Debates of Dec. 8th, 2021

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Chair, the government is working with the sector and our colleagues across government to ensure that we have plenty of workers to meet the demand of businesses from coast to coast to coast.

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Seniors]

Mr. Chair, it is wonderful to see you, a fellow Nova Scotian, up there in the chair tonight. I am thankful for the opportunity to speak before this committee of the whole.

Last night, the Government of Canada outlined some of the many measures the health portfolio has been leading to protect Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic. These measures are a critical part of our response to the pandemic, and while we all wish we could put the pandemic behind us, we know that it is not quite over yet. Maybe we see a light at the end of the tunnel, but it is not over. With the omicron variant now circulating in Canada and other countries, we must continue to be vigilant.

As we have seen, the parameters of the pandemic can change quickly. We have to be ready to respond with measures that are both effective and appropriate. The budgetary needs reflect, in my opinion, a flexible approach

Last night, the Government of Canada provided us with a financial overview for 2021-22. Through the supplementary estimates (B), the Government of Canada is seeking $185.7 million on behalf of the health portfolio, which includes Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. This increase over the 2021-22 main estimates and the supplementary estimates (A) will complement work already under way in a number of important ways, and it will address gaps in our health care system.

Even as the response to COVID-19 has dominated the work of the health portfolio over the past 22 months, Health Canada has also continued to perform its core mission to protect and promote the health of Canadians. We are seeing how the ongoing management of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the coping capacity of Canada's health care systems. It has exposed a number of long-standing gaps that need to be addressed, including strained public health and health care systems, a long-term care system in need of reform, social and economic inequalities and, of course, increasing rates of mental illness and substance use.

As difficult as it has been, the pandemic has served as a catalyst in finding solutions to many of these pre-existing challenges. For example, the Government of Canada has made progress toward providing accessible digital tools and virtual health care to people across Canada. Through bilateral agreements with the provinces and territories worth approximately $150 million, the Government of Canada is providing support to expand virtual health care services across the country. This has been especially beneficial for Canadians in northern, rural and remote communities.

In addition, our government has committed up to $1 billion through the safe long-term care fund to help the provinces and territories improve infection, prevention and control in long-term care. Through this fund, the provinces and territories can receive support to hire additional staff and top up their wages. They can also invest in new or renovated infrastructure, including ventilation and readiness assessments.

Early in the pandemic, the Government of Canada recognized that enormous mental health needs were going unmet. Last year, Health Canada launched a new online portal for mental health and substance use support. Wellness Together Canada provides free 24-7 services and resources to people in need across Canada, including one-on-one counselling. As of November 29, more than 1.9 million people have accessed this portal. This means that on a weekly basis, anywhere between 20,000 and 30,000 people in Canada turn to Wellness Together Canada for mental health and substance use support.

The pandemic has also had an impact on the opioid overdose crisis, which continues to devastate families and communities across the country. We are focusing on providing communities with the support they need to save lives and improve the quality of life for people who use drugs.

Last summer, Health Canada invested an additional $116 million through the substance use and addictions program to build up successful community-based programs that prevent, treat or reduce the harms associated with substance use. The government is also working with experts and the provinces and territories on developing national standards for access to mental health and substance use services so that Canadians can get the support they need.

Just this fall, we appointed Canada's very first federal Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. The creation of this new role shows how committed our government is to giving mental health and substance use the attention they deserve. These ongoing health care issues continue to be a priority as we finish the fight against COVID-19.

The supplementary estimates (B) will see the Public Health Agency of Canada transfer $12.4 million to the Canada Border Services Agency for the ArriveCAN digital service. The agency is also transferring $7 million to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to expand research into understanding the nature of immunity following COVID-19 infection and vaccination.

For the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Government of Canada is requesting a total of $23.7 million in voted appropriations and $495,000 in statutory appropriations. Of the voted appropriations, $17.8 million will help establish the Centre for Research on Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies.

Finally, the government is seeking an additional $181 million in funding for Health Canada. This will increase the department's voted spending authorities by close to $180 million and its statutory spending by just over $1 million. In addition to addressing pressures associated with Canada's response to COVID-19, this funding will go toward some of the ongoing health care crisis issues discussed today, including improving mental health supports and services, addressing the opioid crisis and problematic substance use, and supporting access to sexual and reproductive health care information and services.

In recent days, we have experienced some of the turbulence we were told to expect as we enter our second winter of the pandemic. As daily case counts creep up and we learn more about the omicron variant, we must continue to be both cautious and vigilant. As usual, our best line of defence is to take individual public health precautions, such as wearing a mask and getting vaccinated.

I believe the supplementary estimates (B) that the Government of Canada has presented reflect the balance between addressing the challenges of today and planning for a brighter future. Even as we continue to take the necessary precautions to stay safe in the present, we must also consider the future. If we look ahead with optimism, we can start building the future we want to see.

I had the distinct honour of being the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health in the last Parliament, and I saw first-hand what our amazing public servants did day in and day out to keep Canadians safe. I would ask the Minister of Health to please, on behalf of myself and the constituents of Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, pass along my thanks to the public servants, health care professionals and people who have worked day and night to keep us safe.

As to my first question for the Minister of Health, how are we continuing to monitor possible new variants so that we can continue to keep Canadians safe from what is potentially lying ahead?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Madam Chair, I will not have the pleasure of working with the member as parliamentary secretary, but I have heard extremely good things about him and his extremely important work over the last while. He wants me to thank public servants. Yes, I will do that. I think we have done that many times over the last 20 months. They have far exceeded the expectations and needs of Canadians in most respects. He also suggested thanking health care workers, and this is extremely valuable.

