Debates of June 17th, 2020

Supplementary Estimates (A)

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance]

Madam Chair, I thank the member for her question.

The emergency wage subsidy is available to businesses, non-profit organizations and charities. It is not available to public institutions. However, we have held consultations on how we can improve the emergency wage subsidy. We will soon be reviewing and modifying the criteria, and the emergency wage subsidy will be available until the end of August.

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Madam Chair, one of the programs for students that was put forward, and that the NDP pushed for, was additional funding for students with dependants and students with disabilities. The CRA definition of a dependant, for which this is being rolled out, is 18 years of age. However, the government has decided to put forward a dependant at 12 years of age. Why did it decide to do that, and why will it not extend it to students who have dependants over that age limit?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Delta, BC]

Madam Chair, I can assure everyone in the House that we wanted to mirror, as closely as possible, our student financial aid policy. We went with age 12 with the understanding that there was a greater need for child care under that age. I am certainly happy to get any feedback on that. The point is to make these programs as good as possible.

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Madam Chair, it is disappointing, because I know a lot of students who are struggling. There are single mothers desperately trying to go to school who have 13-year-olds, and they simply cannot get the additional help they so desperately need.

One more question I have is about women's organizations. They are continuing to struggle with funding and capacity gaps. Fundraising remains a particular challenge for gender-equality groups, especially those that are trying to cobble together short-term project funding just to operate. Project funding alone was not sufficient before COVID. It certainly is not now, and they are in a crisis.

Will the government commit to converting capacity-building funding grants to permanent core funding that will allow women's organizations to break down the systemic barriers women face across this country?

[Maryam Monsef, Liberal, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development]

Madam Chair, I want to thank my hon. colleague for her effective advocacy. As she mentioned, our government has been the first to invest in the sustainability and capacity of women's organizations and equality-seeking organizations in this country. Why? Because it is the most effective way to advance gender equality. Today, over 500 organizations have received multi-year funding and are doing incredibly important work, saving and transforming lives every day. As part of our COVID response, 700-plus organizations received funding to immediately support them with the critical needs they were outlining.

However, we are far from equal and we have much work to do. I am looking forward to my hon. colleague's partnership in that effort.

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Madam Chair, thank you for giving me the opportunity to appear before this committee of the whole to discuss the supplementary estimates (A) for Public Services and Procurement Canada.

We are going through a truly unprecedented time. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every single Canadian. It is affecting our health, our lifestyle and the economy.

It has changed our lives completely. While the potential for a second wave or a spike in cases is very real, we are now entering an economic recovery and a cautious reopening.

We all appreciate the measures Canadians have taken to curb the spread of the virus, and we are especially proud of the doctors, nurses and health care providers on the front lines. Their work is critical, and that is why my department remains so focused on procuring the personal protective equipment and the medical supplies they need.

As the government's central purchasing agent, Public Services and Procurement Canada is working aggressively to support Canada's response to the evolving pandemic. It is buying equipment and supplies for the immediate term, as well as preparing for the medium to long term by ensuring Canada has enough PPE, testing components and other required supplies as our economy recovers.

At the same time, my department continues its critical work in other areas, including eliminating the backlog of pay issues and stabilizing the Phoenix pay system to ensure our extremely hard-working public servants are paid accurately and on time.

To support its overall operations, the department is requesting $745 million in aggregate in supplementary estimates (A).

To begin, I will address procurement during COVID-19. This comprises our largest request, which is $500 million for COVID-19 procurement. This funding would allow us to continue to be proactive in aggressively acquiring critical PPE and health supplies, both at home and abroad.

Our aggressive approach to COVID-19 procurement is working. While we face ongoing challenges and risks, particularly with international supply chains, we have seen significant progress since the early days of Canada's response. We now have flights carrying critical PPE and other supplies arriving daily. We have supplies coming to us from partners in the United States and elsewhere. We are now transporting supplies by sea as well.

At the same time, our government has called on Canadian companies to ramp up domestic manufacturing, to retool and produce right here at home. As a result, companies from across the country have answered the call and, in some cases, have completely retooled their production lines. My department, in conjunction with ISED, is working to continue to increase domestic production.

For example, Medicom will be making tens of millions of N95 respirators and surgical masks annually, right here in Canada. Bauer Hockey, out of Blainville, Quebec, has retooled from making hockey equipment and is providing us with face shields for front-line health care workers, along with Sterling Industries and The Canadian Shield, which are both based in Ontario.

GM in Oshawa will be making 10 million surgical masks and face coverings for Canadians over the coming year. Fluid Energy Group in Calgary, as well as Irving Oil in Atlantic Canada, are providing us with millions of litres of hand sanitizer. LuminUltra, a company from New Brunswick, is producing enough reagent for half a million COVID-19 tests per week through to March 2021.

These domestic manufacturers are playing a critical role in the fight against COVID-19 while sustaining and even creating jobs for Canadians when we need them most.

