Debates of Nov. 30th, 2020

Orléans Business Community

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Orléans, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to give a shout-out to the Heart of Orléans BIA, which held its AGM last week, for its members' amazing work all throughout 2020.

They have done an excellent job informing our local small businesses about the federal government's support measures.

I want to send special thanks to its executive director, Tannis Vine; marketing and member engagement liaison, Rita Chalabi; and all of its board members for their engagement, collaboration and resilience.

I was also happy to help deliver, with my team, meals to the homes of their AGM participants. My thanks go to local businesses, Turkish Village Restaurant and Stray Dog Brewing Company, for their support.

I thank them for their continued hard work.

Aerospace Industry

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Mr. Speaker, we have a world-class aerospace industry in Canada. We are ranked fifth in the world as an aerospace nation, but too little has been done to champion this sector.

The long-awaited space strategy, heralded by the government, was almost two years overdue. While we were waiting for it the Canadian aerospace industry shut jobs and was forced to pull out of high-profile projects because of a lack of funding.

Now we are dealing with COVID-19, which has upended the airline industry. Canadians have been left without refunds for cancelled flights, thousands of jobs have been lost and important air routes have been cancelled. Though other governments around the world immediately offered support for their airlines, the government did not acknowledge the crisis until eight months into the pandemic.

Our aerospace sector is a huge economic driver and offers well-paying jobs for Canadians. We must continue to support and champion this sector.

Farmers' Protests in India

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Brampton North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, happy Gurpurab to Sikhs across the world. This important day marks the 551st anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji's birth, the first guru and founder of Sikhism. Today, we commemorate Guru Nanak Dev Ji's legacy of truth, compassion and justice. He promoted a life of hard work and sharing one's wealth and food. These values stemmed from the fact that he, himself, was a farmer.

As we celebrate Gurpurab, we cannot ignore the deplorable violence and police brutality that the Indian farmers' protest has been met with. All people have the right to peacefully protest, as this is a fundamental right in any democracy.

As the world watches the barrage of tear gas shells and water cannons faced by farmers, we also see images of protestors serving water and food to the very authority that is trying to oppress them.

Today, on Guru Nanak Dev Ji's birthday, I urge the Indian authorities to show compassion and respect to the women and men who feed the world.

[Tim Uppal, Conservative, Edmonton Mill Woods, AB]

Mr. Speaker,

[Member spoke in Punjabi]

[English]

Today is Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Gurpurab, meaning it is the birthday of the founder of the Sikh faith. This year, Sikhs across Canada and around the world are thinking of and praying for India's farmers, who are peacefully protesting new farming legislation. Hundreds of thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and other parts of India have made their way to Delhi.

Shockingly, along the way, these peaceful protesters were met with blockades, water canons, batons and tear gas, but they persisted peacefully. In fact, they even provided food and water to the same security forces who were attacking them.

The right to peaceful protest is fundamental in any democracy. These farmers deserve to be heard and respected. Therefore, as the world watches, we urge the Indian government to hear out the farmers because the fact is, if there are no farmers, there is no food.

Guru Nanak

[Jag Sahota, Conservative, Calgary Skyview, AB]

Mr. Speaker, today, Sikhs across the world are celebrating Guru Nanak Dev Ji's birthday, the founder of the Sikh religion.

The Sikh religion was established during a time of political upheaval and societal divides. Guru Nanak Dev Ji fought to uplift people regardless of religion, class, gender, caste or race by imploring non-oppositional ways of living with one another.

The passion and commitment that Sikhs display in all walks of life across Canada stem from his teachings. We believe in strength and equality in the face of adversity.

In my own community and across Canada, we saw Sikhs open their kitchens to ensure that our front-line workers had access to food and basic needs during the pandemic. This is exactly what Guru Nanak Dev Ji's teachings are, and we continue to live by those teachings.

From the Conservative Party of Canada, we wish everyone happy Gurpurab.

[Member spoke in Punjabi].

Polar Icebreaker Shipbuilding

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, we are very proud that Newfoundland and Labrador's Genoa Design is working with Seaspan of Vancouver, a major national shipbuilding strategy partner, as a key component of Seaspan's polar icebreaker team, along with Heddle Shipyards of Ontario.

