Debates of Nov. 25th, 2020

Health

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Mr. Speaker, COVID-19 cases are rapidly rising and long-term care is in crisis today. The time to wait for supports is over, yet long-term care continues to be left out of federal programs. Still, there is no adequate access to rapid testing, and now Canada is falling behind the pack in receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Long-term care residents, their families and those who care for them are owed much better.

Where is the Liberal government's detailed plan on testing and vaccine deployment?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, from the very beginning, we have worked hand-in-hand with the provinces to support them in their areas of jurisdiction. We sent over $25 billion to provinces to ensure a safe back to school for kids and to support the most vulnerable, including people in long-term care facilities.

We sent the Canadian Armed Forces and the Red Cross to support the provinces in their work to keep seniors safe in long-term care facilities. We will ensure, as we move forward on vaccine rollouts, that we are again working with the provinces to protect those who most need it in the delivery of vaccines.

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

Mr. Speaker, seniors have been the hardest-hit Canadians during the COVID-19 crisis. They have been isolated from their families for weeks at a time. They have waited months for rapid testing in their communities and in long-term care facilities. Now, they are going to be waiting months as other countries get vaccines before Canada.

How many more outbreaks will Canadian long-term care homes experience because the Prime Minister did not get priority access to a COVID-19 vaccine?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, from the very beginning, we have been there to support our seniors and we will continue to do that.

We have worked with the provinces to support them in their work in keeping seniors safe in long-term care facilities. We respect provincial jurisdiction, but we were also able to step up and provide extra supports so that provinces could do more to prevent outbreaks in long-term care homes, whether it was billions of dollars to protect the most vulnerable, whether it was supports with extra PPE, or whether it is moving forward to share best practices and moving towards national standards. We will continue to be there to protect our seniors, particularly around vaccines.

Official Languages

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Party has two opinions about applying Bill 101 to federally regulated businesses. On the one hand, the Minister of Official Languages says that we must do everything we can to protect French. On the other, the member for Mont-Royal, among others, thinks it is shameful.

The Prime Minister must choose a side.

Will the government choose to act by voting with the Bloc Québécois to apply Bill 101 to federally regulated businesses?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as a proud Montrealer and proud Quebecker, I made my choice a long time ago. We will always be there to protect the French language across the country, including in Quebec.

We recognize that in order for Canada to be a bilingual country, Quebec must first and foremost be francophone. I am very pleased to recognize the efforts we have made over of the years to defend the French fact in Canada and work with the Government of Quebec to protect French in Quebec as well.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that is the problem: The Prime Minister is not prepared to take any action. When we look at what he is doing, there is no difference between him and the member for Saint-Laurent, who thinks that the decline of French is a greatly exaggerated myth.

The Prime Minister must choose between defending French and defending those in his party who are disdainful of French.

Will he choose action and vote to protect French, or will he choose inaction and the decline of French with the member for Saint-Laurent's crowd?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we are a federal government that has always been there to protect the French fact across the country, including in Quebec.

We will continue to work to protect French. We will continue, for example, to appoint only bilingual judges to the Supreme Court. We will continue to work to defend the French language through institutions and investments in culture, and by protecting all the richness of the French language in Canada, and especially in Quebec.

We are proud of the record investments that we have made in culture in Quebec, and we will keep investing.

Veterans Affairs

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on August 24, 2015, in Belleville, Ontario, someone made this promise that “no veteran will be forced to fight their own government for the support and compensation that they have earned”. Yet, since 2016, the person who said that has spent $43.5 million fighting veterans and their families in court, forcing them to fight for the support and compensation that they have earned.

Will whoever made that promise and broke it please stand up and explain to veterans and their families why he broke that promise?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, service delivery and support to veterans and their families has been our priority from the very beginning. Since 2016, we have invested nearly $10.5 billion in new money for our veterans and their families. This funding was invested in new centres of excellence on chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder, on increased financial compensation and more.

That stands in stark contrast to the Conservative approach, including from the Leader of the Opposition, which was to close offices, fire staff and gut Veterans Affairs while nickel-and-diming veterans and using them for photo ops. Our veterans deserve better. That is what we are delivering on.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Mr. Speaker, who uses them for photo ops?

The Liberals keep fighting veterans and their families in court and it continues. There are 1,400 veterans who have filed a class action lawsuit. Veterans Charles Scott and John Dowe, among many others, have their government fighting them in court for the support that they have earned. The benefit system for veterans is in complete chaos and the responsibility for that lies at the Prime Minister's feet.

Like so many other promises that he made in 2015 and has since broken, will the Prime Minister explain to veterans and their families why he continues forcing them to fight in court for the support and compensation that they have earned?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, one of the very first promises we made to veterans when we were looking to take office in 2015 was that we would reopen the nine Veterans Affairs offices heartlessly shuttered by the Conservatives and that is exactly what we did. On top of that, we invested over $10 billion in new money for veterans and their families to help them and their families through difficult times. That is what we are there for. We are continuing to pick up the pieces broken by years of Conservative neglect. We will continue to deliver for our veterans.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister should check. All of the veterans offices are closed right now in fact. Why is he not opening them up?

