House of Commons Hansard #12 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was chair.

Topics

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22Government Orders

10:15 p.m.

Liberal

Ryan Turnbull Liberal Whitby, ON

Madam Chair, I have another question for the President of the Treasury Board.

What has FedDev done to support jobs and growth in Ontario?

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22Government Orders

10:15 p.m.

Liberal

Mona Fortier Liberal Ottawa—Vanier, ON

Madam Chair, I have a very short answer. As members know, we have increased the number of jobs across the region of southern Ontario. We will continue to invest in FedDev to support small and medium businesses in their different sectors.

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22Government Orders

10:15 p.m.

Liberal

Ryan Turnbull Liberal Whitby, ON

Madam Chair, I also would like to ask the Minister of Health about research funding coming out of COVID-19 and to give the House an update on any COVID-19 research funding.

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22Government Orders

10:15 p.m.

Québec Québec

Liberal

Jean-Yves Duclos LiberalMinister of Health

Madam Chair, I could talk about that for quite some time, as I have so much to say, but I know you will cut me off soon because I see your stern eyes.

I will take the time to say that we have actually invested around $25 billion over the past year in the fight against COVID-19 alone. It began with a $500-million investment starting on the very first week, in March 2020.

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22Government Orders

10:15 p.m.

Liberal

Ryan Turnbull Liberal Whitby, ON

Madam Chair, I know the restaurant industry has been hit particularly hard. Many of the businesses in my riding are certainly concerned about their revenues not returning for many months to come.

I wonder if the Minister of Tourism could speak to the amount of time we anticipate it will take to recover from COVID-19 and what we are doing for restaurants across Canada.

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22Government Orders

10:15 p.m.

Liberal

Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB

Madam Chair, 106% of jobs have been recovered. We had 154,000 jobs added in the report from the last week. The recovery across the country is uneven. We know that restaurants and tourism operators across the country need our support, and I encourage the opposing parties to vote for Bill C-2 and support the sector.

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22Government Orders

10:15 p.m.

Liberal

Ryan Turnbull Liberal Whitby, ON

Madam Chair, the opioid crisis has been something that has been deeply concerning for all Canadians during this pandemic, and we have seen a rise in the number of deaths as a result of opioid use.

I wonder if the Minister of Health could talk about safe injection sites and give us an update on safe drug supply.

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22Government Orders

10:15 p.m.

Liberal

Jean-Yves Duclos Liberal Québec, QC

Madam Chair, I have two statistics. First, the opioid crisis kills on average 20 people every day. Second, safe injection sites have saved about 20,000 people over the last years because people are looked after, taken care of and provided with safe drugs in a safe environment.

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22Government Orders

10:15 p.m.

NDP

Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC

Madam Chair, tonight I will be directing most of my questions to the Minister of Tourism. Tourism is a huge part of the Canadian economy, and it is an even bigger part of the economy in my riding of South Okanagan—West Kootenay. In Canada in normal years we welcome 22 million people, and three million of those visitors come to the Okanagan and the Kootenay area.

A lot of those tourism businesses have really been impacted over the last two years by the COVID pandemic. One of the groups that has been hit the hardest has been independent travel advisers. These are home-based sole proprietorships, and 85% of the business owners are women. Again, women have been hit hardest by the pandemic in terms of their work and their business opportunities, much more than men.

Independent travel advisers are paid by commission under contract with travel agencies, They have a delay in pay of five to 12 months, because they only get paid when that travel actually happens. Lately, a lot of that travel just has not happened. These travel advisers were able to access CERB when it was available, but they were dropped like a hot potato recently when CERB ended. They are simply not eligible for any of the supports that are now being offered by the government, yet because of ongoing travel restrictions and delays at the border, as well as testing requirements, a lot of people just are not travelling. These businesses are really hurting. They are asking for an emergency funding program to bridge that gap until people start travelling again.

I would like to ask the minister this. What support will the government give to independent travel advisers?

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22Government Orders

10:20 p.m.

Edmonton Centre Alberta

Liberal

Randy Boissonnault LiberalMinister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance

Madam Chair, I would like to thank my hon. colleague, who is the critic for tourism among other responsibilities, for his advocacy, his passion and his decency. We have had conversations about this and other issues. I think we can set the table on the backdrop of the fastest recovery of any recession in Canadian history, with 106% of jobs recovered since the beginning of the pandemic and 154,000 jobs announced just this week.

As my hon. colleague mentioned, the sector recovery is uneven, and we know that. That is why I had the honour, on behalf of the Minister of Finance, to table in the House, to encourage our colleagues in the House to support the tourism sector and the hardest-hit sectors, and to put in new measures as we get to the final stretch of this pandemic. I encourage all members in the House to support Bill C-2.

