House of Commons Hansard #37 of the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was questions.

Topics

Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

4:20 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand at this time.

Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

4:20 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

Is that agreed?

Questions Passed as Orders for ReturnsRoutine Proceedings

4:20 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

The House resumed consideration of the motion.

Proceedings of the House and CommitteesGovernment Orders

4:20 p.m.

Regina—Qu'Appelle Saskatchewan

Conservative

Andrew Scheer ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, just before question period I was talking about the effect of all the accumulated debt. I would like to go back to that, but I want to touch on a few things that came out of question period and in the debate we have had today.

As it relates to the global reaction to the coronavirus COVID-19, there are a lot of questions about the role of the communist government of China, how it suppressed information in the early days, how it punished whistleblowers. Doctors who were uploading videos warning the world about the dangers of this virus suddenly disappeared. Those are people's spouses, brothers, sisters, children. They are gone. We know what happens to people who disappear in communist countries. We can only hope and pray that those individuals will be unharmed and freed soon.

What happened today in question period was very upsetting. I put it to the Prime Minister several times that this would be an opportunity for him to condemn the actions of the communist government of China, violating the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong, not to express concerns, not to issue a statement calling for a de-escalation but calling out wrong as it exists, calling out evil as it exists. The refusal to do so diminishes and downplays the egregious attack on the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong in which the PRC has engaged. It makes it seem like this is a normal dispute.

Canada raises concerns all the time about things that are going on around the world. Raising concern is a very polite diplomatic expression. Condemning the actions of the PRC is what is required to send a clear signal around the world that freedom-loving countries will stand together against this aggressive act. The Prime Minister refused to do so.

The government talks a good game often, but when the chips are down, when real action is required, this is what we saw today. It was an opportunity to send a clear condemnation. It would also send a signal to the people of Hong Kong that they were not alone. There are hundreds of thousands of Canadian citizens in Hong Kong who are now having their rights and freedoms infringed. They are looking to the government to be their voice, and the government has failed to do so.

Therefore, I hope that in the coming days, the pressure that the opposition party puts on the government will reluctantly force it to do the bad thing. We know that is one thing which the Liberals pay attention to, when public attention starts to shift, the Liberals say, “You didn't like our principles before, well how about these ones.”

The Liberals are now claiming that they have been raising some of these concerns about China. Let us not forget that for the past almost five years now, the government has pursued a policy of appeasement as it relates to the PRC. The Prime Minister went over to China in pursuit of a free trade deal, despite the fact that many people were warning about a free trade deal with a country that has so many state-owned enterprises, that subsidized, that used state-owned companies to pursue the political goals of the government of China; despite the fact that the companies that operated in China did not face the same environmental or labour standards as they did here; despite the fact that those companies were not subject to the same accountability and disclosure laws that we had in Canada. Of course, the Prime Minister, who was given a loving nickname of “little potato” by the PRC, came home empty handed. Therefore, he even failed to achieve his own objective. We disagreed with the objective, so we were glad he came home without a deal, but it displayed the little respect that other world leaders had for the current Prime Minister.

We are going to keep it up, but remember the Liberals started out trying to pursue that free trade deal and then along the way the government of China put blocks on our exports. The Chinese blocked our canola exports and they threatened to take similar action. All the while, two Canadian citizens are being held illegally. We would think the Prime Minister would do something.

I wish we were having a debate on whether the reaction of the Liberal government was appropriate. I wish I could say that these are our ideas, that they have their ideas and let us have a debate about whose ideas are better to stand up for Canada to show the government of China that there are consequences for violating international rules of law.

The Liberals have done nothing. We cannot debate their ideas versus our ideas because their idea is to continue to do absolutely nothing. Worse than that, they are continuing to pursue the policy of appeasement, which includes taking over $250 million out of the Canadian economy, out of the pockets of Canadian taxpayers, to build roads and bridges in other countries to further the interests of the PRC.

The communist government of China has a belt and road policy. It is expanding its reach. It has a game plan that has been put to use where it builds critical infrastructure in developing countries. When those countries face any kind of financial difficulty or are unable to pay, it freezes those assets and now it has footholds in different regions around the world. We are very concerned about the string of pearls policy of the government, which is aimed at encircling another democratic country in the region, India.

The Conservatives are going to keep up the pressure. We hope the government will listen to us. In the next election there will be a clear contrast before the Canadian people, the continue to do nothing approach of the Liberal government and letting farmers, exporters of canola and other products down, letting down the two Canadians who are being held illegally and letting down people in our country who want to see Canada be that champion for human rights and freedoms around the world. We are going to keep up the pressure on our end.