We are also making it faster and easier for all Canadians to purchase PPE. We've recently launched our new PPE supply hub, a web-based platform with important resources to connect buyers and sellers of PPE right across Canada.

We are meeting the need when it comes to the federal procurement of PPE, but we cannot stop now. As our economy reopens, more Canadians will be returning to work and the need will continue, including if a second wave occurs. In particular, we know Canada may face spikes in COVID-19 infections, and we must be prepared for all eventualities.

Today's request for funds will allow us to do just that.

I will move now to pay stabilization.

That brings me to our request for $203.5 million to continue our work on stabilizing the Phoenix pay system. Even in this crisis, the Phoenix pay system remains a priority for our government because Canada's public servants deserve to be paid accurately and on time.

Even throughout the crisis, we have not lost sight of the hardships and the frustrations employees face, and we know there is still much work to be done to stabilize the Phoenix pay system. However, PSPC continues to work every day to improve service and eliminate the backlog of outstanding pay issues.

Our efforts are paying off. Since January 2018, the backlog of financial transactions has decreased by 64%. The hard work of our pay centre employees has led to a steady decline in the backlog, even over the last couple of months, despite the complexities the pandemic has brought to the workplace.

I want to take a moment during this National Public Service Week to thank those public servants for their hard work and dedication during this difficult and challenging time. Because of their efforts over April and May alone, we have been able to reduce the queue by about 29,000 transactions, while also administering pay every two weeks for the close to 300,000 public servants right across the country.

While we are trending in the right direction, the task will not be complete until the backlog is cleared. The funds we are requesting today will allow us to continue our progress by sustaining employee capacity, increasing our processing rate and increasing the automation of as many transactions as possible through system enhancements.

At this crucial time, Canadians need our services more than ever, and we are here for them. These requests for funds cover two of our most pressing issues. Essential work needs to be done on these files, and PSPC is ready to rise to the challenge.

As minister, I am proud of our department's work to support the federal government and the needs of all Canadians, especially during this global crisis.

During this National Public Service Week, I am especially thankful for the public servants, including those at PSPC, who are continuing to deliver critical services to Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Madam Chair, I would first like to echo the hon. minister's comment about hard-working public servants.

The National Capital Commission plays a vital role in preserving our heritage, conserving our green spaces and building a vision of a national capital region that all Canadians can be proud of. I note that the NCC has requested $52.4 million in funding in these estimates.

Can the minister let this House know what, specifically, this funding is for?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

Madam Chair, the NCC is an independent crown corporation. It has requested this money to go toward the repair and the maintenance of existing infrastructure to ensure that this infrastructure remains safe and enjoyable for the residents of the national capital region.

I will give some examples: the maintenance of the NCC's two interprovincial bridges, the repairs to assets—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I am sorry. The time is up to answer the question, but I am sure the minister will be able to continue.

Questions and comments, the hon. member for Kanata—Carleton.

[Karen McCrimmon, Liberal, Kanata—Carleton, ON]

Madam Chair, I would like to follow up on my hon. colleague's question stating the importance of the NCC. We would like to know what specific projects are being lined up here in Ottawa.

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

Madam Chair, the National Capital Commission will engage in work to maintain existing infrastructure. We all recall the damage from the flooding that occurred a couple of years ago. We will make sure that the funding, if approved, will go to the NCC to repair existing—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Questions and comments, the hon. member for Vimy.

[Annie Koutrakis, Liberal, Vimy, QC]

Madam Chair, in regard to the Phoenix pay system, we are seeing a continuous reduction in the backlog of cases. The supplementary estimates list an amount of $203.5 million for the government pay system. Why is this funding necessary if the backlog is consistently being reduced?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

Madam Chair, it is very important to understand that the pay issues that have created stress and hardship for employees have not been eradicated and they must continue to be reduced. As a result of the funding that has already been provided to the Phoenix pay system, the backlog of transactions has been reduced, but more must be done and, as minister, I will not stop until that backlog is eliminated.

[Annie Koutrakis, Liberal, Vimy, QC]

Madam Chair, what are we doing with these allocations to ensure that public servants are being paid accurately and on time, while also resolving the queue of cases?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

Madam Chair, we have taken significant steps to help stabilize the Phoenix pay system. We are working with all stakeholders. Thanks to their efforts, we have been meeting standards more often while reducing the overall queue. The funding will help to achieve that steady state of backlog reduction and pay administration—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Questions and comments, the hon. member for Vimy.

[Annie Koutrakis, Liberal, Vimy, QC]

Madam Chair, can the minister tell us what the funding for pay services will go toward? What will be the benefit of these funds?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

Madam Chair, the pay would be going toward achieving a steady state of the administration by ensuring that services that are currently offered will continue to be offered. The department has taken new initiatives to further accelerate progress, including technical systems to improve how Phoenix functions and new work models to create further efficiencies.

