House of Commons Hansard #2 of the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was pandemic.
Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
Mr. Speaker, I had another question, but I will be nice to the minister and repeat the first one.
Some members of the COVID-19 vaccine task force, which was established by the government in May and which we learned about in August, had dangerous potential conflicts of interest. The public was not aware of this. Global News and Radio-Canada broke the news.
Why did the government wait for the media to break the news?
Why did it hide this information from Canadians?
Navdeep Bains LiberalMinister of Innovation
Mr. Speaker, we very much value the work of top scientific and industry experts. We very much focus on evidence-based, science-based decisions. There is a robust conflict of interest process in place. There is also an online registry of declared interests with respect to the task force the member opposite is alluding to.
Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said his decisions are based on science. Every expert told us that the federal government's underfunding of health care for decades has undermined the system. We saw that in the long-term care facilities.
It was impossible to be prepared for an unforeseen event like COVID-19 when systematic federal cuts left us with barely enough money to take care of our people. The federal government was contributing 50¢ out of every dollar, lowered that to 22¢ and is now planning on contributing only 18¢.
Instead of giving lessons, will he finally increase health transfers on an ongoing basis?
Pablo Rodriguez LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister said earlier, there have been health transfers to the provinces from the start, including a sum of half a billion dollars and more money that followed.
The Government of Canada was there when the provinces needed it. We will continue to be there. This is a team effort that is being made across the country to combat COVID-19.
Luc Thériault Bloc Montcalm, QC
Mr. Speaker, our health care providers have still not recovered from the first wave and now the second is starting. What our guardian angels need is for the federal government to keep its word and transfer the necessary funding to Quebec so that it can take care of its people. However, in the throne speech, the Liberals are telling us how to do our job.
When will the federal government start rowing in the same direction as everyone else by increasing health transfers on an ongoing basis?
Pablo Rodriguez LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, our Bloc Québécois colleague seems to be saying that the issue of seniors is a matter of jurisdiction.
We believe that the issue of seniors is a matter of the right to life, the right to dignity, the right to necessary medications and the right to good health care. We will always be there for our seniors.
Gabriel Ste-Marie Bloc Joliette, QC
Mr. Speaker, does the government leader realize that the situation of seniors in Quebec's long-term care facilities is directly related to the health care cuts that this government has been making for the past 25 years? Because of its continued cuts, this government bears responsibility for the situation of seniors.
Just today, the Premier of Quebec had this to say about the Prime Minister: “Rather than talking about increasing transfers to provinces, he is saying that he is going to interfere and tell us how to do things when it comes to long-term care, family doctors and mental health. That is rather insulting.”
What does this government have to say to the Premier of Quebec?
Pablo Rodriguez LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, once again, the Bloc Québécois is turning a conversation about seniors into a constitutional squabble when it should be about human beings. These are the people who have suffered the most during this pandemic.
Whenever those of us on this side of the House rise to talk about seniors, we are going to talk about the right to life, the right to dignity, the right to medication and the right to quality health care.
James Cumming Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
Mr. Speaker, Canadians were told last year that they needed to ban single-use plastics. We started packing our groceries in reusable bags and using reusable cups for morning coffee runs. Then the pandemic hit and the government said to stop.
The Chemistry Industry Association said it feels that now more than ever “we must ensure that new regulatory measures will continue to contribute to—and not detract from—our much-needed economic recovery.”
How many workers, making products that health care workers need, will lose their jobs?
Jonathan Wilkinson LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, the government has made a commitment to address the issue of plastic pollution. One part of that involves a ban on harmful single-use plastics, but the bulk of the strategy, actually working in tandem with provinces and territories across the country, involves additional recycling, simplification of product design and a whole range of other measures.
It is important for us ensure that we are addressing the issue of plastic pollution. We will do so in a thoughtful way and are working very closely with the provinces and territories to do that.
James Cumming Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB
Mr. Speaker, if this year showed us anything, it is that we need single-use plastic products like masks, gloves and other PPE. Yesterday, the Chemistry Industry Association said that instead of “pursuing this go-it-alone policy” like the federal government's plan to ban certain plastic products, “Canada should commit to a reimagination of recycling and repurposing plastics” and maximize their lifespan and value.
Why is this government attacking an industry that makes products critical to our COVID-19 response instead of working with industry to make them sustainable?
Jonathan Wilkinson LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, I would direct my hon. colleague to some of the information that is on the web. This is exactly what we are doing. We are working to ensure that recycling happens, and that it actually happens at a much elevated rate to what it normally is. We are working very actively with the governments of the provinces and territories across this country, including the governments in western Canada on this issue. In fact, with respect to PPE, that was a direct issue that was on the agenda of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. It was chaired by the province of Saskatchewan.