When I was speaking to the motion before, I was talking about the fallacy of the Liberal government's usage of the debt-to-GDP ratio as a way of assuring Canadians not to worry. Just before question period I was talking about how the federal government debt was just but one small part of that debt-to-GDP ratio. The federal government debt is just one saddle on that horse, the engine of our economy that has to pull everything along.

In addition to federal government debt, we have provincial debt and we have corporate debt. We also have individual debt. At the very least, we should stop saddling the horse with more debt. We should stop putting more and more weight on it.

In the meantime, when we are thinking of how we emerge out from this downturn, we need to be thinking about how we can supercharge the economy, how we can really tap into the entrepreneurship and hard work of Canadians, freeing them to do what they do best and have done best through history. That is where we really get into a debate over the role of government.

That is fundamentally the biggest difference between Conservatives and Liberals, whatever we call ourselves at any particular moment in time. In Canada, it is Liberals and Conservatives. In other countries, the political parties have different names. However, throughout human history, the role of government has been the essential question.

The problem is there are so many people who confuse society and government. They blend them together. They think that if we want society to be a certain way or to do a certain thing that it is the government's job to do that. In reality, the two could not be more different. Not only are they different in substance, in nature, but their origins are different. Where society comes from is diametrically opposed to where government comes from.

Society comes from the positive elements of human nature, the good aspects of human nature. Society is built around human beings interacting in a positive way: a buyer and a seller, friends getting together, a group of people with common interests creating a club or a society to enjoy music, literature or the arts. That is what society is. Society is people coming together in a positive way.

Government comes out of our fallen nature. Because we are fallen beings, government is created to address that aspect of human nature. It is there to protect people from the negative aspects of human nature. Therefore, we have a police, we have courts and we have institutions to ensure nobody falls through the cracks. If individuals themselves are not able or willing to be generous to look after those who cannot help themselves, then government steps in to provide for those gaps in society. However, by definition, it is a creature of our fallen state.

Therefore, we should not put all our faith in that government, or in any government, because the nature of government is so much different than society.

I was walking down the steps here and I saw a book that I read a few years ago. It is a fantastic book and I wish more people in government offices read the book. It is called Economics in One Lesson. Some of my colleagues may have read it. I will go into that in a moment, but I want to make a further point about the role of government.

We know that perfection is not for this side of eternity. We know that. Because of human nature, we are never going to create a perfect society. We can always try to do better. We can always try to improve upon ourselves and challenge ourselves individually and collectively to do that. I often get asked to participate in the National Prayer Breakfast, and I have. When I was Speaker, I enjoyed being the honorary chair of the National Prayer Breakfast. As the leader of the opposition, I have been honoured to participate as well.

I used to always tell the organizers of the National Prayer Breakfast that there really was no bad time to pray. The start for the National Prayer Breakfast was at 7:00 a.m. I used to always make the point that we could have a national prayer afternoon tea, we could have a national prayer brunch or we could even do it in the evening, a national prayer cocktail hour, but they never took me up on my suggestions.

When I was asked to give a talk this year, I found a passage in scripture that I think best illustrates this point about the role of government and how government itself comes out of our inability to be perfect beings, that because of that, government is a necessary evil. If we look at the first book of Samuel, chapter 8 to the end of 18, we see that the Israelites ask the Lord for a king. They want to be like other nations. They ask God to choose one of them to be king so they can be like other countries and they will have all the majesty that comes with having a worldly king. Samuel goes and tells this to God and this is what happens next.

This is the first book of Samuel, chapter 8, verse 10:

Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants...He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

I would take 10%. That sounds like a steal. That is a bargain compared to what the government has imposed upon Canadians.

I will conclude, and I know that probably brings a lot of joy to those on the opposite side, who do not want freedom as much as we do. I heard a member for the NDP say something a few minutes ago, talking about being on the side of people, but he misses a massive point here.

The NDP and the Liberals always say, and Margaret Thatcher summed this up perfectly, their slogan is "Power to the People", but what they really mean is "Power to the State". They really mean power to the government. They do not actually mean to empower people. To empower people is to give them freedom, to give them choices and to give them options. That is what real power to the people means. It means getting the government out of the way. If people have a better widget or a better mousetrap, let them innovate, expand and excel and take their ideas, combine it with their industry and combine it with the capital they may have raised from their friends and family or the public. That is what creates wealth and prosperity. That is what true freedom is.

Let us never forget that free markets are just as much a democratic institution as other aspects of our society. When I was Speaker, I met President Sarkozy in Paris, France, at the height of the financial crisis. He talked about an irony: Before the financial collapse of 2008, a lot of corporate executives were not trying to see him, but in the aftermath of the downturn, there was a path beaten in the lawn from their offices to his office. He told them that if they wanted support from the government, they had to recognize that the government was there on behalf of the people. I remember saying to him that the free market itself is an expression of intent and an expression of what the people want. When people are free to choose for themselves, when they have the ability to go about their business with minimal government impact, they can express themselves in many different ways.

