Debates of May 26th, 2020

Access to Information

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be part of a government that believes in investing in science, that believes in investing in research, that understands that science evolves and that a response needs to evolve with it.

We are part of a government that actually unmuzzled government scientists, that made sure we restored funding in the agencies that support our understanding, not only of this disease but many other diseases that threaten Canadians.

We will always stand up for credible information that can actually support Canadians to make wise choices about how to protect themselves and their families.

Public Safety

[Chris d'Entremont, Conservative, West Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, we understand that the Nova Scotia massacre investigation is complex due to the number of lives lost and of course the crime scenes that it has. The only information the families and the public are getting are through the media from heavily-redacted RCMP documents and it looks like they are hiding something, leading to the Premier of Nova Scotia saying that it was up to the Prime Minister and the government to call for an independent inquiry.

The gunman is dead. The families deserve answers. Will the minister of public safety ask his partners to break from the secrecy and provide information as it becomes available?

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

Mr. Speaker, the question of the member opposite is very important. I understand the people of Nova Scotia, and particularly the families that were impacted by this terrible crime, need answers. They deserve that information and we are working very closely with our law enforcement officials, but also with the Province of Nova Scotia. I am in regular contact with the attorney general in Nova Scotia.

We have been working together to make sure that we put in place a system whereby all of the people of Nova Scotia and Canada can get the answers to the important questions they have about this terrible crime. If there are lessons to have been learned, we will make sure that those lessons are applied, so a terrible tragedy like this cannot happen again.

Small Business

[Sherry Romanado, Liberal, Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we know that small businesses across the country are greatly impacted by this crisis. Our government has been supporting them by putting forward various measures like the wage subsidy, including CEBA and rent support. We also know that while they need financial assistance, they also need help to navigate the various measures available to them and many of them are turning to their financial advisers for information.

Could the Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade update the House on what the government is doing to make sure businesses get the help and the information they need?

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Minister of Small Business]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for her advocacy on behalf of small business and for the people of Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne.

The smallest and most vulnerable businesses may face the additional challenge of accessing financial planning advice to help them survive through this difficult period. It is why we launched the business resilience service. It is a free hotline, operated by the Charter Professional Accountants of Canada. It is going to operate seven days a week for the next four weeks. It is a service that is going to help Canadian business owners, including those who run charities and not-for-profits, with customized financial guidance, from navigating tax regulations, government supports and planning their path to recovery. It is a great help for small businesses.

Social Development

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in my statement, I shared the very tragic story of Mr. Rodriques. Noted professor of law and medicine, Amir Attaran, publicly stated, “I am appalled that the Liberals, who talk a fine line against racism, won’t make it a legal requirement to collect data on racial minorities and COVID, when they are at greatest risk. “See no evil” is [the Prime Minister's] choice—and it’s racist.”

Will the government make it a legal requirement to collect race-based data related to COVID-19?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, this is an issue that is really important to us. This aggregated data will better inform our policy-making process. In fact, under the emergency response fund, we have required the intermediaries to provide this aggregated data up front to our government so we can respond more effectively to vulnerable communities, including racialized Canadians.

Tourism Industry

[Jenica Atwin, Green, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has incredible destinations, from spectacular mountain scenery to World Heritage sites, the highest tides in the world and vibrant cultural diversity. We can be proud of everything our beautiful country has to offer.

Tourism is indeed a vital part of the Canadian economy. Before the pandemic, it represented more than $20 billion in revenue, millions of jobs and 3% of the GDP. However, now this sector and the people who make hospitality their career need our support more than ever.

Could the minister detail the plan to support the workers of this industry? Will they be able to count the hours they worked in the previous year when applying for employment insurance, as has been a concession for other seasonal workers?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for reminding us about the major challenges facing our workers, especially those in rural areas and the tourism sector.

That is why we acted fast to set up the Canada emergency response benefit, the emergency wage subsidy and emergency loans for small businesses, of which there are many in rural areas and the tourism sector.

That is also why we announced that other things are in the works, such as restoring employment insurance benefits for those who are not normally entitled to them.

We will keep working with all sectors and with the provinces and territories to make sure the tourism sector is ready to hit the ground running when the economy reopens.

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if you seek it, you will find the unanimous consent of the House for the following motion: That this House recognize the contribution of hundreds of essential workers, particularly in the health sector in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada, who are asylum seekers, and call on the government to work with the Government of Quebec and the rest of Canada to prioritize and expedite the processing of their and their families' applications in recognition of the work they did during the current health crisis.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Does the member have the unanimous consent of the House to move the motion?

[Some hon. members]

No.

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. There have been consultations among the parties and I believe if you seek it, you would find unanimous consent for the following motion: That the House recognize the increase in recent weeks in hate crimes and racism related to COVID-19 across the country, particularly toward those of Asian descent, and call on the government to take the necessary measures to stand against all forms of systemic discrimination and racism, including but not limited to hosting a federal-provincial-territorial meeting to discuss the rise in hate crimes in Canada; coordinating collective efforts and identifying best practices to counter this trend; helping to create properly fund dedicated police hate crime units in every police department department in Canada; establishing national standards for identifying and recording all hate incidents and their dispensation in the justice system; and working in collaboration with non-profits to facilitate the reporting of hate crimes.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House to move the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

No.

Oral Questions

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I also rise on a point of order. During question period, I was questioning the Minister of Public Safety regarding the tragedy we are hearing about in our long-term care facilities that was witnessed by members of the Canadian Armed Forces who are serving in Operation Laser. The minister said he never received a notification of this until Friday of last week.

