Debates of Nov. 3rd, 2020

Opposition Motion—Consequences of the pandemic on Canadian workers and businesses

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, I have had the privilege of working with the hon. member at committee throughout this entire pandemic. I know he is thoughtful, he cares about his constituents, and he, no doubt, probably cares about small businesses, too.

As New Democrats, we have been calling on the Liberals to fix their rent support program for months. We heard from small businesses that the rent support needed to be tenant-driven, right from the beginning of this pandemic.

Why did it take until November to fix it? Why are the Liberals not backdating this program to help businesses that could not access their failed CECRA program from the outset?

[Majid Jowhari, Liberal, Richmond Hill, ON]

Madam Speaker, it is a true pleasure to work with the hon. member on the OGGO committee. I truly enjoy our exchanges, and benefit from his insight and his passion for the work that he is doing.

I want to emphasize that we actually did make the program retroactive, from September 27 to October 24. That modification has already been done. Again, initially, when we introduced the first program, it really focused on partnership: partnership with the provinces, partnership with landlords, partnership with the federal government and partnership with tenants. We felt that was the best model.

A lot of tenants benefited from it. A lot of landlords took the initiative to support that. Some did not. To make sure that tenants did not fall through the cracks, we modified the program and we continued to support small businesses as we learned more.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time today with the hon. member for Niagara Falls.

I am very pleased to be joining the debate. Actually, I am happy to be talking about anything right now, as we just never know when an opposition party will ask for a document from the government and it will prorogue again or perhaps call an instant election, so I am pleased to be debating this motion.

Today's motion is about supporting small and medium enterprises. There are two main parts. The first is an immediate pause to the audits of small businesses that have received the wage subsidy, at least until June of next year, and the second is to provide flexibility to the rent subsidy program, the wage subsidy program and other programs.

The first part is regarding CRA audits. It is funny that the last three interventions were all from members of OGGO. I have great respect for all of them, but the previous speaker talked about audits being a learning and helpful experience. I can tell the member and everyone listening that, having been in business, the CRA is not there to improve their business. No one looks upon a CRA audit as helpful. The CRA is there for one reason: to squeeze as much money as possible from Canadians and Canadian businesses.

I have to ask: In what world does anyone think now is the time to burden small businesses with a CRA audit? We are in a pandemic. Small businesses, restaurants and retail operations at the best of times, during boom times, have difficulty making it through. Now, during the pandemic and with closures, layoffs and supply line difficulties, the government thinks it is a great time to help Canadians out by having CRA audits. It is mind-boggling. It is beyond dumb, and it has to be stopped immediately.

The second part is regarding subsidies. It is important that the government switch from the one-size-fits-all subsidy program that we have seen and involve the stakeholders and opposition parties and listen to what needs to be done. I am glad to see Bill C-9, where the government is actually making changes to its failed rent subsidy program, but there is a lot more that needs to be done and I hope it will listen.

We have heard the leader of my party state there is no business in Canada without small business, and I agree 100%. I want to give a shout-out, though, to a government department that deserves some credit. It is OSME: the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises within PSPC, Public Services and Procurement Canada. This small agency does nothing but provide assistance to small businesses that are learning how to bid on government contracts.

I encourage all small businesses to take a look at the website. They just need to google OSME. It provides great webinars and seminars on how to bid on government business and win government contracts. The Government of Canada, for better or for worse, is the largest buyer of goods and services in Canada by far, so now more than ever it is a great time to take a look. I have teamed up with OSME to do seminars with business and cultural groups. It does a phenomenal job, and I suggest people look it up.

I am very pleased that this motion specifically mentions the restaurant and hospitality business. Before I became what author Douglas Adams calls a lizard man, a politician, I spent 37 years in the hospitality industry, in restaurants and hotels. Like many Canadians, it was my very first job. I worked as a busboy when I was 14 at the Blarney Stone in Gastown, Vancouver.