That is what we have lost in this country. The Liberals are so good at forcing the conversation so that it always includes an expansion of government control and government power. We have seen it time and time again.

There is a great quote in a movie I am very fond of, The Usual Suspects, from Kevin Spacey. Near the end of the movie, he says, “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.” There is a kind of parallel there to big-government Liberals. Once the government provides a good or a service, they trick people into thinking that if the government did not provide it, it would not get done.

However, we know the history of human beings is exactly the opposite of that. It is almost always the case that society comes up with solutions to challenges and then government comes along, gets in the way and taxes and regulates them to the point that it has to step in in many situations. It then tells people that if the government was not doing it, it would never get done.

We know that is not true. When we look back at the course of human history and at the quality of life we have today, would my colleagues rather live at any other time in history? Was there ever a time when every single human being had it so good? We have the ability to get fresh fruits and vegetables in the winter. We have the ability to communicate with people around the world instantaneously. Modern medicine is curing diseases that took out millions of people just two or three generations ago.

My wife's grandmother is still alive, and she tells stories about digging a hole in the backyard and putting a block of ice on a little shelf. That is where she would store fruits and vegetables for as long as they would last. Almost everything was pickled or preserved for the winter. That was her quality of life. I can speak to someone who lived that lifestyle just a short while ago, but because of free market capitalism, we have seen a massive expansion, a massive increase in our quality of life. That is what the Conservatives will be arguing for in the future to get us out of the negative consequences of this pandemic.

Under the previous Conservative government, when we adopted a low-tax strategy, we lowered taxes every way the government collected it. We left more and more money in the economy. We had a one-for-one rule for government regulations. For every rule that was drawn up in boardrooms in Ottawa that had to apply across the country, many of which were outdated or duplicates of provincial regulations, one had to go out, to prune the growth of government, to leave more of our economy to the free market. We invested in critical infrastructure that had the potential to, and even did, open up new markets, like bridges, roads and ports. All across the country there are concrete examples of the previous Conservative government's strategic investments to maximize the growth that would come along with the tax cuts and the reduction in regulations.

What about the results? Under the previous Conservative government, the number of children living in poverty fell by 31%, the biggest reduction on record. Our tax cuts helped lower-income Canadians. In fact, the Parliamentary Budget Officer and financial experts agreed that the overwhelming beneficiaries of our economic policy were low-income Canadians. The real median wage went up by 8.6% and 12% for women, meaning a person earning a median income saw an increase of over $3,800.

Under the current Liberal government, wages have barely budged, up just 2%. What does that say about its economic policies? That is one of the biggest problems about the government: It hurts the very people that it claims it tries to help. That is always the problem with big-government leftist programs.

With the carbon tax, not only did emissions go up under a program that was supposed to reduce them, but it hurt rural people the most and people with lower incomes. Cancelling popular tax credits made it harder for parents to keep their children in activities and sports. After the Liberals changed the tax code, the richest Canadians actually ended up paying less. They have raised CPP premiums. That is a payroll tax. The percentage of that increase hits those with lower incomes more than it hits those with higher incomes because of the ceiling on CPP taxable benefits.

Remember the Prime Minister's attack on small business owners? I heard from so many women entrepreneurs who said that every legitimate tax tool that they were trying to use to grow their businesses or take over from their families demonized them. The Prime Minister called them tax cheats. Of course, all that borrowed money comes with a massive cost.

There is a difference between the two approaches. On the Conservative side, we put our faith in people, recognizing that society is bigger than government. I hope members opposite can appreciate this. Look at the calamity that has happened with just three months' worth of lockdown in Canada. Look at the economic consequences. I hope this allows the Liberals to realize that no amount of government spending can ever replace the power of the free market private sector in this country or anywhere else around the world. As history has proven time and time again, freedom, liberty and democratic government are the surest path to prosperity.

In the days ahead, other opposition parties may want to shirk their duties, but my colleagues and I were elected to do a job and we are going to continue doing that.

Remember the first time this House came together after March 15? The very first thing the Liberals tried to do, effectively, was to sideline Parliament, giving themselves unprecedented powers to tax, borrow and spend. No other government in Canadian history had tried to do what the Liberals did. Their reaction when they were caught was telling. They said it was fine; it is how this is supposed to work. They are supposed to try for unprecedented power grabs. Then the opposition should rap their knuckles and they should come up with a compromise that may not give them everything that was being asked for but has more than they had before.

