House of Commons Hansard #5 of the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was pandemic.

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Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

7:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes

That is a matter for debate, and I think the member is getting to where he will explain to us.

Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

7:40 p.m.

Conservative

Bob Zimmer Conservative Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC

Madam Speaker, I respect the hon. member across the way. We have worked together in the past and what I am trying to do is make the case that if Bill C-4 is going to pass and every party in this building wants to help Canadians, but I want to provide the other argument that if this is going to get a yes to supporting the bill we need to explain to Canadians how we are going to pay for it. That is what I am trying to do right now.

I am talking about indigenous companies in my neck of the woods and the signals that the government does not give in the Speech from the Throne, and we see this increase in protected areas. Again, that is not really favourable to any resource sector. If anything, it restricts the resource sector a lot. It is tightening the resource sector up when we need to be giving it our blessing to keep going. We need logging companies to keep logging. We need the oil and gas sector to keep going, in a good way, but to keep going.

I know my time is short, but an article in the Macdonald-Laurier Institute talks about how indigenous people should be allowed to make their own decisions. In a response to the Speech from the Throne, Chief Theresa Tait-Day from the Wet'suwet'en says, “Most unusually, the intervention of the Governments of Canada and British Columbia have made a difficult situation much worse. The two governments [the Liberal government and the NDP government in B.C.], perhaps to avoid an escalation of environmentalist-led conflict, opted to negotiate only with some of the Hereditary Chiefs.”

She continues, “The communities were not consulted, and the negotiations were not endorsed or supported by the Wet'suwet'en Nation.... Remarkably, the governments chose to meet only with a self-selected group of Hereditary Chiefs, even though any final agreement must be ratified by members in...[a] transparent and inclusive manner by Wet'suwet'en members”.

The governments could have talked to 99% of the Wet'suwet'en community to see this project go ahead, but instead they only talked to the ones who were against the project. Again, we are talking about signals here. Are they really going to get one million jobs going while all the efforts and the Speech from the Throne signal the exact opposite?

Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

7:45 p.m.

NDP

Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

Madam Speaker, I want to talk about two parts of my colleague's speech. He asked how we are going to pay for it. He is building up to the premise that we have always had, and that is that there is a lot of unfairness in this country. I hope it will lead the member to talk to his hard-working constituents in support of a tax on the wealthiest of Canadians. During this pandemic, most of the burden has shifted to working men and women, such as our constituents, while the wealthiest of Canadians have seen their wealth increase by phenomenal amounts. We are asking for a 1% tax on fortunes of over $20 million. I hope he will find it in his heart to support that.

There are eye-watering amounts of money being spent during this pandemic. What is the Conservatives' proposal? Is it that we allow Canadians to go into debt and pay 21% interest? These are extraordinary times we are in. They require extraordinary measures. Canadians need to know we have their back and $500 a week is not much. It is $24,000 a year. That is not even enough to qualify for the middle-class tax cut the Liberals brought in during the previous Parliament.

Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

7:45 p.m.

Conservative

Bob Zimmer Conservative Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC

Madam Speaker, I respect the hon. member. We have had many conversations on the flights here and back. He is a fellow British Columbian. However, taxing the wealthiest is going to have a negative impact on our entire Canadian economy. Most of us understand that the people who make this kind of money also have businesses in Canada. They employ a lot of Canadians. We can threaten to tax them more than a reasonable rate and these companies and people will move. They often go to jurisdictions that are more favourable to their incomes and businesses. The last thing we want to see is Canadian businesses go to other countries and set up shop.

I want to touch on the debt and shouldering it all equally. I have a simple calculation. If Canada has spent $400 billion spent this year, does the member know how much that is per man, woman and child based on 36 million Canadians? That is $11,000 each, just for the deficit this year. That is what just got added to our credit card bill. If we want to look at the total of national federal debt, it is $27,777 for each man, woman and child. Each four-person family now owes almost $112,000. To me, it is all taxpayer money and it is all taxpayer debt as well. We need to be responsible on how we spend their money.

Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

7:45 p.m.

Winnipeg North Manitoba

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary 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 Speaker, therein lies a contrast between the Conservatives and Liberal government. On the one hand, we have the Conservatives, who do not believe in the type of support that the government is providing Canadians. That is what is causing the debt. What is causing the debt is the billions of dollars being invested into CERB, which is money that goes to the unemployed and others, and the millions and billions of dollars that are going to support small businesses to prevent permanent job losses.

To what degree does the member believe that the government had to do the things we brought in, in order to support Canadians and our economy?

Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

7:45 p.m.

Conservative

Bob Zimmer Conservative Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC

Madam Speaker, the great part of my answer is that we are very likely going to be supporting some of the measures within Bill C-4, because we do believe in support for Canadians during a crisis.

The member across the way has had many words in this chamber, so I feel honoured to be able to reply to his question again tonight. We agree with some of the supports. The key part of this problem is that we have to have a sustainable economy afterward. I think most Canadians understand that too. That would require being supportive of our resource sector and making sure that impediments to those sectors are out of the way so we can get the economy firing on all cylinders again.

I think that is the key difference between the two parties. Conservatives want to teach people to fish, so they can catch fish for themselves and get back to their jobs and provide for their families. The member across the way would prefer to give out handouts, and as the PBO has already said, that is unsustainable.

Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

7:50 p.m.

Liberal

Anju Dhillon Liberal Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle, QC

Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to speak to Bill C-2, an act relating to economic recovery in response to COVID-19.

For more than six months, we have been living through the worst health and economic crisis of our lives, the worst in the history of Canada and the world, in fact. The pandemic has affected every aspect of Canadians' lives, from their health, jobs and family life to how they can see their friends and family members. Businesses have had to close, supply chains have been disrupted, and children have had to stop going to school. Many individuals and families have experienced a drop in income. The past few months have been difficult for many people and businesses.

Fortunately, from day one, our government took extraordinary measures to protect Canadians and our economy. Canada's COVID-19 economic response plan is one of the most comprehensive in the world. It represents 15.8% of our gross domestic product. Our plan has helped Canadians, and it continues to help Canadians. It has protected millions of Canadian jobs, supported families and kept businesses afloat across the country.

Things are starting to look up. The Canadian economy has recovered almost two-thirds of the jobs lost in March and April. More Canadians are working and schools have reopened, but there is still a lot of work ahead of us. Although two-thirds of jobs have been recouped, that means that one-third have not. Unfortunately, many Canadians, including many women, self-employed workers and workers in the gig economy, have not been able to go back to work.

COVID-19 is still here. We are in the middle of the second wave. We have not yet overcome the pandemic. It is still a threat to the health of Canadians and to our country's economy. That is why everyone must remain vigilant and listen to public health experts.

That is also why the government must continue to support Canadians and businesses. To help create more than one million jobs and return to pre-pandemic levels, we need to make investments. We need to help workers learn new skills, and we need to create hiring incentives for employers. That is what we are going to do.

We are seeing a gradual reopening of the economy, but a full recovery will take time. Now is not the time for austerity. I repeat: Now is not the time for austerity. We need flexible programs, programs that will help Canadians get back to work and that will also allow us to adapt to new waves of the pandemic.

This bill therefore proposes to create new programs, such as the Canada recovery benefit, which will replace the Canada emergency response benefit, the CERB. Self-employed workers and those who do not qualify for EI, and who are not working or have lost 50% or more of their income due to the pandemic, will be able to receive $500 per week for up to 26 weeks.

A similar program, the Canada recovery caregiving benefit, will be available to individuals who cannot work because they have to take care of a family member or because their child's school is closed due to the pandemic. These individuals would receive the same amount, namely $500 per week for up to 26 weeks.

Finally, the Canada recovery sickness benefit will provide $500 per week for up to two weeks to workers who are unable to work at least 50% of the time they would normally have worked in a given week because they are sick or self-isolating due to COVID-19.