Later, I joined the hotel business and worked my way up through the business and across Canada, from Victoria to St. John's, Newfoundland, and back again. It was a phenomenal industry. It allowed me to meet and work with a lot of people from different cultures and, funnily enough, I ended up getting to serve and meet every prime minister, from Pierre Trudeau all the way up to Prime Minister Harper.

The hotel and restaurant industry is vital to Canada. It employs approximately 1.2 million Canadians. If we take the median income supplied by Statistics Canada, that is about $31 billion a year in wages that the industry provides, but more important than that, it very often provides the first job for a young Canadian: the first chance to learn responsibility and the first chance to get the pride of a paycheque.

Even more important than all of that, the hospitality industry, restaurants and hotels particularly, very often provide the very first job for new Canadians when they come here. This industry, more than any other industry, is welcoming people who have perhaps limited language and other skills, and it gives them the opportunity to provide for their families.

More than any industry in Canada and probably the world, this industry also provides a welcoming work environment to those in the LGBTQ community. My wife and I both grew up in the restaurant and hotel industry and I can attest that no other industry has provided such a welcoming atmosphere. The hotel industry was probably the very first to break the glass ceiling for women as well, long before any other industry. It is a vital industry and we need to protect it.

The Hotel Association of Canada has asked for various types of relief, and there are a couple of things that we need to work with. We have to tailor the wage subsidy program so that we do not have a one-size-fits-all program. Perhaps one could be specifically for the hotel industry. We have seen a lot of other industries in Canada bounce back, but particularly the tourism industry, restaurants, hotels, fairs and events, are probably bearing the brunt more than any other industry. There are enough people, and I am sure we could tailor a program specifically for it.

We need to develop a specific credit availability program for the industry. It is one thing to have small business loans, but the government has to realize that a single hotel, for example, is still saddled with probably $300,000 to $400,000 a year in municipal property taxes, and $30,000 to $40,000 a month in fixed costs, such as hydro, electricity and other bills, even with the hotel shut down.

We also have to fix the CERB. I have heard repeatedly from small businesses, restaurants and hotels about the difficulty of hiring people back, because they are finding it better to be on the CERB than to return to employment. Now the CERB has been great. It has helped a lot of people, but it is ridiculous that we have a program that if a person goes back to work part time and earns one penny over $1,000, that person would lose the full CERB. We need to have a system where people can continue to work more and have a clawback rather than an all-or-nothing approach.

As well, we have to address the financial crisis with our airports. We have to stop using the travel industry as a cash cow for the government. We did an Order Paper question for Transport Canada about security fees at airports, and we found that this government, from 2015 to 2019, has banked an additional quarter of a billion dollars in security fees from airports. When buying a ticket, we see the security fee, and 75¢ of that goes to actually providing security at the airport. The government is banking the rest. There is a lot the government can do to help out the businesses in the travel industry besides wage subsidies and other programs by doing common-sense things, like stop acting like it is a cash cow.

For heaven's sake, my Liberal colleagues across the way should get their act together on rapid testing. It should not be up to Air Canada to team up with companies to provide rapid testing for their customers in Toronto or Calgary. It should not be up to WestJet. The government should be on this and be providing rapid testing for airports and other communities to help out.

As I mentioned before, this industry is vital to Canada. It has been hit harder than any other industry we have seen. We have seen so many bounce back. We have seen other things improve, but the travel and tourism industries are still getting pummelled. A lot more can be done.

I hope the government will support our motion today to increase the flexibility for the programs, listen to stakeholders and, for heaven's sake, call off the dogs at the CRA. A colleague across the way said, “Oh, they're a hands-off organization”. We have seen the minister stand repeatedly in the House and brag about how she has sent people to go after tax evaders abroad. Call off the dogs at the CRA. We do not need an audit punishing our small businesses right now.

I ask the government to accept the motion, support the motion, push back the audit for the year and work with the opposition parties to improve the programs helping our small and medium-sized enterprises.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his work in the tourism industry.

One of the concerns that I have raised is with the credit card companies, especially when small operators are paying exorbitant fees and service charges. We have seen in COVID-19 much of the industry having to resort to Interac. Credit card fees are often the highest in the world. In fact, in Australia there is regulation for those fees. We have upwards of 28%, ordinary cards are at 19%. There are good operators, co-operatives like Vancity, that actually went down to 0%.

