Debates of Dec. 8th, 2021

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Chair, 106% increase in debt?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Chair, there were 106% of jobs recovered since the lowest point in the—

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

The hon. member for Carleton.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Chair, the question was about debt. How big is Canada's national debt today?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Chair, 154,000 jobs have been recovered.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Chair, is there a minister involved in finance who can answer questions?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Chair, we have recovered 106% of jobs lost since the lowest point in the pandemic.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Chair, do they provide briefing notes?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Chair, with the wage subsidy, 450,000 employers were supported.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Chair, does the Finance Department brief associate ministers on matters related to finance?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Chair, the economy is in full recovery. The Conservatives do not like it. We are happy that Canadians are back to work.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Chair, the member bragged about the CERB. According to the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, reporting entities indicated that clients have applied for and received CERB despite not living in Canada and appeared to be residing in a jurisdiction of concern.

How many people not living in Canada got the CERB?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Chair, I am happy that my hon. colleague wants to talk about something of substance, and so let us talk about the CEBA, which helped over 898,000 small businesses survive. Think of the families, think of the people that helped to afford housing and to make ends meet.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Chair, I am glad to know that the minister does not think housing or debt are matters of substance.

Back to the CERB fraud. How many people not in Canada got the CERB?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Chair, the wage subsidy helped over 450,000 employers keep more than 5.3 million employees on the payroll. That is our track record.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Chair, the question was about the CERB, not the wage subsidy. How many people not in Canada got the CERB?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Chair, I am not sure the hon. member heard me say that, when we are talking about substance, we are talking about Canadians who were supported in a timely manner through the CERB.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Chair, I think the problem is he is not hearing me. The question was about the CERB. FINTRAC says that people who do not even live in Canada were getting the CERB. How many of them got it?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Chair, the data that I have shows very clearly that nine million Canadians who lost their jobs were supported by the CERB when COVID hit.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Chair, did the minister just say nine million people not living in Canada got the CERB?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Chair, I did not say that.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Chair, how many?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Chair, nine million Canadians living in Canada were supported by the CERB. Think about that. It is transformative.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Chair, who will pay for the fraudulent CERB recipients?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Mr. Chair, the rent subsidy helped more than 230,000 businesses survive.