This pan-Canadian team offers design and fabrication opportunities from coast to coast, supporting thousands of jobs across the country over the multi-year life of the program. Our world-class innovation and Arctic marine expertise are well known and respected, and Genoa and Newfoundland and Labrador can provide unmatched value to the next polar icebreaker.

We have just seen the overwhelming confidence shown our technology sector with the sale of Verafin. The sector is strong and builds on a history of leadership in cold ocean technology, R and D and marine operations, including offshore oil development.

Genoa is another gem in our province. We are delighted to see it as part of the national shipbuilding strategy, and urge the government to support it and Seaspan in their bid.

Awards Gala Sponsored by by Rivière-des-Mille-Îles MP

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my first namesake awards gala was held on November 19.

It was a memorable evening that was carried live on Télévision des Basses-Laurentides and Facebook.

This gala honoured outstanding residents of Rivière-des-Mille-Îles. I had the privilege of handing out the education award to François Paquet. The sports awards went to Stéphane Pilon, Stéphane Proulx and Mario Lanthier, and the environment award went to Danielle Lajeunesse. The arts and culture award was won by Caroline Foley. The business award went to Éric Simard, and the community and social engagement award went to Aminata Bâ.

Finally, I gave out the MP's choice award to Zaélie Charbonneau, a talented 12-year-old classical dancer who has performed with the likes of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens.

Once again, I salute all these recipients for their involvement and for showcasing our magnificent riding of Rivière-des-Mille-Îles. These people are truly inspiring.

Status of Women

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, women in Canada make up half the population of our great country, and there are many challenges facing them. We see that women have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Loss of employment, precarious work and the difficulty of finding child care or caring for parents are all issues that need to be addressed.

The Conservative Party is full of strong women like myself, who are using their voices to ensure we hear from all women in Canada: young girls who need to get excited about careers in STEM, students and new graduates who need assistance to find success in business, moms who need quality child care, working women who need pay equity and a level playing field, single women, especially seniors, who need help to afford to live and women facing domestic violence and human trafficking.

We have a new leader of our party with a vision to welcome in more women and to bring policies that will address the challenges facing Canadian women. Together, we can do it.

The Holiday Season in Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation

[Stéphane Lauzon, Liberal, Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to wish all my constituents in the beautiful riding of Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation a joyous holiday season.

I know that things will be different this year, and we must all be resilient in these difficult times. Because of the pandemic, many people will not be able to get together with loved ones during the holidays.

My thoughts go out to the essential workers who have been on the front lines helping people from the beginning. I hope that 2021 will let us spend these special moments with the loved ones we miss so much.

Happy holidays to everyone in my riding. I know this has been a difficult year. I hope 2021 will allow us to spend these special moments with our loved ones.

Health

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, after a long spending spree, the government is set to present its economic update this afternoon.

Canadians obviously expect a real plan for kick-starting the Canadian economy, but we cannot talk about economic recovery until we know what to expect with the vaccines.

What is the government's budget plan for vaccination?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has one of the best portfolios in the world. In fact, we have options on seven highly promising vaccines, more doses per capita than any other country and three vaccines in regulatory approval. In fact, I should say four, because, of course, Jannsen just applied today.

Even the CEO of Moderna has said that Canada placed its orders early and is in a really good position.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the problem is that all of the minister's figures are for theoretical vaccines, because we still do not have a single vaccine here.

Why is that? On top of other mistakes the government has made with respect to vaccination, it chose to partner with a Chinese company, and that partnership was a massive flop. As a result, the government was late signing agreements with other major companies whose vaccines are actually effective.

The economy is suffering tremendously. Canadians are losing their jobs, businesses are shutting down and the Canadian economy is fragile. We need an economic and budget plan for vaccination.

Are we going to get that plan later today?

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight the fact that we have a plan. That plan is to pursue international vaccine candidates. We have done that very clearly from day one. We have also invested in made-in-Canada solutions: AbCellera from Vancouver, VIDO-InterVac from Saskatoon, Variation Biotechnologies from Ottawa, Medicago from Quebec City—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

One moment, please.