The Liberals have used this crisis to benefit themselves politically, and that is what they are doing again today. Sidelining Parliament is a similar move, reducing the effectiveness of elected representatives during a time when we need more oversight and accountability. Every single time the House has been together, the Conservatives have improved government programs. We have improved their legislation, we have identified gaps and weaknesses and we have gotten better results for the Canadian people. Ultimately, that is what this exercise is about.

Even if it may not be in the House, should the Liberals get their way, the Conservatives will continue opposing the government's destructive taxes, reckless spending and dangerous borrowing. We will continue to stand up for the most vulnerable among us. We will continue to fight for a strong, united Canada that is a force for good in the world. We will respect the sacred trust and this institution.

We will work on behalf of Canadians. We will do everything we can to defend this democratic institution that has served this country so well through so many challenges in the past.

Proceedings of the House and CommitteesGovernment Orders

4:45 p.m.

Mississauga Centre Ontario

Liberal

Omar Alghabra LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister (Public Service Renewal) and to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs

Mr. Speaker, I almost enjoyed the speech from the Leader of the Opposition. With his philosophical meandering, it almost felt like a farewell speech, but it was really interesting.

I want to get back to the point. I agree with him that Parliament is an essential service for Canadians. One of the first committees that convened during the pandemic was the procedure and House affairs committee. My colleagues and I consulted experts and presented a report that outlines a road map that would allow Parliament to be fully functional.

How does the opposition leader reconcile saying, on one hand, that he does not want 338 MPs here with saying, on the other, that he is not willing to consider any other option? How does he suggest giving all MPs the ability to vote if Parliament becomes fully functional without asking all MPs to be here?

Proceedings of the House and CommitteesGovernment Orders

4:45 p.m.

Conservative

Andrew Scheer Conservative Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member raises an issue that we identified, as early as April, as one of the things we could all be working together to solve if we agreed on the principle that Parliament should sit. We could have spent the last few weeks on this. Instead of arguing as to whether Parliament should sit, we should say, yes, we will sit.

How do we tackle that? How do we make sure that a member who cannot come to Ottawa because of a health concern or because of a travel concern—

Proceedings of the House and CommitteesGovernment Orders

4:45 p.m.

Liberal

Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga Centre, ON

That is what PROC did.

Proceedings of the House and CommitteesGovernment Orders

4:45 p.m.

Conservative

Andrew Scheer Conservative Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK

We have not been doing that. What the member forgets is that the government drew a line in the sand the last time we were trying to get parliamentary sittings. It found complicit parties in the Bloc and the NDP, and was able to sideline Parliament so that it did not need to tackle these types of issues.

There are a number of options we could look at to satisfy that, but we do not believe the solution should be no parliamentary sittings.

Proceedings of the House and CommitteesGovernment Orders

4:45 p.m.

Bloc

Denis Trudel Bloc Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his wonderful speech. It is interesting to hear him quote the Bible and talk about the most vulnerable in the House.

Since we are talking about the most vulnerable in this crisis, I have a few interesting figures on the situation in Quebec. We recently learned that, in the past two months, 300,000 people in Quebec used a food bank for the first time in their lives. In April, 150,000 households in Quebec could not pay their rent, and that is after getting the CERB. In May, 10% of Quebeckers could not pay their rent, including 15% in Montreal. Those are the most vulnerable people in our society. Those are the ones left behind in this pandemic.

Unfortunately, I do not see either the Liberals or the Conservatives on the list of the most vulnerable in this pandemic, and yet we learned that the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party have availed themselves of the wage subsidy.

Does my hon. colleague really think that the Conservative Party needs that money, which should go to those most in need?

Proceedings of the House and CommitteesGovernment Orders

4:45 p.m.

Conservative

Andrew Scheer Conservative Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK

Mr. Speaker, I will take no lessons from a party that fought to keep the subsidy for every vote received in an election. The Bloc Québécois fought very hard to keep that.

As for the wage subsidy, we identified ways the government could eliminate barriers for other businesses. Many business owners cannot access that program because of useless criteria. We proposed specific measures to ensure that more businesses and workers could access jobs. We will continue to improve government programs.

Proceedings of the House and CommitteesGovernment Orders

4:50 p.m.

Conservative

Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC

Mr. Speaker, as I listen to the Liberals, what they keep saying is that we can ask all sorts of questions. I think it is important for us to again clarify the difference between a committee and the power of Parliament that we are asking for, which is so much needed. If we can sit for four days as a committee in the House in a modified way, why can Parliament not sit? We really should be sitting.

I would appreciate some clarification for people who might be wondering what is happening today.

Proceedings of the House and CommitteesGovernment Orders

4:50 p.m.

Conservative

Andrew Scheer Conservative Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK

Mr. Speaker, that is a very pertinent question.

Quite simply, what we have been using this chamber for in virtual sittings over the past few weeks is not Parliament; it is a special committee. It is a special committee with very specific constraints.

