingual, Quebec must first and foremost be francophone. That is exactly what we are fighting for.

We will take no lessons from the Conservative Party, which has always attacked the rights of Canada's francophones.

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am sorry, but the Prime Minister's comments are disrespectful and do not reflect reality. Here are the facts.

Chelsea Craig, the Quebec president of the Liberal Party of Canada, said, and I quote, “[Bill 101 is] an oppressive piece of legislation that has ruined english education in this province...dictating the language I speak to my coworkers in is oppressive."

This makes no sense, and that came from the Quebec president of the Liberal Party of Canada. The Liberal Party has completely lost its way.

Will the Prime Minister immediately condemn these disrespectful comments from the Liberal president, yes or no?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Party and the Liberal government will always defend our two official languages.

I am giving my hon. colleague an opportunity to affirm that the Conservative Party will only appoint judges who speak French to the Supreme Court in the future. I have made this promise as Prime Minister, and the Liberal Party of Canada has made that commitment.

Will the Conservative Party only appoint bilingual judges to the Supreme Court in the future, yes or no?

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, he claims they will “always defend” them.

The Prime Minister and his Minister of Official Languages are all talk and no action. The Liberals have been in power for five years, and for five years they have done nothing on official languages. French is not a priority for this government.

The Prime Minister should introduce a bill to modernize the Official Languages Act in the House before Christmas.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative Party has missed yet another opportunity to defend the French fact.

The leader of the Conservative Party rose in the House to answer my question as to whether he would promise to appoint only bilingual judges to the Supreme Court in the future. He did not make that promise.

Let me be clear: It is not the Conservative Party that will be there to defend francophones or the French fact in Canada. As always, it is Liberal governments that will do so.

Telecommunications

[Pat Finnigan, Liberal, Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB]

Mr. Speaker, today more than ever, Canadians need to be connected to high-speed broadband Internet. That is essential because more and more Canadians are working, attending school and accessing important services such as telehealth from home.

Can the Prime Minister provide an update on the universal broadband fund and how it will improve connectivity for all Canadians?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Miramichi—Grand Lake, who is absolutely right.

Canadians rely on the Internet to help them connect to resources and loved ones. That is why we announced a $1.75-billion investment to give all Canadians access to high-speed Internet. That will connect nearly 400,000 more households to high-speed Internet, particularly in rural areas. This is the biggest federal investment of its kind, and it will really make a difference in people's lives.

Health

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we are reaching epidemic levels of suicide in our country. The Prime Minister's own cabinet has acknowledged that suicide is on the rise and that we face a mental health crisis.

Last week, the Prime Minister told Canadians who were feeling anxious or overwhelmed to call 211. Again, for the record, 211 is a directory. It is not even available in all regions of our country and it is not a national suicide prevention hotline.

Is the Prime Minister comfortable with telling Canadians in crisis to please hold?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we need to be there for Canadians when they need us the most. Canadians deserve access to mental health services regardless of where they live or when they need help.

We are having discussions with partners on how we can help more people get the access to the help they need. We are open to having discussions about a consolidated hotline. We will work with members of the House on how we can continue to support Canadians through this pandemic and beyond.

This pandemic has exposed many challenges in our society that we will continue to fix, not just for now but for the years forward as well.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the U.S. has taken real action on suicide prevention by moving to a 988 national suicide prevention hotline. The Prime Minister has said over and over again in question period about protecting Canadians and saving lives. Therefore, this is a simple question. The time for him to step up is right now and it is right here.

Will the Prime Minister do the right thing, commit to working together in a bipartisan way and bring 988 to Canada, yes, or no?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Yes, Mr. Speaker, we are committed to working together to figure out how to best serve Canadians suffering from mental health challenges. In the very beginning, in 2015, we brought in record investments to the provinces on mental health.

We have continued to work, including during this pandemic, on increasing the funding for Kids Help Phone by $7.5 million, by reaching out to the United Way to help it provide more services, but we are always happy to do more.

I look forward to working with the hon. member on this issue and making sure we are getting the very best help to Canadians that we possibly can.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, there are rare occasions where I agree with the Prime Minister. We do need to be there.

We all know that mental health issues have been aggravated by COVID-19. We all know that a single point of contact for those in need in their darkest hours will save lives. Isolation has already been a death sentence for too many. All MPs in the House know members of their families, their communities and even their political families who have been struggling. We have an opportunity to work together for the mental health and well-being of all Canadians.

Will the Prime Minister join our effort to have a 988 hotline national by Christmas?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have made many investments in mental health. We have made many investments in programs that offer supports, from Kids Help Phone to the United Way to others. We are happy to work with all members of the House on something, yes, indeed, we can all agree on. We need better supports and we look forward to working with members to figure out exactly what that is and how we can get it delivered to Canadians.

Digital Services

[Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as Canadians we take our digital privacy seriously, and there has been good reason for increasing concerns about how that data and personal information is being collected and used.

In a fast-moving digital world, we need both strong privacy and digital rights and a strong regulator to enforce them.

Could the Prime Minister tell my constituents and all Canadians how our government plans to modernize and strengthen Canada's digital privacy laws?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Beaches—East York for his tireless advocacy on this important file.

To be competitive and to recover from the effects of this pandemic, our economy must harness the power of data while at the same time protecting the privacy of Canadians. Canadians deserve more control and greater transparency over how companies handle their personal information. This is why we are proud to introduce the consumer privacy protection act, which would establish Canada as a global leader in protecting digital privacy.

COVID-19 Emergency Response

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

Mr. Speaker, the pandemic has been very hard on everyone, but some segments of the population have been hit harder than others.

Women, young people and racialized people are more severely affected by this crisis. The progress women have made in the workforce has regressed. Unemployment among young people is approaching 20%. In some racialized communities, unemployment is over 30%.

How does the government plan to help these young people? How does the government plan to help our young people regain confidence and hope for the future?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question.

We are also very concerned about this situation. The pandemic is harder on the most vulnerable. That is why we have been there all along to support women, young people and minority communities. We will continue to support them.

I thank all the members who have pointed out that we need to do more for certain communities. We will continue to invest to get everyone through this pandemic and to ensure that the world is a better place when the crisis is over.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

That is all the time we have for oral question period.

I think we have a point of order from the member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie.

Official Languages

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

Mr. Speaker, if you ask the House, I think you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move:

That the House recognize that the status of French remains fragile and that the use of French is declining in Quebec and Canada and call on the government to commit to developing an action plan together with the provinces and territories to better protect and promote French in Quebec and Canada.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

This being a hybrid sitting of the House, for the sake of clarity, I will ask only those who are opposed to the request to express their disagreement.

Accordingly, all those opposed to the hon. member moving the motion will please say nay.

There being no opposition, the House has heard the terms of the motion. All those opposed to the motion will please say nay.

There being no dissenting voice, I declare the motion carried.

(Motion agreed to)