Debates of Dec. 8th, 2020

Justice

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Quebec Superior Court ordered the government to fix the MAID legislation by December 18, but Bill C-7 has stalled.

The Liberals prorogued Parliament for six weeks. They have only themselves to blame if time is running out. Still, it is appalling that the religious right is holding our work hostage. Vulnerable people who are suffering are waiting.

Will the government ensure that Bill C-7 is passed in time, without a gag order, and does the government think the Conservative leader should call his fanatics to order?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Minister of Justice]

Mr. Speaker, we have been very disappointed to see the Conservatives continue with their tactics to prevent the passage of the MAID legislation.

We know that the vast majority of Canadians believe that MAID is a basic human right. The deadline imposed by the Quebec Superior Court is two weeks away, and the Conservatives are trying to deny the urgency of the situation.

This is a serious situation, and the leader of the official opposition must show leadership on this.

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, our work on medical assistance in dying is being held hostage by the Conservative religious right, and this should serve as a lesson.

This illustrates why religion should be kept as far away as possible from the affairs of the state. Having a secular state is fundamental. We ought to protect and promote this value, yet the federal government is currently participating in a court challenge of the Quebec government's secularism.

Will it learn from what is happening today and stop using Quebec taxpayers' money to challenge the Quebec government's secularism?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Minister of Justice]

Mr. Speaker, we have a very clear position on that. What I can say is that we are not participating in the proceedings related to that challenge in Quebec. It is a case where Quebeckers are opposing legislation before the courts, as is their right. We are monitoring the case.

Interprovincial Trade

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Mr. Speaker, during this pandemic Canadians are ordering more through home delivery, but what they are not able to order are all the fantastic beer, wine and spirits made by our great Canadian producers. Liquor monopolies hide behind outdated rules to prevent people from buying what they want and the government has done nothing to fix it. Today, I tabled a bill to give people more choice and to free Canadian beer, wine and spirits at this critical time.

Will the government support this bill to help Canadian businesses and their workers?

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. colleague knows full well our government is committed to reducing barriers between provinces and territories. That is why we negotiated the Canadian Free Trade Agreement. We look forward to working with the members opposite to make sure we reduce red tape to create more opportunities for businesses and, more importantly, more choices for Canadians.

Youth

[Kenny Chiu, Conservative, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, pandemic job losses and economic downturns have significantly impacted young Canadians. The fall economic statement mentions phraseology like “funding for new career opportunities” and “introducing additional measures”. Here is the problem. There are no details, no timelines and no assurances for our young people to know when and if they can get back to work.

Will the minister end the platitudes and deliver details on job measures for young Canadians?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth]

Mr. Speaker, that is why our government has been responding to the needs of youth. We know COVID-19 has impacted all Canadians and certain segments disproportionately. Young people are no exception.

When it comes to Canada summer jobs, the jobs remain open and I encourage young people to apply. When it came to making sure we had a moratorium on Canada student loans, we were right there to make sure interest was not accumulating. When it came to young professional entrepreneurs, we increased funding to Futurpreneur so that young people could continue being part of the solution.

Our government will continue working on behalf of all Canadians, including students and youth. I thank the member for his concern.

Small Business

[Doug Shipley, Conservative, Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week I had the pleasure of visiting Curio Exploration Hub, an innovative new child activity centre opened by the mother of two young children, Stephanie Stoute. Ms. Stoute is a hard-working entrepreneurial woman who unfortunately, through no fault of her own, found herself opening her business during the pandemic. Ms. Stoute is struggling to survive and keep her business open. As a new business, she does not qualify for any of the current government assistance programs. Ms. Stoute has put her heart, soul and savings into this business.

Why will the government not fix these flawed programs and help Ms. Stoute?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, first let me remind Canadians that our government has put in place an extensive safety net for Canadian businesses. I would argue no country has in place as extensive a safety net to support its businesses, with the wage subsidy, the rent subsidy and CEBA.

Now in putting together our programs, we need to balance integrity measures against the pressing need to support Canadian businesses. We are always looking at ways to improve the programs and are looking at particular cases that fall through the cracks.

COVID-19 Emergency Response

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week the Government of Canada made an announcement regarding emergency loans for business owners through the Canada emergency business account.

Our government has already helped several farms and other businesses in my riding of Glengarry—Prescott—Russell by providing $40,000 loans, $10,000 of which may be forgiven.

Could the minister inform the House of other similar measures?

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Minister of Small Business]

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

We announced that businesses may be eligible for a second loan of $20,000 under the Canada emergency business account. We will continue to support our small businesses and help them deal with the pandemic by extending the wage subsidy and by supporting SMEs with our new commercial rent assistance program. We will continue to support businesses in Glengarry—Prescott—Russell.

Health

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are growing ever more concerned about the ability of the government to distribute vaccines in a timely manner. Disturbing news has emerged that hackers are working to disrupt vaccine supply chains. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in the United States is sounding the alarm. The consequences of inaction will be fatal to Canadians. What is the government doing to protect our vaccine supply from cybersecurity threats?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, we are so fortunate to have, embedded in the Public Health Agency of Canada, Major-General Fortin and 30 of his colleagues, who have been working for months on our vaccine planning, including protecting the entire chain of vaccine delivery and looking at the potential threats that exist to the vaccine security for Canadians. We will stop at nothing to ensure that vaccines are safe and protected for use in Canada.