You yourself, Mr. Speaker, ruled a question out of order because it was not related to the subject matter of that special order. We respect your decision, but the problem is in the constraints that the special committee puts on you, Mr. Speaker, and on other members here, including the inability of the opposition to raise important issues using our opposition day motions to identify the gaps in the Liberals' programs.

We have told the government that a very small technicality in its wage subsidy program prevents companies that have acquired another company from accessing the wage subsidy. I have an example in my riding. We have been calling on the Liberals for weeks to fix this. There are multiple similar cases around the country.

Opposition parties in the past have used their opposition days to force government to take action. We have a Canada-China committee because of an opposition day motion. The Auditor General is going to audit the government's infrastructure programs because of an opposition day motion.

Questions on the Order Paper would provide us with vital information to understand the blunders that the government made in the early days of this pandemic. Canadian people have a right to know all that.

Again, if we can meet here, if 50 of us can come into this chamber and participate in a committee of the whole, why can 50 of us not come here and participate in a way that respects public health guidelines and fully brings back the powers that Parliament should have during this pandemic?

Proceedings of the House and CommitteesGovernment Orders

4:50 p.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have known my colleague for many years and I have never heard him speak as long. I actually thought that maybe it would all start to make sense, this bizarre cacophony that we are seeing from the Conservatives.

We heard the member tell us about the beauty of the free market, about the magical, mystical hidden hand that fixes everything, when we have been talking about the fact that there was no PPE in Canada and our front-line health workers had to crowdsource, but no, the magical, mystical market is going to make it better. He told us how we can get government out of everybody's way, at a time when millions of Canadians could not pay their rent and have looked to this House to get them support, but he is telling us that if we get government out of the way it will be great.

Why is it going to be great? Let me see. He gave us the fall of the Soviet Union. We were back in the 1970s. He had to start off with Winston Churchill. We know that whenever the Conservatives start off with Winston Churchill, we are back in the 1940s. Then of course he had to talk about China again and again, and the evil communist regime. China's human rights abuses are certainly serious, but we had to send the army into for-profit care homes to keep our seniors alive, and we heard nothing from the Conservatives about what is happening to our seniors. However, we heard about everything else.

Then the member tried to tell us that the economy was a horse. I have heard a lot of crazy economic theories, almost as crazy as the magical, mystical hand, but I had never heard that the economy was a horse.

We are in the biggest economic crisis in our history, and what we have heard from this member is a hodgepodge of right-wing gobbledygook. I am suggesting that the member is not the man for the time. He is not even yesterday's man; he is a decades-old man. I know he does not have a long time left, but he had a long time to speak. I thought he would have at least given us some kind of coherent explanation of the bizarre strategy of the Conservatives to deny action on fighting to get decent help for people in the middle of this crisis.

Proceedings of the House and CommitteesGovernment Orders

4:55 p.m.

Conservative

Andrew Scheer Conservative Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK

Mr. Speaker, I know it drives the hon. member crazy when Conservatives quote Margaret Thatcher, Winston Churchill and Adam Smith. I have no doubt he is harkening back to decades-old arguments.

The fact is that, in these decades-old arguments, he would have been arguing on the side of the Soviets. It is his economic policies that create the bread lines. Every country that has instituted the policies this member advocates for creates untold misery on its population. Those people who can, flee the countries that this member idolizes.

As for yesterday's man, it is true. Our party will select a new leader soon, and we will support that new leader.

I will say this. This member used to be a lot closer to the Speaker's chair. However, after the last election, because of the policies the New Democrats were advocating for, they are now the fourth party in this chamber.

Proceedings of the House and CommitteesGovernment Orders

4:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

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 Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, Foreign Affairs; the hon. member for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, National Defence; the hon. member for Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, Public Safety.

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4:55 p.m.

Liberal

Karen McCrimmon Liberal Kanata—Carleton, ON

Mr. Speaker, today I will be sharing my time with the member for York South—Weston.

It is an honour to take part in this debate today on how we can keep Parliament functioning in a reasonable and responsible way. There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has tested Canadians right across the country. Physical distancing has kept us apart from loved ones and from getting together in our favourite restaurants and festivals. It has tested businesses that rely on direct contact with customers, causing lost revenue and lost income for workers.

If there is something that this pandemic has reminded us of, it is that Canadians are a resilient people. We can and are adapting to this difficult situation. Canadians are creatively using video conferencing for everything from birthday parties to live streaming concerts and for doctor's appointments and job interviews. Small retailers are opening up web stores for the first time and many restaurants are adapting their menus for takeout. Many organizations are showing that their employees can work from home where it is safe, while continuing to collaborate with colleagues virtually.