I was proud to work with veterans to settle lawsuits. He spent $40 million sending veterans to court and this week Legions testified that their late support is causing Legions across the country to close. Legions not only help our veterans better than the government clearly, but also they form strong communities.

Record backlogs, wait times, a Prime Minister who does not keep his commitments, does the Prime Minister still believe veterans are asking for more than he can give?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, jokes, that is what the member opposite delivers for veterans in the House, jokes about the pandemic and closures of veterans offices. That is shameful, but it is entirely consistent with what the Leader of the Opposition did when he was the minister for veterans affairs and what his predecessor Julian Fantino did when he was minister for veterans affairs. They shut down veterans offices, which we then reopened. We invested $10 billion in new money for veterans. We will be there for our veterans unlike the things that they did for veterans.

The Environment

[Marci Ien, Liberal, Toronto Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am immensely proud to rise in the House today to ask a question that is top of mind for my constituents in Toronto Centre, and I would say, indeed all Canadians who are deeply concerned about how we are going to address climate change and how we can retool our economy for the future.

Could the Prime Minister please update the House on how we can get to a cleaner future and a stronger economy?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I know the hon. member for Toronto Centre will proudly represent her constituents in the House for many years to come.

Climate change remains one of the greatest challenges of our time. That is why last week we introduced the net-zero emissions accountability act, which lays out a framework of accountability and transparency to reach the goal of net-zero emissions in a way that gives Canadians confidence. This is a fundamental step in our strategy to build a strong, resilient economy and future that works for everyone.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, let us chat with the Prime Minister about supply management.

The Liberals' compensation plan was announced shortly before the 2019 election. Cheques were supposed to go out right after the election. It has been radio silence ever since. Not a peep about compensation for 2020 even though there are fewer than 40 days left in the year. Not a peep about 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 or 2026.

This is a matter of respect. When will the Prime Minister deliver compensation to dairy, egg and poultry producers?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have always stood up for dairy producers and supply management, and we always will.

We committed to full and fair compensation in the amount of $1.75 billion, and that will be delivered before the end of the fiscal year. Beginning in August 2019, all dairy producers who applied received a cheque for the first instalment.

We protected supply management during negotiations for the new NAFTA. We have kept our promise to compensate farmers, and we will continue to do so.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is important to remind members that dairy producers are not the only ones under supply management.

There has been a lot of talk, but no answers. Egg and poultry producers have not seen a penny, despite the repeated promises of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. Dairy processors have been met with same disturbing silence from the Liberals. There has not been a word about compensation for the Canada-United States-Mexico agreement. The Prime Minister is tooting his own horn on supply management, which he only talks about when an election is on the horizon.

Farmers are tired of waiting. When will supply-managed farmers get their cheques?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, unlike the Conservative Party, the Liberal Party has always defended supply management.

We introduced the system 40 years ago, and it still works very well for farmers and producers. We will always defend supply management. When we had to renegotiate NAFTA with an American president who wanted to completely dismantle supply management, we held our own and were able to negotiate a good agreement.

We pledged to compensate supply-managed farmers, and that is exactly what we are doing.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Party made promises to everyone before getting elected.

The problem is that it never keeps its promises, except the ones it makes to its Liberal friends. The most recent people to be abandoned are farmers, who the Liberals promised to give compensation for trade agreements. Farmers are struggling and they have given enough. When will the Prime Minister keep his promise?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to hear the opposition leader say that farmers are our friends because they are.

We are keeping our promises by giving them $1.75 billion in compensation. Every dairy farmer who submitted an application has received a cheque for the first instalment. We will continue to protect supply management and stand up for our dairy, poultry and egg farmers. We will continue to be there to protect farmers across the country.

Canadian Heritage

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the community in my riding of York Centre is extremely concerned about the rise of anti-Semitism, online hate speech and other forms of prejudice, which have been extremely exacerbated during this pandemic.

Could the Prime Minister tell the House what our government is doing to combat anti-Semitism in Canada and around the world, and honour the memory of the six million Jewish people murdered during the Holocaust?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the member for York Centre and congratulate her for taking her seat in the House today.

This government has repeatedly stated that anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial have absolutely no place in our society. Earlier today, we announced that the Hon. Irwin Cotler would be our new special envoy on preserving Holocaust remembrance and combatting anti-Semitism.

The special envoy will lead Canada's delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, advance Holocaust education, awareness and remembrance, all while taking meaningful action to combat anti-Semitism at home and abroad.

Employment and Social Development

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are announcing another plan for child care. While it is vitally important that we have child care, particularly in the recovery, given that women have been disproportionately impacted, do not mind me if I do not hold my breath, given the fact that the Liberals have promised child care since the nineties. Since then, kids who needed child care have grown up and have kids who now need child care. We need a concrete action plan, at least $2 billion, to keep the existing child care spaces open and $10 billion a year to truly create a universal child care plan.

Will the government back up this announcement with real concrete action to deliver the child care we need?