What does my colleague think about the fact that during the pandemic, credit card agencies have actually made record profits and windfalls off the backs of a lot of small businesses and operators? Should that not be looked at?

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Madam Speaker, my colleague from Windsor West has brought up a lot of great points, and I appreciate his support for the hospitality industry. Pre-pandemic, credit card fees at restaurants would often take a larger chunk of profits than the actual owner, so it is something that has to be addressed, if we are going to have a federally regulated banking system that limits competition.

I do have to say one thing. He has made a point about record profits. Mastercard, which is soon going to be, like Amazon and Apple, one of the trillion-dollar-U.S. valued companies, got a handout from the Liberal government for $50 million last year. The government has to stop rewarding banks and people like the Westons and Loblaws and start looking after regular Canadians.

[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 will save the comments in regard to the Bank of Montreal or Mastercard. A lot of assertions made by members are not necessarily substantiated with any real depth or any demonstration of appreciation of why a government would do the things that it does, even Conservative governments.

My question is more specific. When taking a look at the hospitality industry, I think it is very important that we continue to monitor that industry, because, as the member tries to allude to, some industries are much more severely impacted than other industries. That is why it is so critically important that all members of Parliament have a role to play in providing their thoughts from their communities, as businesses are impacted quite differently.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Madam Speaker, I will go back to my colleague from Winnipeg North's comment about Mastercard.

It is funny; last week we were having a debate, and he was justifying his government's corruption because there is a pandemic, and now he is justifying corporate welfare. I would say there is never anything that justifies corporate welfare, and never anything that would justify government corruption.

Regarding his question about the hospitality industry, he talks about monitoring it. The industry does not need the government to monitor it; it needs action. One of my colleagues previously talked about how the government is “A for announcements, D for delivery”. Here is another example. We do not need monitoring. There are 700,000 unemployed in the hotel and restaurant business, families losing their livelihoods, and small restaurants and families losing their companies. We need action from the government now.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Madam Speaker, my colleague and I have something in common that I do not know if he realizes. I also come from a tourism background. I used to run a restaurant with my family on the Cabot Trail. I am keenly aware of how much the tourism sector has suffered in this pandemic and how much it is at risk. I certainly know that in my community in British Columbia we were told that the Western Diversification Canada office would have adequate funds to help the tourism sector. Those funds ran out in an nanosecond.

I ask my hon. colleague if he thinks the motion brought forward today by his party is adequate to meet the needs of the tourism sector.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Madam Speaker, I used to run a hotel in Victoria. My wife used to run a hotel in Victoria as well, so we know the area very well.

The hon. member has a great point about Western Diversification Canada. We saw earlier one of my Liberal colleagues get up and brag about how much the government was doing, saying they had spent $97 million in Alberta. That is like $25 per person, and it is one tenth of what the Liberal government was giving in corporate welfare to its friends at WE Charity.

Obviously, the government has its priorities messed up. It needs to focus on Canadians and small businesses, and not those connected to the Liberal Party.

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

It is my duty, pursuant to Standing Order 38, to inform the House that the questions to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment are as follows: the hon. member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, Ethics; the hon. member for Edmonton Strathcona, Post-Secondary Education; and the hon. member for Calgary Midnapore, Aviation Industry.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to support the motion, as it is one of great importance not only to my constituents but in fact all Canadians, as we look to address and combat the impacts of COVID-19.

We are now eight months into this enduring pandemic, with no immediate end in sight. That is why it is so troubling, as Canadians wait for the Liberal government to announce an economic recovery plan, one that lays a path forward without compromising health and safety.

While much focus has been on the well-being of Canadians, as it rightly should be, our Canadian economy also deserves attention. In particular, it has been Canadian workers and small businesses, especially in the restaurant, hospitality and travel and tourism sectors, who have been hardest hit.