Parliament must also adapt and parliamentarians must lead by example by continuing to fulfill our duties while respecting public health advice on how to stop the transmission of COVID-19. Canadians deserve a functioning House of Commons where their elected representatives can ask their questions and ensure that their concerns are heard. They want members on all sides of the House to work together to find solutions to this exceptional situation that we are all in together.

The government has put forward a motion that is reasonable, it ensures accountability and transparency and respects public health advice. The motion proposes that the Special Committee on COVID-19 will meet four days a week, from Monday to Thursday. This is an increase from the previous three days a week. The committee would meet in a hybrid format with some members present in this chamber and others participating by video conference. This will ensure that everyone can participate no matter where they live and what travel and quarantine restrictions exist. Members will be able to question the government on any matter they wish, not just matters related to COVID-19.

Through this special committee, all members can continue to perform one of their core functions, which is to hold the government accountable. In fact, this motion will provide more hours for members to question the government than what is provided during regular sitting weeks. There will be more than six hours of questioning compared to the 3.75 hours question period takes up during a regular week.

The Special Committee on COVID-19 has already proven to be an effective forum where rigorous parliamentary debate occurs, while respecting physical distancing and other public health advice. From its first meeting on April 28 to May 21, the committee has met for a total of 30.5 hours and 200 members spoke during this three-week period, most on multiple occasions. This includes the leader of each opposition party represented in the House.

Under this proposal, important parliamentary business can also be transacted when the special committee on COVID-19 meets. Ministers and members can make statements and present petitions on behalf of their constituents. The government will continue to table documents such as annual reports, which is an important source of transparency. To provide for parliamentary debate and approval of the funding for government initiatives and operations, the motion scheduled a four hour debate on any supplementary estimates and a vote on June 17.

As the pandemic continues, the government recognizes that it may need to continue to put forward for consideration by the House emergency legislation to get Canadians the help and support they urgently need. For this reason, the motion will continue to allow the House to be recalled on Wednesday to consider additional measures to address the pandemic.

I think all members of this House are united in hoping that the spread of COVID-19 is significantly reduced, if not eliminated, quickly, but our medical experts cannot predict with certainty how long this pandemic will last. We do know that the adverse economic impacts caused by the pandemic are likely to continue for some time.

For this reason, the motion schedules four sittings of the House during the summer to discuss the pandemic and measures taken by the government, on July 8 and 22 and on August 12 and 26. On these days, members may question ministers for up to 95 minutes on any matter, followed by a take-note debate on the pandemic for two hours and 20 minutes. Aside from receiving messages about bills passed by the Senate and royal assent, the House has not met during July and August in decades. However, 2020 is an exceptional year, requiring exceptional measures.

As all members of this House know, standing committees are where we conduct the most detailed examination of public policy and other issues of importance to members and Canadians. They play a vital role in the oversight of government initiatives. Since the House adjourned its regular proceedings on March 13 because of the pandemic, 74 committee meetings have been held, for a total of approximately 195 hours of deliberations.

As the government maintains a specific focus on helping Canadians get through this pandemic, the motion will provide for nine standing committees to study and report on COVID-19 issues and the government's response to it. They may also choose to study and report on any other issue they wish with their normal powers. This includes the eight standing committees that have been meeting over the past few weeks, as well as the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans. When studying COVID-19 issues, committees will have expanded powers to receive evidence that might otherwise exceed their mandate. Committee members will attend and witnesses will participate in meetings by either video conference or teleconference, allowing for the safe conduct of meetings.

Canadians have been learning how to effectively use video conferencing. So have members of Parliament. Technology is not perfect, and our Standing Orders were not designed with video conferencing in mind. For this reason, the motion provides that:

(f) the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs be instructed to review and make recommendations on how to modify the Standing Orders for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic as part of an incremental approach beginning with hybrid sittings of the House as outlined by the report provided to the committee by the Speaker on Monday, May 11, 2020, including how to enact remote voting....

The great work of our colleagues on the procedure and House affairs committee is helping our Parliament modernize in a thoughtful, incremental way. It will also leave it better prepared for future crises. This is what Canadians expect.

Parliament is essential to our democracy, but even essential services like hospitals, grocery stores and gas stations have changed the way they operate because of the pandemic. Parliament is no different. We must also change the way we operate, and we believe the motion strikes the right balance between ensuring that the members can hold the government to account and protecting the health and safety of everyone who works here during this pandemic. It is vital that Canadians have faith in our public institutions, especially during this challenging time.

Acting responsibly and caring for the health and well-being of each other is a point of pride for Canadians. Canadians are enterprising, innovative and flexible in adjusting to new realities. Parliament should be, too.

Proceedings of the House and CommitteesGovernment Orders

5:05 p.m.