There is an initiative under way between the federal government and the provinces and territories to look at how we had better either replace some of those products or to get them into the recycling stream. It is an important issue and we are working hard—
Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday we saw a throne speech heavy on rhetoric, light on details. A representative from Clean Energy Fuels said that the throne speech had a bunch of promises but without any action, as usual.
With feedback like this, the government expects us to believe that it will beat the 2030 targets, targets it is not even on pace to meeting. Now, the Liberals promised to plant two billion trees. So far, how many have they planted? Zero.
Why should Canadians trust a government that makes such lofty statements but cannot even plant a single tree?
Jonathan Wilkinson LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, a throne speech is a statement of intent and priorities. What he would have found if he had read the third chapter in the throne speech is a commitment to immediately bring forward a plan that will allow Canadians visibility on how we will not only meet but exceed the 2030 targets. I look forward to bringing that plan forward in the coming weeks and months.
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals created the housing crisis in 1993 by cancelling the national affordable housing program, and the crisis has only gotten worse with the pandemic. Vancouver East has the largest homeless encampment in the country. Reannouncing the 3,000 housing units is not good enough when 235,000 Canadians face homelessness each year.
The ongoing failure to have an indigenous-led urban, rural and northern housing strategy is shameful. The all-talk-no-action approach is not worth the paper it is written on, without meaningful action. Will the Prime Minister adopt the recovery-for-all six-point plan, to end the housing crisis?
Ahmed Hussen LiberalMinister of Families
Mr. Speaker, it is very unfortunate that the member opposite chooses to ignore the groundbreaking announcement that we made just prior to the throne speech: the rapid housing initiative that will build 3,000 additional permanent and affordable housing units all across the country, targeting Canadians who are on the street and those who are at risk of being homeless, in addition to populations at risk such as women and children fleeing domestic violence. This, in addition to other aspects of the national housing strategy, brings us to close to $56 billion in—
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, once again the Liberals repeated their promise of national pharmacare. They claim they are paving the way to universal pharmacare for Canadians, but they refuse to commit to public delivery and fail to set out any timeline for action. Liberals have been paving the way for decades. Canadians deserve something concrete. Will the government finally commit to public pharmacare, and tell Canadians when they can get this overdue essential medical service?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, I agree with the member opposite that no Canadian should have to choose between paying for prescriptions and putting food on the table. That is why we have done more than any government in a generation to lower drug prices including new rules on patented drugs, saving Canadians over $13 billion. However, now it is time for the hard work, to sit down with provinces and territories and commit to working, all together, to ensure that all Canadians can access affordable medication.
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Mr. Speaker, a year ago at this time I walked through the P.E.I. National Park in the Cavendish area to witness the damage from post-tropical storm Dorian that happened on September 7 and 8. The damage was shocking. There was 14 feet of erosion along the Cavendish Beach shoreline, and in Cavendish campground 80% of the trees were destroyed and the campsites themselves were annihilated.
What is the government doing to rehabilitate that campground and the P.E.I. National Park; and when is it going to get to it?
Jonathan Wilkinson LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, issues associated with damage to the national parks are an important priority for the government. We are working through the issues associated with this particular park and the damage that was caused, and we will certainly be coming back to the hon. member.
Chris d'Entremont Conservative West Nova, NS
Mr. Speaker, it has now been a week that tensions have been high in the normally quiet Acadian community of Clare where local fishers are concerned about a fishery taking place during a sensitive time for the lobster biomass.
After many questions asked and discussions on this crisis with the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, why has she failed to take any action?
Bernadette Jordan LiberalMinister of Fisheries
Mr. Speaker, my number one priority right now with regard to the tensions in southwest Nova Scotia is to make sure that we are ensuring the safety of all of the people who are in the area.
We know that the best path forward is through a constructive, respectful dialogue with first nations as well as with industry members from Nova Scotia. I have been meeting with the chiefs from Nova Scotia as well as with industry representatives. We are continuing to have those dialogues and we will make sure that we find the path forward to make sure that first nations' treaty rights are implemented.
Chris d'Entremont Conservative West Nova, NS
Mr. Speaker, the minister of fisheries is the only person who can bring this crisis to an end. She has known that tensions have been high for many months.
Does the minister realize that her failure and inaction has put the safety of all at risk? It is completely unacceptable. How long will it take for her to act?