As member of Parliament for Niagara Falls and special adviser to the leader on tourism recovery, I have held many Zoom meetings with business leaders and other travel and tourism stakeholders to hear their concerns, challenges and what it is they need to survive through this pandemic so that they can one day achieve recovery.

There are increasing concerns, frustrations and anxiety from these stakeholders who are waiting on the promised extensions and amendments to key support programs, including the Canada emergency wage subsidy, the Canada emergency commercial rent assistance program and the Canada emergency business account.

The longer the Liberal government delays, the more concerned these stakeholders become, the greater their frustration mounts and the higher their anxieties rise. It is by no coincidence the Liberals announced Bill C-9 merely one day before we were about to begin debate on this very important motion. As with many of the key economic programs it has developed, the government has come to the table a day late.

Many of these stakeholders also point to the existing federal government policies as a source of their troubles and frustrations. Although we must talk about the needed legislation to support small businesses, we must never lose sight of the source of their desperation in the first place. It was the design flaws in these Liberal programs that added to the confusion, burden and negative consequences suffered by many in our travel and tourism industry.

What is needed now is a way forward, a plan for recovery that does not compromise the health and safety of Canadians. In fact, research conducted by McKinsey & Company, in collaboration with Destination Canada, indicated that without government investment 61,000 tourism businesses are projected to fail and 1.66 million tourism sector employees could be laid off.

It is incumbent on our federal government to get business supports right and implemented in a timely manner. It must also present a much-needed tourism recovery plan. This plan is long overdue. Many stakeholders have emphasized how far behind Canada is compared with some other countries like the United Kingdom and countries in the European Union. This is especially true when it comes to the development and implementation of tools such as rapid testing, which could reduce the negative impacts the 14-day mandatory quarantine has on businesses in the travel and tourism sector.

The “hardest hit” campaign launched by the recently established Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses warns that jobs are at risk if current policies and conditions remain the same. This group is asking for the wage subsidy to remain at 75% until the summer of 2021. I understand the government is proposing a maximum of 65%. Is the Liberal government even listening?

We need to listen to businesses now and deliver the programs they so desperately need to avoid many of them failing and permanently closing. The longer this pandemic drags on, the more apparent it becomes the Liberal government is in a state of policy confusion. Although the policy environment is quickly changing and extremely dynamic, the Liberal government fails to keep up, consult, adapt and change with it.

This is even more frustrating to see when we know of businesses and industries that are desperately trying to forge ahead with their own responsible solutions in the interest of their very own survival. According to Restaurants Canada, its membership has invested over $750 million in training, sanitizer stations, PPE, air purification systems and other protective equipment, all designed to provide the highest levels of safety to their customers. Despite these investments, this sector has seen a loss of 188,000 jobs and recent closures could see that number rise by another 100,000 jobs.

We can also look at the rapid testing pilots under way in our aviation industry to see the innovative leadership taking place there as well. Great work is being done by private sector actors at the international airports in Toronto and Vancouver. Work on innovative solutions like these is very much needed and needed now. Solutions could be achieved so much quicker if these industries had a willing and enthusiastic federal government partner to work with.

The first wave of COVID-19 has slammed our Canadian tourism and travel industry. The sector was hit first, it was hit hardest and it will take the longest to recover. Casualties from this pandemic are not just measured by those infected by this virus and the lives sadly lost. They are also measured by the livelihoods destroyed when businesses are forced to permanently close through no fault of their own.

How many more sacrifices can Canadians be told to make by the Liberal government as it continues forward without any plans for a recovery or any sense of urgency in providing the promised supports businesses need to survive?

I come from a tourism community where 40,000 people work in this sector. There are over 16,000 hotel rooms in our riding to accommodate the over 14 million visitors who traditionally would visit each year. Most of these people have been out of work since March. Their employers are heavily leveraged, they have spent their reserves and now face increased insurance premium renewals, some running at double and triple regular rates.

These challenges are not just happening in Niagara but across our entire national travel and tourism industry. In fact, Destination Canada is even forecasting that we should not expect to see a recovery to 2019 tourism levels until 2024. In its October 2020 “State of the Industry” report, it says that this would be a catastrophic loss for our economy. This would be devastating for the almost one in 10 Canadians who work in our travel and tourism industry.