I can say very clearly that the overwhelming unanimous support of hundreds of people who attended the Tourism Industry Association of Canada's conference here last week was emphatic. They are appealing to every single member of the House to pass Bill C-2, so that the sector can get through what will be another tough winter and into the spring and the third quarter. That is when we believe brighter days will be in place for members of the tourism sector.

I have spoken to people in the independent travel agent sector, and I know that they are facing challenges. However, I need to put on the record that we have supported this very important group of Canadians and entrepreneurs. When there was a risk of these operators not getting the money they had earned from large airlines and other sectors, we went to the wall for them in our LEEFF negotiations with those airlines and we delivered. We are working through this issue. It is a complex issue. We have heard from many colleagues in Ontario, in B.C. and across the country. I think the message that has been reinforced by the finance minister is that the supports put in place were exceptional. We will be there for the tourism sector.

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22Government Orders

10:20 p.m.

NDP

Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC

Madam Chair, the minister says we should vote for Bill C-2, but Bill C-2 does not help the independent travel advisers. He said the recovery has been uneven. Well, Bill C-2 is uneven and leaves a lot of people out in the cold, including independent travel advisers.

I would ask him whether the Liberals would amend Bill C-2 to help them, and also if they would amend Bill C-2 to help the start-ups. Many businesses were starting up just as this pandemic hit. People put in thousands of their own dollars in investments into new companies. They took out loans, signed leases and started businesses, many of them in the tourism and hospitality sector, just as this pandemic hit and they were immediately shut down.

These are restaurants, hotels or whatever, and these businesses have received no supports at all from the government throughout the pandemic because they did not have any business record to compare their losses to. They have plans and mechanisms they are asking the government to implement in Bill C-2, or however the government would do it, to give them some support.

They have struggled along and managed to survive in the face of competition with other companies that have received the supports they needed. They received the wage subsidy, but the start-ups received nothing. They are asking the government to let them access programs like HASCAP in such a way that they can continue on and survive, because they are hanging on by their fingernails.

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22Government Orders

10:25 p.m.

Liberal

Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB

Madam Chair, it is clear to members of the House that Bill C-2 is a comprehensive piece of legislation that is focusing on the hardest hit sectors. We have heard from the hotel sector. We have heard from the tour operator sector. We have heard from outfitters. We have heard from gun ranges. We have these operators and tourism operators from coast to coast to coast included in Bill C-2.

Why? We listened to Canadians. We listened to entrepreneurs. We listened to people in the sector who needed our help and support. What they need is a bridge through this last toughest time. We are talking about entrepreneurs who lost 50% of their business. We are talking about entrepreneurs who simply could not continue to keep their staff employed because the demand was shut off because we closed the borders to keep Canadians safe.

As I said at TIAC last week, safety first, then travel. What the tourism sector has asked us for is a bridge of supports to get through this winter into the spring. We have heard the appeals from independent travel agents and we will continue to work on this issue.

We have gone to the wall for Canadians and for entrepreneurs in the tourism sector. We have put Bill C-2 on the floor of this House. We ask for the support of members from all parties to get Bill C-2 passed so we can give our tourism sector, which touches every single riding represented in this chamber, the support and hope it needs to get through the winter into the spring and into Q3.

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22Government Orders

10:25 p.m.

NDP

Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC

Madam Chair, again, they are offering a bridge to companies that qualify for the programs they are offering, but the start-ups and the independent travel advisers do not qualify, so they are not helped at all.

There is another issue I have been hearing about from tourism-based operators in my riding, especially some of the ski resorts such as Big White and RED Mountain. These ski resorts hire primarily young international travellers who work in Canada on an international experience Canada visa. Sixty per cent of Big White's employees are in that category.

These people were there working when the pandemic hit. In many cases, they could not leave to go home so they worked out their visa and now those visas have run out. New visa applications to bring new workers in have been stalled. Big White especially has contacted me saying that it expects good business this year but it has no employees. It is down 40% or more of the employees it needs, yet the visa applications are going nowhere.

The ski areas are really desperate for these workers. What is the government doing to get these workers to Canada, where they can help our businesses thrive?

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22Government Orders

10:25 p.m.

Liberal

Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB

Madam Chair, let me say to my hon. colleague that we have heard from the sector. We have heard about issues of labour shortages in certain specific sectors and subsectors of the tourism industry.

Let me reiterate that 106% of jobs have been recovered since the darkest days of the pandemic, all hours pre-pandemic recovered with 156,000 jobs reported last year. I hope my colleagues will support me as I walk through some of the numbers. We provided $70 million to support live music venues in our sectors. We provided $200 million to support major festivals from coast to coast to coast. We provided $300 million in budget 2021 to establish the recovery fund for the heritage, arts and sport sectors and $500 million for the tourism relief fund that will be delivered through the regional development agencies, including Prairies Canada and Pacific Canada.

My hon. colleague is welcome to encourage people in his riding and in his region to apply. We are here for Canadians. We are here for the tourism sector. We will do the work.

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22Government Orders

10:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear!