The hon. member for Manicouagan on a point of order.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The interpreter is saying that she is unable to provide interpretation because of the sound quality.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I want to remind hon. members to wear the headsets that were provided by the House. The microphone on the headsets really works well. The interpreters are struggling at the best of times with long distances, and making the audio as clear as possible makes their job easy and allows us to hear what is being said, whether it is in French or in English.

Minister, I will let you start from the beginning so we can hear everything you had to say.

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Mississauga—Malton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we have been absolutely clear that we have a plan to support Canadians. It is a made-in-Canada initiative to support made-in-Canada solutions.

That is why we are proud to have invested in AbCellera, from Vancouver; VIDO-InterVac, from Saskatoon; Variation Biotechnolgies, from Ottawa; Medicago, from Quebec City; the National Research Council's Royalmount facility in Montreal; and ImmunoVaccine Technologies, in Dartmouth.

These are examples of the made-in-Canada solutions that are part of our plan to support Canadians to make sure they have access to safe and secure vaccines.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, regardless of whether the Liberals say it in French or English, “we have a plan” does not mean much to Canadians because they know all about Liberal plans.

Once again, last Friday, the Prime Minister embarrassed us by saying that he believed that half of Canadians would be vaccinated by September. He was quickly called out on that.

What we do know is that people in Britain and the United States will be vaccinated before Christmas. We also know that Europeans will soon be vaccinated while Canadians will have to wait.

What is the budget plan for the vaccination of Canadians?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said before, and numerous times, Canadians are well situated to get vaccines. In fact, on the weekend I spoke with my counterpart, the Minister of Health from the U.K., Mr. Matt Hancock, to talk about the U.K. and Canada working closely together on regulatory approval for the number of vaccines, many of which we share in our portfolios.

Canada is well served by the diversity of vaccines that we have purchased early and, in fact, in great quantity. Canadians can be assured that they, too, will have access to these vaccines that will bring us to the end of COVID-19.

The Economy

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve certainty, clarity and competence from their government, all of which have been sorely lacking both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Conservatives supported, with corrective advice, the range of emergency COVID programs, but those massive funding programs account for barely half the federal deficit.

Today we expect yet another rhetorical exercise in the reimagining of the Canadian economy, but where is the plan for economic recovery?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to share with the hon. member that his calculation is mistaken. He seems not to realize that the significant closures, for public health reasons, associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have also contributed to the deficit.

The reality is that, going forward, we know we had a choice to have the federal government incur the costs associated with the pandemic or to have those costs fall to households and businesses. We made the decision to step up to be there for households and businesses to ensure they could contribute to the recovery once the pandemic is over.

If the hon. member has suggestions on how we can move forward to ensure a robust recovery, my office is always open.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the economic update will surely reveal just how large the deficit has become and how deep the hole out of which the country must eventually climb.

The lack of a plan for acquisition and distribution of vaccines threatens to have a delaying domino impact across economic recovery. However, the lack of a larger plan for fiscal recovery two years down the road, three years and more is equally unconscionable.

When will Canadians get a comprehensive plan?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives seem to be defending an outdated economic ideology, we are defending the households and businesses that have reached out to us during the course of this pandemic.

If we actually want to dig into what experts are telling us, I would direct the hon. member to the testimony of the chief economist of the IMF, who explained that for countries like Canada, which are at the effective lower bound for their interest rates, the wise thing to do at this point in time is to make public investments. She described it as not just economically sound policy but, in the circumstances, the fiscally responsible thing to do.

Health

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in a few hours, the government will be delivering its economic update.

Perhaps we will find out at that time how the government plans to jumpstart the recovery. Regardless of the measures it takes, it is impossible to jumpstart the recovery if we are still in the midst of a pandemic.

It is not complicated. No vaccines mean no economic recovery. To date, the government has still not presented a vaccination plan. Perhaps it is keeping the plan a secret, but that is worrisome. My question is simple. When will the government present its vaccination plan?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, as I have mentioned, we are well situated in Canada, with more doses per capita than any other country in the world and seven promising candidates in our portfolio. Four of them, as of today, are under regulatory approval, and there is a coordinated regulatory review with multiple credible regulatory bodies across the world.

Canadians can be proud of the work their government has done on their behalf.