Conservative

James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB

Mr. Speaker, the member for Kanata—Carleton and I both work on the defence committee: She is the chair of defence and I am the vice-chair. The Standing Committee on National Defence has not met since the week of March 9.

Even though she was talking about how much extra time we have, in this special COVID committee, to ask questions, and how it is so much better than what was offered through question period, would she admit that there is much more to work in the House of Commons than what occurs in question period?

As we have witnessed today, we are having a full day of debate, and we have this opportunity to present ideas and question each other's presentations in the House on the various motions we are dealing with.

Would she admit that, with some of our committees not reconstituted, such as national defence, we are missing out on great opportunities to not only talk about the number of troops who have become infected during Operation LASER, in their service in long-term care facilities, but also the other operations that have been changed because of the impact of COVID-19 and the global pandemic?

As much as the Liberals want Canadians to believe that this special committee we are going to hold using a virtual or hybrid system is still a better way to do accountability, will she admit that there is just so much more that is involved in Parliament than one special committee?

Proceedings of the House and CommitteesGovernment Orders

5:05 p.m.

Liberal

Karen McCrimmon Liberal Kanata—Carleton, ON

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member and I have worked together on many issues in the past. All things being equal, if we were not in the middle of a global pandemic, if Canadians were not afraid, if we did not have the significant public health dictates in place, I could agree. However, we have to set the example for Canadians, and if all other Canadians are adapting and being flexible in order to protect each other's health and well being, I believe we can do it effectively here in Parliament as well.

Proceedings of the House and CommitteesGovernment Orders

5:05 p.m.

Bloc

Yves Perron Bloc Berthier—Maskinongé, QC

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech, but I would like a clear answer. We asked a question throughout the day, but we never got a clear answer.

We are in a state of crisis, and the government has made considerable sums of money available. Now the two richest parties in the House will benefit from the Canada emergency wage subsidy, a measure designed not to achieve partisan aims but to save small businesses from bankruptcy because they drive our economy.

I would like to know how my colleague can be okay with that. When will the Liberals admit that this is a bad idea and backtrack? That money should go to businesses that really need it.

Proceedings of the House and CommitteesGovernment Orders

5:10 p.m.

Liberal

Karen McCrimmon Liberal Kanata—Carleton, ON

Mr. Speaker, we have tried to find a balanced approach. We need to support businesses and employers, but we also need to support employees. Each of our political parties has employees: That is true. Should they not be eligible for support? Should we not include them in our calculations? It is something we need to make sure we do correctly, I agree, but I think that all employees, all who make contributions to this country, should be eligible for the kind of support programs that the government is currently putting in place.

Proceedings of the House and CommitteesGovernment Orders

5:10 p.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

Mr. Speaker, I have been in the House 16 years and I have fought every government on every issue, but we are in a crisis that is unprecedented. I think that the move to go to a committee of the whole was an extraordinary decision for this Parliament to make, and I am actually shocked the government agreed to it, because it allows members the opportunity to really drill down on questions that need answering. We need answering of these questions in a much more detailed and clear way than we get in the normal House.

The normal work of Parliament is important, and it must return, but I want to say that I think the work of the committee of the whole at this time gives confidence to the Canadian people that we are all here, putting on the interests of the people we represent, to try to figure out solutions together to make Canada come through this crisis.

Proceedings of the House and CommitteesGovernment Orders

5:10 p.m.

Liberal

Karen McCrimmon Liberal Kanata—Carleton, ON

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is right. I think we can find a way to work together and come up with solutions that best serve Canadians. We can do it virtually. Canadians are smart people. They are talented and innovative. We can do it. I am confident.

Proceedings of the House and CommitteesGovernment Orders

5:10 p.m.

York South—Weston Ontario

Liberal

Ahmed Hussen LiberalMinister of Families

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues today to participate in this important debate on how we can do business as the elected representatives of Canadians in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As we know, Canadians are experiencing unprecedented disruptions to ordinary life. Across the country people have lost their jobs, or have had to temporarily step away to take care of loved ones. They face an uncertain future. How we work together as parliamentarians during this time of crisis will not only shape our present, but our future.

It is thanks to the spirit of joint work that we have been able to put in place so many emergency measures so quickly and help support Canadians during this crisis. In two short months we managed to pass legislation and publish interim orders. We also implemented measures to support temporary foreign workers and other vulnerable Canadians, such as students and persons with disabilities.

I would like to spend my time today talking about these laws and measures. I would like to begin with the Canada emergency response benefit. Through the Canada Emergency Response Benefit Act, our government is providing direct support to workers who have stopped working for reasons related to COVID-19 and is helping stabilize the economy. For eligible workers, the CERB provides temporary income support of $500 a week for up to 16 weeks and it is available from March 15, 2020, to October 3, 2020.