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22Government Orders

10:30 p.m.

NDP

Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC

Madam Chair, with all of that enthusiasm, the NDP realizes how much support has been put out for Canadians because most of that support, almost all of that support, was our idea that the government took up.

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22Government Orders

10:30 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22Government Orders

10:30 p.m.

NDP

Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC

What we are pointing out now are some major holes in that support that the government could easily fix. These businesses—

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22Government Orders

10:30 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Chair NDP Carol Hughes

I just want to remind members to allow the member to ask his question. I am sure the minister wants to hear it so that he can respond.

The hon. member.

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22Government Orders

10:30 p.m.

NDP

Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC

Madam Chair, I just wanted to point out that we support much of the work that has been done over the last two years in this House to support Canadian businesses and workers because, as I said, most of it was from our initiative on the NDP side. There are still some big gaps that could be easily fixed, yet the minister is just getting up and talking about the other stuff. That does not help these businesses that are going under.

I want to switch now to the big issue facing tourism operators and many businesses in my riding and across the country. That is the labour shortage. In my riding, the big factor in the labour shortage is housing. In my riding the average income is $30,000 a year and the average house price is $900,000. It is one of the worst ratios in the country with that disparity between housing costs and wages. Workers come to the Okanagan and the Kootenays looking for work. There is lots of work but they cannot find any housing. They cannot find rental housing and they certainly cannot afford to buy a house.

What is the government going to do to build affordable housing? I am not talking about just getting more housing stock going or helping people to buy their first home. I am talking about real affordable non-market housing. What will the government do to help our workers and our businesses?

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22Government Orders

10:30 p.m.

Liberal

Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB

Madam Chair, the hon. colleague raises serious matters that this government takes seriously. There is a nexus of demand for services, the labour to provide those services and the housing so that those workers can have a home. Our government will not rest until we make sure that housing is affordable in this country. Housing is a right.

We will boost the tourism sector. We will work on the labour shortage. We will address the very serious questions that the member opposite raised because we take this sector, its entrepreneurs and the workers from coast to coast to coast seriously. We have been there with them through the pandemic. We will continue to be with them to the end of the pandemic.

I will share three themes that we want to make sure we undertake as a government. We are going to continue with our partners from coast to coast to coast to lead. We are going to demonstrate leadership in the sector. We are going to engage with partners from coast to coast to coast, including members in this House and with suppliers from around the country and around the world. Then we will inspire Canadians to travel our country and international tourists to come to this country, because I know one thing: When tourists fall in love with Canada, they fall in love forever.

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22Government Orders

10:30 p.m.

NDP

The Deputy Chair NDP Carol Hughes

Having reached the expiry of the time provided for today's debate, pursuant to order made Thursday, November 25, 2021, the House will resume consideration of all votes under the supplementary estimates (B) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, tomorrow, at the ordinary hour of daily adjournment.

The committee will now rise.

Message from the SenateGovernment Orders

10:35 p.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

I have the honour to inform the House that a message has been received from the Senate informing this House that the Senate has passed the following bill, to which the concurrence of the House is desired: Bill S-2, an act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other acts.

A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

Canada-U.S. RelationsAdjournment Proceedings

10:35 p.m.

Conservative

Eric Melillo Conservative Kenora, ON

Madam Speaker, less than a week after the Prime Minister went to Washington to meet with President Biden, the U.S. announced that it would be doubling tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber. The Prime Minister was also unable to win concessions on agriculture, pipelines, threats to our auto industry and, really broadly, the U.S. administration's damaging buy American policies. This has raised serious questions about the ability of the government to negotiate with our closest ally.

American protectionism continues to be a threat to Canadian industry and puts jobs at risk in the Kenora riding, across northern Ontario and across the country. The U.S. is Canada's largest trading partner, and we need a government and Prime Minister who are able to ensure that our workers and industries are being treated fairly.

More than that, these are people's lives. These people may not know where their next paycheque is coming from or are consistently stressed with the potential threat of layoffs and job losses. These people and their families need reassurance that the government has their backs, and they need concrete results to continue making a living.

Last week in question period, I pressed the government on its inability to work effectively with the U.S. and received a very unsatisfactory response from the minister. Frankly, it will reassure nobody in the Kenora riding or across northern Ontario.

In response to other questions, including in the take-note debate that we had, the minister has been unable to tell the House how many negotiations the Liberals have had with the U.S. trade representative. They have been unable to really state broadly what their plan is to end this dispute. They have also been unable to talk about what retaliatory measures, if any, the government plans to take or what the path forward will be on rebuilding what is very clearly a damaged relationship with the U.S. administration.

Previously in this chamber, the Minister of International Trade said that the government has done a good job on the file, and I believe that just shows how truly disconnected the government is from what is going on on the ground.

Workers in my riding and across the country need to know the answers to the questions that I have laid out. I hope that someone on the government side is able to answer them tonight.