House of Commons Hansard #33 of the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was products.

Topics

COVID-19 Emergency ResponseOral Questions

11:50 a.m.

Conservative

John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB

Madam Speaker, if we hope to reopen our economy and protect the health and safety of Canadians, access to rapid testing is imperative.

Countries around the world have shown that rapid testing is a safe alternative to quarantine. In fact, the head of the WHO said that rapid testing is a critical tool for governments to reopen their economies and ultimately save both lives and livelihoods, but the Deputy Prime Minister, who heads Canada's COVID response, compared access to rapid testing to selling snake oil to Canadians.

Does the health minister agree with her colleague's point of view on rapid testing?

COVID-19 Emergency ResponseOral Questions

11:50 a.m.

Dartmouth—Cole Harbour Nova Scotia

Liberal

Darren Fisher LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health

Madam Speaker, as I have said before, testing is one of the most important tools we have to respond to COVID-19. Our officials are working around the clock and, again, I want to thank the Health Canada officials for working so hard to approve new testing technologies. We have already authorized six of these tests. We can expect more as the technology develops.

EthicsOral Questions

11:50 a.m.

Bloc

Sébastien Lemire Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC

Madam Speaker, one month ago, the government asked for a special committee to study all COVID-19 spending. Since then, we have learned that Ottawa gave $600 million for medical equipment to two businesses that do not manufacture medical equipment without a call for tenders. They are two shell companies and one put $237 million in the pockets of a former Liberal MP. This has raised a lot of concern in my riding. I, too, am concerned, because since this came to light, the government has blocked its own committee from studying COVID-19 spending. It is interesting and another blatant example of the government's lack of transparency.

Can the government leader in the House explain why the government is not setting up its own committee?

EthicsOral Questions

11:50 a.m.

Honoré-Mercier Québec

Liberal

Pablo Rodriguez LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons

Madam Speaker, the government was transparent from day one. Furthermore, we are working with the different parties on everything we are putting in place and doing.

We have a minority government. No bill could be adopted without the support of one party or the other. Sometimes, all parties agree.

That is transparency. That is collaboration.

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

11:50 a.m.

Bloc

Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC

Madam Speaker, Raif Badawi has been in prison in Saudi Arabia for eight years, but a window has finally opened for him and his family. Tomorrow, yes, tomorrow, Saudi Arabia will host the G20 summit. The Saudi monarchy has a history of showing clemency when it hosts major international events.

Yesterday the Bloc called on the government to take this opportunity to request that Raif Badawi be released, but the government responded that it was concerned.

Concern is not enough. The question is simple: Is the government working on demanding the release of Raif Badawi?

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

11:50 a.m.

Don Valley West Ontario

Liberal

Rob Oliphant LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Madam Speaker, we remain very concerned about Raif Badawi. I met with his wife, here in Ottawa, and the minister is in constant contact with his family. Protecting human rights, including the freedoms of expression, thought, conscience and religion, are integral parts of Canada's foreign policy.

We have raised the issue at the highest levels and we have called for clemency on many occasions.

COVID-19 Emergency ResponseOral Questions

11:50 a.m.

Conservative

Scott Aitchison Conservative Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON

Madam Speaker, at least 400 of the summer camps across Canada employing 70,000 people are facing bankruptcy next year. Meanwhile, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business reports that hundreds of thousands of small firms have received zero support because they fall through the cracks. Every day, more and more shops, restaurants and hotels in Parry Sound—Muskoka and all across Canada are forced to close their doors.

Why has the government completely abandoned small business, summer camps and the tourism sector?

COVID-19 Emergency ResponseOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Spadina—Fort York Ontario

Liberal

Adam Vaughan LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for raising the issue of summer camps. It is a serious concern as seasonal businesses, particularly those that support youth, have been a focus of our government. Unfortunately, the support is challenging to get to seasonal businesses such as summer camps. We did provide substantial support to the non-profit and charitable sector with emergency funding. Some of this supported summer camp programs, but there is clearly more work to do on the seasonal industries and we are committed to making sure Canada's children are properly taken care of, as are those businesses.