Considering the dire strait of travel and tourism across Canada, it is only appropriate that my colleague from Calgary Rocky Ridge has introduced this timely opposition motion. The motion is very important. What it asks of the government is urgently needed, and urgently needed now.

As Parliament, we need to do more to support measures that adapt us to live safely and responsibly in a COVID world until we have a vaccine ready. This means balancing health and economic interests without compromising the safety and well-being of Canadians.

It also means supporting our small businesses, including those in the travel and tourism economy, with the programs they need to survive and to provide these programs in a timely manner. We also need to do more to support timely investments in innovative solutions to mitigate and manage the risks of COVID-19.

We need the federal government to present a sector-specific tourism recovery plan so our travel and tourism businesses can get through this pandemic together. We need the federal government to move quicker and to be there for Canadians when it is needed.

I have one additional quote from the same Destination Canada report, which says, “We need to help provide a light at the end of the tunnel-the November to March months are some of the lowest in terms of overall visitation. Many businesses are facing decisions on whether to stay open over the next months.”

This is a call to action and so too is our motion. Canadians want to get back to work and they are looking to Parliament for timely and critical solutions. Now is the time to deliver.

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

Madam Speaker, I am curious as to whether the member would agree with me that all the ideas being presented here today are good ideas as to how we can improve and bring in new measures to help Canadians. Does he not think this could be discussed at committee? We could really debate this and bring in witnesses instead of perhaps paralyzing the committees with work that is really not necessary. That is where it should be discussed. I would like to hear the member's comments on that.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Madam Speaker, we would not have come to this point if it was not for the intransigence in some instances and the lack of flexibility in the current programs that the government constructed. From the beginning, we have been providing timely advice to changes that were needed.

For example, the CEBA program is a great program, but we had to ask for the extension on the pay threshold. We had to ask for sole proprietors to be included. That date, May 19, was the date the Liberals said people who had personal chequing accounts could apply for the CEBA. Only last week they were told they would now qualify. We need to do better for our small and medium-sized businesses and we need to do better for our tourism economy.

[Louise Charbonneau, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Madam Speaker, I appreciated my colleague's speech.

Like my Bloc Québécois colleagues, I will support the Conservative motion. I was pleased to hear the hon. member speak at length about tourism.

Of course, hotels and restaurants have been affected, but does my colleague think that small businesses that prepare things such as weddings, shows or other events should also be considered in this motion?

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Madam Speaker, the key again is the notion of flexibility in these programs. They need to encompass more and several additional small and medium-sized enterprises, so they can benefit as well.

I have heard from several stakeholder groups that have approached the government. They are all asking for sector-specific plans. They are asking primarily for a tourism recovery plan. That is what is needed.

I look forward to working with the hon. member and all members of the House to ensure we deliver a tourism recovery plan that meets the needs of all.

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his comments on the tourism sector. My riding is on Vancouver Island and we are suffering through the exact same things. We just simply do not have visitors coming to enjoy the recreational fishing, whale watching or enjoying all the beautiful lodges and amazing scenery. We are suffering in exactly the same way.

I want to ask the member about the second part of the motion. We are asking for flexibility with rental assistance now. For months opposition members have been bringing this problem to the attention of the government. Only now are we seeing legislation in the form of Bill C-9.

Does he not find it quite remarkable that we are only just now finding action on this file and we are already in the month of November? It is quite remarkable that we have had to wait this long.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Madam Speaker, the hon. member is absolutely right. Since the announcement of the original programs, we have been asking for changes to be made. I have had several tourism stakeholders and small businesses in my riding bring forward their concerns, not only with the CEBA program but with the CECRA program as well. CECRA has been an abject failure. It is important that we get this new program up and running so we can get that support in the hands of the tenants, those small and medium-sized businesses that need it and need it now.

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Madam Speaker, as my colleagues from the Bloc and I have said, we will support the Conservative Party motion since we are convinced that it is high time that the government take action, and above all, change course.