I would like to thank him personally for what he did, and all members of the House as well. I think we have met the expectations and needs of Canadians in these difficult times. There is more to do, as the member reminds us. The omicron variant is here, and we have to rebuild our health care system and build it for the long term.

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Madam Chair, from top-notch services to incredible retail stores to the restaurants that provide us with our favourite meal, small businesses make our communities vibrant. These are the entrepreneurs who sponsor our local sports teams and help keep people employed.

Throughout the pandemic, I have been listening to the feedback from the businesses across Dartmouth—Cole Harbour. Not a business out there has not commented that the supports our government has provided through COVID-19 have helped them keep people employed and helped them keep the lights on.

I would ask the Minister of Tourism how we are going to continue to look after these very important businesses, and how we are going to continue, in the face of possible new variants, to take care of them?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Madam Chair, it is nice to see you in the chair again.

In the member's area, represented by the ACOA, a regional development agency, the regional relief and recovery fund provided more than $225 million to businesses in Atlantic Canada going through difficult times. It helped protect more than 16,000 jobs and supported close to 2,500 businesses. Our message to small businesses, including in the tourism sector, is clear: We are here for them now and we will work with them to help relaunch the economy.

The Canadian economy will not fully recover until the tourism sector has recovered. As my hon. colleague knows, and as we are encouraging all members in the House to recognize, we need support for Bill C-2. It is what operators in the tourism sector are asking us for. Bill C-2 would help hotels, motels, cottages, B & Bs, youth hostels, restaurants, food trucks, caterers, cafés, tour operators, theatres, music halls, charter buses, dinner cruises, holiday horse carriages, museums, heritage sites, zoos, botanical gardens, gyms, sports centres, ski resorts, leisure boat docks, amusement parks, dance halls, kids camps, hunting camps, fishing camps, cinemas, drive-in theatres and much more.

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Madam Chair, I often hear the Conservatives say that we have invested too much in taking care of Canadians. I think about that cost versus the cost of inaction. I wonder if the minister could talk about what this scenario might have been like if we had not invested in Canadians and Canadian businesses.

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Madam Chair, during the course of the pandemic, it was clear that the Conservatives wanted to embrace a policy of austerity, and they really believed that the COVID lockdowns were a time for cutting back. They thought that in this time of crisis, the government should have told Canadians to just stick it out on their own. Well, that is not our approach, and it is not the approach we took. We chose a process of investment and an approach of compassion, and that is why we have had one of the fastest recovered recessions in Canadian history, with 106% of jobs recovered since the base of the pandemic.

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Madam Chair, I might be a little biased, but Nova Scotia is the most beautiful part of the country. There is so much to see. We need to make sure that tour operators, for instance, have what they need to get through these challenging times. Perhaps my hon. colleague could highlight the government's latest support measures to help keep this particular type of business afloat.

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Madam Chair, I would like to highlight for my hon. colleague our $500-million tourism relief fund, which started in July. We are encouraging members from all parties of the House to get people to apply for grants of up to $100,000, with 50% matching, or for repayable loans of up to $500,000, representing 75% of a project, to make their tourism asset more attractive.

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Madam Chair, our government has moved at lightning speed throughout this pandemic to get support to people, organizations and businesses that needed it the most. We have listened to the incredible feedback that our constituents provide to us on a regular basis to make sure that we close the gaps and do our very best to make sure that no businesses are left behind. Businesses that are struggling the most must have the support they need.

I would ask the hon. minister to please explain more about how our government's support measures moving forward will help businesses make it through this challenging time and keep—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I am going to allow the hon. minister to respond.

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Madam Chair, I would like to thank the great staff at ACOA for the work they are doing to help people in the hon. member's part of the country. The regional development agencies from coast to coast to coast will continue to be there for businesses.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Madam Chair, it is a pleasure to be here, and I will let the House know that I am splitting my time with the member for Kildonan—St. Paul.

To the minister, how does the government intend to increase housing supply in Canada.

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Madam Chair, I will first mention that the national housing strategy is the first-ever housing strategy in Canada. We implemented it in 2017, and it led to other measures.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Madam Chair, does the minister know we have been told that 1.8 million houses are needed in Canada. How does the minister intend to increase supply in Canada?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, one million is the number of Canadians who have been helped since the introduction of the national housing strategy in 2017.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Madam Chair, let me help the minister out a little. His plan says they are going to create 100,000 houses. When are they going to do that? They will do it in four years.

How is the minister going to get 1.7 million more houses in the next 12 months?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, I think the member may have misunderstood. I spoke about one million Canadians who have been helped with paying their rent since the introduction of the national housing strategy.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Madam Chair, so we are still 1.7 million short.

The Conservatives had a plan using federal infrastructure dollars to create more housing and off-load 15% of government assets. What do the Liberals think of that plan?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, I am sorry to say, and I say it with some respect and regret, that what the Conservatives were proposing in the campaign would have helped rich landlords sell their stock of housing.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Madam Chair, Canada owns 41 million hectares. I am trying to draw the connection here for the minister. How exactly will the Liberal minister create more housing supply?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, an example is the $4-billion accelerator fund, which we are going to invest in municipalities and provinces, because we know that to partner with them is key to solving the housing crisis.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Madam Chair, the accelerator fund he speaks of creates 100,000 homes in four years. We went through that already. With 1.3 million empty homes in Canada, how do we solve this issue of getting more housing supply for Canadians?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec, QC]

Madam Chair, another example is the rental housing construction initiative, a $26-billion investment in support of housing builders in Canada. That is going to create tens of thousands of new homes.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Madam Chair, again, there are 1.3 million empty homes. The Liberals' solution to that is a 1% tax. Wow, that is really going to scare a lot of home landlords.

Will the minister commit to never introducing a capital gains tax on the sale of a primary residence?