The Global News Ottawa bureau chief is now reporting that the report and a letter were sent directly to the Minister of Public Safety on May 14.

I wish that he would correct the record.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to have the opportunity to get up and correct the record.

The Global News report is wrong. In fact, when the Canadian Armed Forces sent that information to me on Friday, May 22, we immediately took action, and on the weekend as well notified the Province of Ontario.

Motion That Debate Be Not Further Adjourned

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, in relation to the consideration of Government Business No. 7, I move:

That the debate be not further adjourned.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Pursuant to Standing Order 67.1, there will now be a 30-minute question period.

I invite hon. members who wish to ask questions to rise in their places so the chair has some idea of the number of members who wish to participate.

Questions and comments, the hon. opposition House leader.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I am very, very disappointed that we are seeing the government shut down debate on this important motion. When the government gave notice of it, I was anticipating it might try this manoeuvre earlier today and then I was very pleased when the government House leader did not move a motion to shut down debate.

What would possess him to do this right now I do not know, except for the fact that what I do know is that the government does not want Parliament to sit. The government wants a committee to sit so the Liberals can escape the accountability and rigour Parliament demands. We have seen the Prime Minister stand outside his cottage day after day over the last several months taking nice questions from the media and not having to answer questions, opposition day motions, questions on the Order Paper or deal with private members' legislation.

The work Parliament should be doing in this House the Prime Minister has been able to escape from day after day after day, and this motion continues to give him that escape hatch.

We know the government House leader is shutting down debate, but I will ask him this. He and the Prime Minister think that we can be here face to face, as the 40-some of us are here in this place today. If we can do that every day four days a week for the next several weeks, why can we not meet face to face in a Parliament setting with Parliament working and acting, and not just a feeble committee that is a fake parliament?

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this very important motion strikes the right balance between the important role Parliament has to play and also respecting the public health advice. Through this motion, we are adding time for the opposition to ask questions. The opposition will be able to ask questions on pretty much anything it wants. There will be MPs physically present and there will be MPs participating virtually, which means MPs from all over the country will be able to participate.

This is great for democracy, and that is why we introduced this motion. I am not sure which part opposition members do not like: the fact that everybody participates, that they get more questions, that there are S.O. 31s or that we meet this summer. I do not know which part they do not like.

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the House Leader of the Official Opposition. We heard that this morning, but it did not come up. I held out hope.

Unfortunately, the motion before us summarily puts an end to the business of the House as we have known it for the past two days. The government says that we will continue to sit and that it will answer our questions. It does not take an Einstein or a Leonardo da Vinci to realize that sitting four times a week with 90 minutes of oral questions a day is not the same as five days of Parliament sitting from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Nobody is going to buy that.

We are in a pandemic. However, the lockdown is easing. The Quebec National Assembly and the legislatures of the other provinces have resumed sitting. Businesses in Quebec are open again, while businesses elsewhere have already been open for some time. We are emerging from the lockdown. Things that were true and went without saying a month and a half ago are no longer relevant today. We are able to act intelligently, open up Parliament, vote on motions, study bills, and advance debate.

Why is the government running away like this when we are in a pandemic and the deficit is $300 billion and climbing? The government is refusing to provide an economic update and going into hiding.

The leader is acting surprised. That is what the government is doing. I am an objective observer of the government, and it is doing everything that it can to avoid answering questions. I think that democracy is ailing in Canada right now. I do not understand, and I want to know why the government is running away like this.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague says that we are hiding, yet there will be six hours of questions instead of four. To my mind, six is greater than four.

The opposition will be able to ask questions on any topic, not just the pandemic, even though it is the current priority of all Canadians. Pursuant to Standing Order 31, MPs from all regions will be able to participate in the proceedings through screens. Members from remote regions, whether in Quebec or elsewhere in Canada, will be able to take part in the debate at any point, which is a cornerstone of democracy.

If the Bloc Québécois was not happy with the motion, it could have come to the table and negotiated with us. The Bloc Québécois says it wants to make gains for Quebec, but gains are made around the table, not by sulking. Think of hockey: goals are scored on the ice. How many of Guy Lafleur's 560 goals were scored while he was on the bench?

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, there are a number of issues that we need to start to move on.

I am very interested whenever I hear my political colleagues talk about their privileges. Privilege is about serving people. It is not about the fact that members are not getting enough air time.

We need to come back in committee of the whole and start addressing a number of the serious shortfalls, such as the serious shortfalls for seniors. What is the government going to do now? We can do the jack-in-the-box questions, jump up and down and point fingers, or we could actually drill down, because this is a bigger crisis that we face. There is the issue of health care and the lack of support for health care. These are issues we need to sit down and discuss.

I certainly want to know if the government is willing to continue working with us to actually drill down in the midst of this crisis to serve Canadians. That is the privilege that we have and that we bring to the House. It is to serve people in a time of unprecedented crisis.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to tell my colleague that, although we may disagree from time to time, we will always be on the same page when it comes to working here for our seniors, for people with disabilities and for people who have lost their jobs. We will always collaborate, since that is the role of the government and the opposition alike.

No matter how good they are to begin with, government bills can always be improved. That is exactly what the opposition did. I want to give them credit for that today. The NDP, the Conservatives and the Bloc all made the bills better. We are working closely with them because the government does not have all the answers and is not always right. We sometimes make mistakes and do things imperfectly. Thanks to our collaboration with the opposition, we were able to improve these bills.

Yes, we will continue to work to help our seniors and people with disabilities, and to provide sick leave to workers.