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

Madam Chair, the supplementary estimates list an amount of $500 million for Public Services and Procurement Canada for statutory appropriations under the public health events of national concern. Can the minister please provide us more information on the nature of those funds?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

Madam Chair, the funding has been requested to expand PSPC's procurement scope and to purchase supplies as quickly as possible.

The pandemic has meant that we need to have multiple supply chains operating in tandem, both domestically and internationally. As a result, our resources would go toward ensuring—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Questions and comments, the hon. parliamentary secretary to the government House leader.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Chair, I wonder if the minister could provide her thoughts on the many Canadian companies and corporations across the country that have really stepped up. They have retooled and assisted in making sure that there has been a growth of Canadian content in this very important area.

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Oakville, ON]

Madam Chair, our domestic capacity has most definitely been incredibly retooled and revamped, so that we now have companies right across the country providing PPE. Just one example is that over half of our face shields are now being produced by Canadian companies.

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Madam Chair, I will be using my time to make a five-minute statement today and splitting it with the member for Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola and the member for Regina—Lewvan.

It's an honour to be back in the House representing my Kildonan—St. Paul constituents on the very last day of the parliamentary session. Although the Liberal government has decided to shut down Parliament during the worst crisis Canadians have faced in living memory, I will do my best to speak and advocate on their behalf with the little time we have remaining.

Unfortunately, the Prime Minister has only allowed parliamentarians four hours to debate and approve $87 billion in spending, or roughly $362 million every minute, which may be a record in the history of the Canadian Parliament.

If the member opposite were listening, he might learn something.

This is truly unprecedented. The very purpose of Parliament is to provide checks and balances on government power. If we do not have the opportunity to question the government. to study emerging issues at committee, or to put forward alternative solutions, how are we supposed to do our job and be that check on power if we are not sitting?

In effect, the government is telling Canadians that they have nothing to worry about, but that they just to trust the government, that there is no need for Parliament to meet or to provide oversight on the massive spending that's been going on for three months. Unfortunately, between the Liberals power grabs and long history of ethics violations, to say that opposition parties are skeptical would be an understatement. In fact, there has not been this great a need for parliamentary oversight since the Second World War.

The last few months have not been easy for anyone. Some have been far more severely impacted than others. Thus far, three million people have lost their jobs and 13% of the working population remains unemployed. We know that women have been impacted to a greater degree than men and that rates of human trafficking and spousal abuse have reportedly gone up. Eight thousand people have lost their lives to COVID-19, and the well-being of countless others has been impacted from the thousands of delayed surgeries and the severe mental health impacts that isolation has had on the nation.

To be a member of Parliament during this unprecedented time has been an unforgettable experience with many challenges and difficult days. Speaking with hundreds of constituents and small businesses in my community who have been deeply and negatively impacted by the pandemic has been very heartbreaking, but they will not be forgotten by the Conservative team. We are all working tirelessly on their behalf and we will represent every Canadian left behind by the government's inadequate response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The possibility of a second wave of the pandemic is of great concern to me and the constituents of Kildonan—St. Paul, and the Liberal government, frankly, has provided very little to Canadians to give them confidence that we will be prepared and financially equipped to handle a second wave, since we barely made it through the first one. We are seeing this first-hand in the Prime Minister's refusal to provide an economic and fiscal update during this sitting, despite the Parliamentary Budget Officer's call for one.

It is critical that Canadians know whether we have any financial flexibility to extend programs before they are indeed extended. That is key. Otherwise, we are just guessing and hoping that it will all work out and that the country does not go bankrupt, which is really not a great strategy.

As one of 338 MPs and one of only 121 official opposition MPs in Canada, I ask the Liberal government with all sincerity to use its three-month hiatus from oversight and accountability to prepare tirelessly for the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: to prepare PPE, testing, contact tracing capacity, and whatever is necessary to give Canadians the confidence that the government can actually do this job. Beyond that, it needs to acknowledge that Canadian small businesses and the millions of Canadian workers they employ cannot afford to go back into isolation, neither financially nor for their mental health. Moreover, neither can the taxpayer afford to subsidize the pandemic response effort of nearly $100 billion per month without serious tax increases and financial consequences at the family kitchen table.

The Liberal government has the responsibility to present a plan and to communicate it effectively to Canadians, so they can prepare in the coming months. Canadians deserve answers on how prepared we are and what the financial outlook for Canada is, so I implore the government to be transparent, honest and accountable. It is its duty to Canadians.

To conclude, I sincerely thank the front-line workers in every industry in Kildonan—St. Paul, from health care workers to grocery store clerks and gas station attendants, for quickly adapting to the first wave of this pandemic and and physical distancing requirements, and even organizations that, despite being forced to drastically change their daily routines, rose to the occasion in service of our community. Churches, gurdwaras, synagogues, elder care homes, grocery stores, schools and hundreds of small businesses in Kildonan—St. Paul rallied with a true Canadian spirit of resilience and innovation to get the community through the first wave of the pandemic.

That honestly gives me real hope for the second wave and whatever comes after that. I do believe we will get through this together.