The Bloc Québécois has long been calling for effective and productive support by proposing a comprehensive vision that is tailored to the hardest-hit sectors where the needs are the greatest.

I was listening to my colleagues' speeches earlier. It is true that the reality was not the same for certain SMEs and every sector of the economy. Some SMEs had an easier time of it due to certain favourable conditions. However, other sectors such as tourism, housing, the restaurant industry, information or arts and culture had a harder time. These are sectors that deserve better than more emergency measures negotiated on a piecemeal basis.

I mentioned a comprehensive vision. We need to think about how long the crisis will last for these sectors. Will it take one year or two for the recovery to take hold? How will we ensure that the measures are meaningful and sustainable and that no one is left out?

I want to share some figures. According to a survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business published on September 30, 24% of hospitality businesses were considering bankruptcy. That figure was 26% in the arts and recreation sector.

According to a report by the Institut du Québec, more than 30,000 jobs were lost in the information, arts and culture sector. In 2019, in Quebec, this industry represented more than 4% of Quebec workers. As far as the food and accommodation sector is concerned, more than 56,000 jobs were lost. In 2019, this industry represented nearly 6% of workers. These sectors are struggling because the measures in place are ineffective.

The Bloc Québécois has been shedding light on these shortcomings for months and has made several proposals that could help the businesses. I will not list them all or talk about making some of these measures permanent. I will provide an example, the Canada emergency response benefit. I did not say anything in the early days when nine million workers across the country found themselves unemployed and we needed to act quickly.

A few weeks later, however, it was already clear that some people had been left behind. We were the first to speak up about seasonal workers. As I was saying earlier, the tourism and hospitality sectors are interconnected. These sectors have been devastated in some parts of Quebec and Canada. Workers did not necessarily lose their jobs because of COVID-19, but they were unsure whether they would have a job to go back to because of COVID-19. It took weeks for CERB to be adjusted.

It is a life or death situation for some sectors of the economy. The second wave of the pandemic has shaken the Quebec tourism industry, which was already quite rattled from the first wave. On October 22, Tourisme Montréal sounded the alarm, noting that summer 2020 had been the worst summer in history and that spending by international tourists had dropped 95%. Montreal is a ghost town right now. The industry is suffering and workers are suffering just as much.

A number of tourist establishments plan to shut down permanently, and the Prime Minister has said twice that he planned to take specific action for these sectors. When will that happen?

What we are hearing is that they have a lot of empathy for them. Last week or the week before that, we saw the entire government stand up in celebration of Small Business Week. It truly was a sight to behold. I feel it was honest and sincere.

Aside from paying tribute to small businesses and saying they are making a difference in Quebec's economy, in addition to listening to them and meeting with them, can we not try to find solutions that will give, not false hope, but rather the hope that measures will provide structure and that companies will be able to get through the crisis, which may last for weeks, months, or even years?

We therefore ask the government to answer the question “What are you waiting for?”, because the workers of an entire industry cannot make ends meet. We need a solid long-term plan to deal with the crisis. We find the government's lack of vision deplorable. It has acted in a piecemeal manner by adopting emergency measures poorly adapted to businesses that have been largely, if not totally, confined since March.

The Prime Minister talked about the holiday season. He said that winter was going to be tough, but that we were going to have a spring and a summer. That, I admit, is not very inspiring and it does not give us much hope that things are going to change. Looking beyond the turkey or tourtière that we will be eating around the table with our families, we see many industries, entrepreneurs and thousands of workers wondering what tomorrow will look like in their sector. This is where action is needed.

The commercial rent assistance has long been a failure. The proof is that about half of the $3 billion originally planned ended up being spent, not because businesses did not need it, but because the program is too complex and poorly designed. We have known this for a long time. Last June, Quebec's economy and innovation minister criticized the program's lack of effectiveness. The Bloc has said so repeatedly. Ever since the bill was passed, we have known that it would end on September 30. Why wait until yesterday to act?