The sole purpose of this legislation is to benefit Canadians. The CERB was created directly in response to this immediate and extraordinary public health situation. The reality is that our EI system was simply not created to handle the effects of a global pandemic. It was not designed to cover all of the various situations that Canadian workers face.

Service Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency joined forces, and in just a few weeks we developed a fast and simple service delivery approach. The result is that we are getting urgent help out to Canadians and adjusting our policies as we identify gaps. For example, after we launched the CERB on April 6, we quickly recognized that some people were not getting the help they needed the most. We listened to Canadians.

Before going on, I would like to quickly share the latest CERB numbers. As of May 22, we have received applications from 8.1 million people and dedicated public servants have processed over 99.7% of those applications. We are already considering the next steps, with the initial CERB period coming to an end in early July. The pandemic continues to create uncertainty in our economy, and we understand that many Canadians may still be out of work at that time.

A word now about students and youth. We recognized very quickly that students and youth were facing unique challenges and that many were not eligible for the CERB. That is why we announced comprehensive support for post-secondary students and recent graduates, representing an investment of approximately $9 billion. An act respecting Canada emergency student benefits has enabled the four-month Canada emergency student benefit. Students who are not eligible for the CERB can receive $1,250 a month between May and August. Students with disabilities and those with dependants can receive an additional $750 a month.

We have heard a lot in the past month about how these payments might disincentivize students to work. This is not the Government of Canada's understanding of the effects of the benefit. We have heard very clearly from students, from coast to coast to coast, that they want to work and want to serve in their communities in this time of crisis. That is why our measures do not end with the Canada emergency student benefit. We also announced the creation of tens of thousands of additional jobs, including jobs in the agricultural and processing sectors through mechanisms such as our youth employment and skills strategy and the Canada summer jobs program.

Other important measures to help students during the COVID-19 pandemic include our changes to the Canada student loans program. We are expanding eligibility for this program for September. We are also increasing the value of the Canada student grants by 60% and increasing the cap on Canada student loans from $210 to $350 per week of study. These new measures come in addition to earlier measures to pause the repayment of student and apprentice loans interest-free until September 30, 2020.

If Canadians want more information on what kind of support is out there for them, we now have a new tool online called “Find financial help during COVID-19”. The tool was launched on Friday, May 22, and is helping people figure out which government benefit program best meets their needs based on their specific circumstances. For example, the tool provides people with information on the CERB and the CESB, as well as the Canada child benefit top-up, and it will be updated if or when the Government of Canada adds new measures to support Canadians during this unprecedented time. The tool is a great example of collaboration across government between the Canadian Digital Service, Employment and Social Development Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency, with the result that Canadians are receiving accurate and timely information about the supports available to them.

Before I close, I would like to briefly speak about what the Government of Canada is doing to address the concerns of persons with disabilities during this pandemic.

We recognize that some groups are significantly and disproportionately impacted by this crisis. For some persons with disabilities, underlying medical conditions put them at greater risk of serious complications related to COVID-19. Others face discrimination and barriers to accessing information, social services and health care. In the spirit of “nothing without us”, the Accessible Canada Act and to support Canadians with disabilities, we established the COVID-19 disability advisory group. This group is currently offering advice to the government on the real-time lived experiences of persons with disabilities during this crisis. As the Prime Minister has said, our government is committed to supporting Canadians with disabilities. We will have more to say about further steps we are taking to support them shortly.

We undertook the noted measures in legislation collectively, as a Parliament, with the sole aim of helping Canadians and supporting the economy. As the situation evolves, we are ready to take further action as needed. Canada's elected representatives are up to the task.

Proceedings of the House and CommitteesGovernment Orders

May 25th, 2020 / 5:20 p.m.

Conservative

Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC

Madam Speaker, I appreciated many of the comments by the minister. He articulated many of the things the government has done in response to the COVID crisis. What he really did not focus in on is what the debate is today, so I will take some of the examples.

He might acknowledge we had to rush through legislation, because we have only had a couple of sittings to deal with emergency legislation, where there was no proper review of the legislation, and then there were flaws in the legislation that had to be corrected later. If you recall, we came for a 10% worker subsidy and of course got called back because the Liberals found out that it really had to be larger, at 75%. That was because they did not have parliamentary process. What we have here today is a debate about continuing with a COVID committee. Yes, it is better than what we have been doing, but it is not due and proper parliamentary process. If they have an idea with respect to disabilities, we have a committee that does a phenomenal job. It would be able to analyze that legislation with some proper witnesses. It could expedite it and we would have better legislation, but they do not want that to happen.

I would ask my colleague this. What is his reluctance to have a modified Parliament as opposed to continuing as we are, which is a committee, not Parliament, and will not have the impact and effect of making legislation and decisions of government better for Canadians?