Air TransportationOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Jag Sahota Conservative Calgary Skyview, AB

Madam Speaker, over 82% of travel agents are women whose income is totally tied to commissions from selling airfares and vacation packages to their clients. However, when airlines refund customers, the airlines automatically claw back the commission that a travel agent has earned.

Running a small business is no easy task. With the majority of this industry being women, will the Minister for Women and Gender Equality ensure that any bailout package to our airline industry protects these Canadian women?

Air TransportationOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

St. Catharines Ontario

Liberal

Chris Bittle LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport

Madam Speaker, we are aware of the frustration many consumers are facing and we have heard the voices of travel agents across the country. This is an important issue and it is why we are working with all parties to find a way forward. We will continue to be there for Canadians and expect airlines to do everything they can to compensate their customers. Our government continues to work hard to ensure that Canadians stay connected across the country as we build our economy.

Small BusinessOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Kyle Seeback Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON

Madam Speaker, last week I had the opportunity to talk to small businesses in my riding. One owner, Paul, told me that he was supposed to launch his business on April 1. Of course, that did not happen due to COVID and business has been slow since. He has invested almost half a million dollars in his business, his entire family's life savings. He is not eligible for the wage subsidy and he is not eligible for the rent subsidy because he is a new business. For the sake of Paul and thousands of businesses across the country like his, let us not have talking points.

What does the minister say the government is going to specifically do to help Paul and save his family and the thousands of businesses like his across the country?

Small BusinessOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Markham—Thornhill Ontario

Liberal

Mary Ng LiberalMinister of Small Business

Madam Speaker, helping Paul's business and the many businesses like his is exactly what we want to do and what we are doing to help them. The regional relief and recovery fund is invested with $1.6 billion across the country through the regional development agencies to help businesses like Paul's and many others.

Small BusinessOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

Brenda Shanahan Liberal Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC

Madam Speaker, since the beginning of the pandemic, entrepreneurs in my riding have been telling me about the challenges they are facing. Thanks to our work together, I know that many of them have been able to access emergency assistance that has helped them to maintain a number of jobs.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages give the House an update on the additional assistance for small businesses?

Small BusinessOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Sherbrooke Québec

Liberal

Élisabeth Brière LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Châteauguay—Lacolle for her question and her involvement with the businesses in her region, which I was able to see first-hand when I met with her and the chambers of commerce in her region.

On November 5, we announced additional assistance for our businesses, which will quadruple the funding for the network of community futures development corporations and business development centres like those in my colleague's riding by giving them targeted and technical support. Regional economies are facing significant challenges and our government is there for the businesses that Quebeckers care about.

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON

Madam Speaker, Canada is absent from the new build nuclear reactor market. The small modular reactor business is worth hundreds of billions of dollars and tens of thousands of high-paying jobs for decades. By including nuclear in Canada's energy mix, we can meet our emissions reductions targets and turn on the lights when the sun does not shine or the wind does not blow.

When is the government going to listen to scientists like Greenpeace founder James Hansen and get into the game?

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

Noon

Sudbury Ontario

Liberal

Paul Lefebvre LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources

Madam Speaker, Canada is a tier 1 nuclear nation with a sector that contributes $17 billion each year to our economy and employs over 76,000 Canadians. Small modular reactors are an innovation that could deliver safe, non-emitting energy and play a part in getting us to net-zero emissions by 2050. We are working with over 100 partners from across the country to develop Canada's SMR action plan to seize this opportunity, which will be released soon.

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

Noon

Conservative

Jeremy Patzer Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK

Madam Speaker, Keystone XL is vital energy infrastructure. It provides jobs, certainty and much-needed revenue for municipalities. It is essential for economic recovery. It also plays a key role in reconciliation.

One of the best stories about Keystone remains untold. The chief of Nekaneet First Nation in my riding is the president of Natural Law Energy, a growing alliance of first nations who have an equity stake in the pipeline, but now the future is uncertain.