As for the Canada emergency wage subsidy, I would say it is high time they adapted it to the current context because all businesses have the same needs. Flexibility is key. Once again, I applaud the government for listening to us and introducing more flexibility, but my question, once again, is this: Why did the government wait until yesterday to announce improvements to the program?

As an aside, if it is a cash flow problem, we would like to remind the Liberal Party that it can repay the $1-billion loan it collected from the wage subsidy. I believe the Conservatives have already done so. I will let the other two parties speak for themselves.

As for the Canada Revenue Agency's audits, I think this motion is meant to make things easier for businesses, not create unnecessary stress. We therefore ask the government to adopt the motion and join those who are asking it to delay the audits. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business made the same request, which was denied.

In conclusion, the crisis affects everyone, but it does not affect everyone equally. Some sectors of our economy, some of our workers, are in more urgent need. They do not just need to be reminded of what has been done for them. They need to be told what the government is going to do for them starting now and what long-term measures the government will introduce.

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

Madam Speaker, I am pleased that the Bloc is supporting this motion, as are NDP and Green Party members.

In her speech, the member spoke about the timing. We know what happened. While mired in a sea of corruption investigations, the governing party chose to prorogue Parliament. I am wondering if the member has an answer to this question: Even though it shut this place down, why on earth did the government not spend that time in the summer preparing legislation to be tabled in September? It is now November 3, and we still do not have the details of the supports that small businesses are relying upon?

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question.

I think we all know the answer. At least on this side of the House, we all deplored the fact that the House was prorogued in August. In fact, apart from the measures adopted just yesterday to respond with greater flexibility and adaptability to needs, we know that three other measures were dropped.

Why did the government do that? It was to sweep the serious matter of the WE Charity scandal under the rug. No one will forget that. On the other hand, we must respond to the motion moved today by the Conservative Party.

[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, members of the opposition have come together in many of the statements they have made today. I want to counter their statements by providing the assurances that I think are really important.

From day one, this government has been working diligently with small businesses, entrepreneurs, Canadians in general and different levels of government to make sure we provided the types of supports that have led to the saving of tens of thousands of companies and ensured the ongoing employment of millions of Canadians. We will continue to do so. We will continue to be there.

We recognize the need for changes. In the weeks following the introduction of programs we made modifications, and we continue to improve upon programs. We want Canadians to know that whether it is the Prime Minister, the cabinet or the Liberal caucus, we will continue to be there in a very real and tangible way for all Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

This is an opportunity to provide comments or ask a question. I chose to make a comment.

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Madam Speaker, the problem is not what has been done, but rather what was not done and the delayed action.

Let's look at the Canada emergency commercial rent assistance program. It began in April, and we knew it would end in September. We have been repeating since the spring that it was inadequate. Everywhere in our ridings, people are coming to us and saying that they are being forced to shut down because the government has not been able to help them. We need to act, rather than react. The two are quite different.

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Madam Speaker, I like the fact that my colleague brought us back to the beginning of the pandemic. Programs were launched quickly and the government forgot one especially important industry.

One of Quebec's great tourism regions is Gaspé, which is located in the riding represented by the Minister of National Revenue. She forgot to include businesses in the tourism, hotel and fishing industries on the list of businesses eligible for the wage subsidy. Workers thus slipped through the cracks. Fortunately, the opposition parties were there to identify the gaps and help change the programs.

I would like to know why we should still trust the government, which had the time to take action, but still forgot about a lot of people.

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Madam Speaker, I concur with my dear colleague.

In reply to her question, I would say that we must stay focused. Trust is earned. We must always be vigilant. Like others, I would say that we are not confident about the measures implemented, because we have always had to stay focused to ensure that we do not let anyone slip through the cracks. We will be vigilant even today.

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

It being 5:15 p.m., it is my duty to interrupt the proceedings and put forthwith every question necessary to dispose of the business of supply.

If a member of a recognized party present in the House wishes to request a recorded division or that the motion be adopted on division, I invite them to rise and so indicate to the Chair.

And one or more members having risen:

Pursuant to an order made on Wednesday, September 23, the division stands deferred until Wednesday, November 4, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions.

The hon. parliamentary secretary.