Public Safety

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has until the end of next week to comply with the will of this House to block Huawei from using our 5G networks to spy on Canadians and undermine our national security. Our Five Eyes partners, the U.S., the U.K., New Zealand and Australia, have all agreed to restrict or ban Huawei, yet here in Canada, the Prime Minister dithers with no backbone. When will the Prime Minister grow a spine and say no to Huawei?

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the hon. colleague that we are right now in the process of doing a comprehensive review of how to deploy 5G in a safe and secure manner. We have been abundantly clear that we will continue to work with the national security experts, as well as our allies, to make sure that we proceed in a manner that protects Canadians, their safety and their well-being. We have been absolutely clear that we never have compromised and we never will compromise on the safety of Canadians.

Health

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, a critical part of our economy involves businesses that make the machinery of business. We are world-class players in this field in southwestern Ontario. Face-to-face meetings are critical for Uni-Fab, a Leamington employer that's owner wants to double its size and add 150 well-paying jobs, but they need access to Michigan. His truckers can cross the border, but the owner cannot cross without spending 14 days away from his business. No one is suggesting we compromise safety, but when will rapid testing be accessible at all of Canada's borders?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, it was an opportunity to partner with the province of Alberta to pilot a study. This study will help us to understand the best way to test people at the border and combine that with quarantine because, at the end of the day, all Canadians expect us to ensure health safety at our borders. That is exactly what we are doing. We are looking at the evidence. We are looking at the research. We will have more to say when the research study concludes.

Public Safety

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

Mr. Speaker, during the pandemic we have seen a rise in the number of hate-filled incidents where people have been harassed simply because of their race or religion. This is completely unacceptable and needs to stop. While some people view these incidents in isolation, we know that they have a broader impact on our wider community.

I am proud as the newly elected parliamentarian representing the very diverse riding of York Centre. It is home to synagogues, mosques and Black churches, all of which are too often targets of anti-Semitic, Islamophobic or anti-Black hate-motivated crimes. I always like to ensure that all of my constituents can live, worship and pray openly, peacefully and without fear for their safety.

Could the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness please update the House on what the government is doing to provide support for the security of all of our communities?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for York Centre for her strong advocacy on behalf of her constituents and in the fight against hate. All Canadians, regardless of their race, ethnicity or religion, should feel safe where they live, work, gather and pray.

Since forming government, we have quadrupled the funding under the security infrastructure program to keep at-risk communities safe. Just last week we announced in the fall economic statement that we are investing an additional $13 million to protect communities at risk from hate-motivated crimes by providing not-for-profit organizations, such as places of worship, schools and community centres, with funding. Our government will always support Canadians, ensuring that they can feel safe in their local communities, schools and places of worship.

Small Businesses

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, when the pandemic hit and front-line workers and hospitals were short on PPE and sanitizer, Canadian small business owners stepped up. Distillers and brewers started making hand sanitizer. They saved lives and many did it all for free. However, when it came time for the government to order sanitizer, instead of giving these Canadian small businesses a chance to fill some orders, the Liberals sent over half a billion dollars to multinational corporations.

Could the minister responsible explain what Canadian small businesses need to do to get the support they deserve from the government?

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, we have been very clear that we want to support made-in-Canada solutions. That is why we had a call of action to businesses across the country, and many small businesses stepped up. Presently, approximately 50% of our procurement comes from made-in-Canada solutions from local businesses. That is up from virtually 0% in March. We are very proud of supporting Canadian businesses right across this country. We will continue to work with them and promote our made-in-Canada programs going forward.

The Environment

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

Mr. Speaker, it is very tempting to ask about the Parliamentary Budget Office report from this morning, which made it clear that the TMX pipeline only makes money if all climate actions fail, but we have another hot topic. That is the government's attempts to evade the Basel Convention on the shipment of plastics and other non-hazardous waste. There are very clear rules coming into effect January 1 for Basel, but Canada is evading them by contracting with the United States, a party which is not a member of the Basel Convention.

What will the Minister of Environment do to plug this loophole?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, Canada takes its international obligations on the management of waste very seriously. Canada took a leadership role in negotiating the amendments to the Basel Convention and we tabled these amendments this fall.

The United States is not presently a party to the Basel Convention on the transboundary movement of waste. The agreement that we are putting into place with the United States will ensure that waste that moves between our countries is handled in a manner that is consistent with the Basel Convention. Through this agreement, we can ensure that waste that moves between our two countries will be managed in an environmentally sound way.

Oral Questions

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister (Public Service Renewal) and to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

Two or three months ago, when a Conservative member of Parliament on Twitter tweeted about a far-right anti-Semitic conspiracy theory about the relationship between George Soros and our Deputy Prime Minister, she apologized and deleted the tweet, so you can understand why I was surprised when I heard a member of Parliament here in the chamber, today, repeat and peddle the same conspiracy theory again.

I want to give my hon. colleague the chance to withdraw his comments and apologize for what he said here today.