Will the Prime Minister fight for indigenous Canadians and ensure Keystone XL is completed?

Natural ResourcesOral Questions

Noon

Sudbury Ontario

Liberal

Paul Lefebvre LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources

Madam Speaker, we know workers in Alberta and across the country are worried about the future of Keystone XL. I want them to know we are making the case for this project. The Prime Minister raised it on his first call with the president-elect. We will continue making the case on behalf of workers in our sector.

One of the strongest arguments for this project is that we have a government that is fighting climate change and putting a price on pollution, has committed to net-zero emissions by 2050 and is making investments to help our energy sector become more sustainable than ever. This is the record we will be able to present to our partners in the U.S.

HousingOral Questions

Noon

Conservative

Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC

Madam Speaker, the Liberal government is failing first-time homebuyers. It promised its first-time homebuyer incentive would aid 20,000 Canadians in the first six months, but it only reached a quarter of that in seven months and it does not accomplish its primary objective to improve affordability in high-cost regions. Sixteen people in Toronto used the program and one person in Vancouver.

When will the government implement housing policies that work for first-time homebuyers?

HousingOral Questions

Noon

Spadina—Fort York Ontario

Liberal

Adam Vaughan LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families

Madam Speaker, the first-time homebuyers mortgage program is designed to create a pathway to home ownership in a new and different way, which supports first-time buyers by supporting them in acquiring their down payments.

We recognized, as we rolled the program out, that Vancouver and Toronto required exceptional bandwidth and a different quantifier in order to make this program more successful. The throne speech is committed to doing this and we will see measures in the upcoming budget that will actually accomplish the issue raised by the member. Real estate values in Toronto and Vancouver are different and we need to make sure the approach is different in those two cities as well.

Regional Economic DevelopmentOral Questions

Noon

Liberal

Francis Drouin Liberal Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON

Madam Speaker, a number of measures to support our small and medium businesses have been announced over the past few months. From the Canada emergency wage subsidy to the regional relief and recovery fund to provide more support for our businesses, our government has answered the call.

The Prescott-Russell Community Development Corporation helped finance 64 businesses owned by women. Can the minister tell the House about other measures the government has taken to support female entrepreneurs across Canada?

Regional Economic DevelopmentOral Questions

Noon

Markham—Thornhill Ontario

Liberal

Mary Ng LiberalMinister of Small Business

Madam Speaker, COVID-19 is affecting all Canadians and is having a significant impact on female entrepreneurs. To address that reality, we are committed to advancing women's economic independence.

We provided an additional $15 million to support women through the women entrepreneurship strategy. The independence of female entrepreneurs is a priority, and we know that when women succeed, everyone succeeds.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

Noon

NDP

Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC

Madam Speaker, Canadians are tired of governments committing to weak targets and then missing them, again and again. They want action now, but the government keeps putting it off. Its new climate bill, while a small step in the right direction, just is not good enough. The world's top scientists have told us that we are running out of time, and the next decade will be the most critical.

Why did the government leave out the 2025 milestone target? Why is the government trying to avoid real accountability for a full decade, for the most critical 10 years?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

Winnipeg South Manitoba

Liberal

Terry Duguid LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (Western Economic Diversification Canada) and to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change (Canada Water Agency)

Madam Speaker, the bill has strong accountability and transparency provisions that include a legally binding process for the government to set and achieve climate plans every five years between 2030 and 2050.

The very structure of the Paris Agreement is based on the year 2030, as the hon. member will know, as is the B.C. plan of her province, Quebec's plan and those around the world. We will meet those targets on our path to net zero by 2050.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Madam Speaker, the government has failed to meet the warnings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The climate accountability act fails utterly to heed the warning that we have to cut emissions roughly in half by 2030 in order to keep the window open of holding to 1.5° Celsius.

By the time the climate accountability act asks anyone to be accountable, that window could have closed forever. Will the government improve this act, such that it meets the warnings of science while there is still time, for God's sake?