These programs will be available for one year, because we know it will take a while for the economy to fully recover. The bill lays the foundation for what lies ahead, but we also need to ensure that the transition happens seamlessly.

Let us take a look back. In March, Parliament passed the Public Health Events of National Concern Payments Act. It is an important part of Canada's response to COVID-19, authorizing the government to make payments to Canadians and Canadian businesses affected by the pandemic.

Take the CERB, for instance. Millions of Canadians received this taxable $2,000 benefit every four weeks. This act also enabled us to implement the Canada emergency commercial rent assistance program for small businesses. Small businesses are the backbone of the economy and the lifeblood of Canadian communities. It is largely thanks to the Public Health Events of National Concern Payments Act that we are able to assist those who need it, help businesses and support our economy.

As I said earlier, the act was passed in March, at the beginning of the pandemic, and it included a provision stating that the act would remain in effect until the end of September. Six months later, we know more about the virus and its impact on our economy and our everyday lives. The bill proposes extending the application of the act until the end of the year, which is important. This would ensure that there is no interruption to the final payments under existing programs, such as the CERB, and enable us to begin transitioning to the new programs. It would also enable us to continue helping Canadians who need income support.

This may be the worst health and economic crisis of our generation, but it will not last forever. One day it will end. In the meantime, we will support Canadians for as long as the crisis lasts. We will get through these difficult times, and we will do it together. We will build a stronger, more resilient country, a country that works for everyone. That is why I am calling on all MPs in the House to support this bill.

Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

7:55 p.m.

NDP

Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB

Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her speech.

The NDP supports the idea that all Canadians should be entitled to 10 days of paid leave on a permanent basis. One of the reasons the bill does not include such a measure is that the Liberal government is opposed to making these days of leave permanent.

Why is the Liberal government opposed to the idea of Canadians having 10 days of paid leave on a permanent rather than temporary basis?

Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

8 p.m.

Liberal

Anju Dhillon Liberal Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle, QC

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question.

I would also like to thank the NDP members for working with the government with regard to the throne speech. We appreciate their collaboration very much.

It is really important for these programs to get off the ground. As I stated in my speech, the current programs expire at the end of September. It is time for other programs to take their place, because we want to transition from emergency measures to long-term measures so we can continue helping Canadians.

Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

8 p.m.

Liberal

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes

It being 8:01 p.m., pursuant to an order made earlier today, it is my duty to interrupt the proceedings and put forthwith every question necessary to dispose of Motion No. 1 under government orders now before the House.

The question is as follows. Shall I dispense?

Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

8 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

No.

Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

8 p.m.

Liberal

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes

[Chair read text of amendment to House]

Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

8:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes

The question is on the amendment. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the amendment?

Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

8:05 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

No.

Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

8:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes

And five or more members having risen:

Call in the members.

Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

8:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

The list of members voting by video conference has now been established for use by the table.

(The House divided on the amendment, which was negatived on the following division:)

Vote #4

Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

9:30 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

I declare the amendment lost.

The next question is on the main motion.

Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

9:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

9:30 p.m.

Liberal

Mark Holland Liberal Ajax, ON

Mr. Speaker, I believe that if you seek it, you would find agreement, in fact unbridled enthusiasm, to apply the result of the previous vote to the next vote, with Liberal members voting in the affirmative.

Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

9:30 p.m.

Conservative

Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB

Mr. Speaker, we agree to apply the vote, and Conservative members vote no.

Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

9:30 p.m.

Bloc

Claude DeBellefeuille Bloc Salaberry—Suroît, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois agrees to apply the vote and votes no.

Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

9:30 p.m.

NDP

Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC

Mr. Speaker, the NDP agrees to apply the vote and will be voting in favour.

Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

9:30 p.m.

Green

Jenica Atwin Green Fredericton, NB

Mr. Speaker, the Green Party agrees to apply the vote and will vote for the motion.

Proceedings on the bill entitled An Act relating to certain measures in response to COVID-19Government Orders

9:30 p.m.

Liberal

Marwan Tabbara Liberal Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON

Mr. Speaker, I agree to apply and will vote for the motion.