Debates of Dec. 8th, 2021

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The time has expired. I will allow a few seconds for an answer.

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Madam Chair, we are going to continue to head to a net-zero future and make sure that Albertans are supported in that process.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Madam Chair, salaries are rising at a rate of 2.5%, yet the consumer price index is rising at 4.1%. That is a delta of 1.6%.

What is the government doing so that wages are keeping pace with inflation?

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

Madam Chair, I am pleased to answer this question on child care investments and the Canada child benefit. It is very important support to families. Through the housing investments—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Calgary Midnapore.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Madam Chair, year-over-year increases of the CPI are approaching 5% annually. It is supposed to be a target of 2% annually.

Again, what is the government doing so that wages are keeping pace with inflation?

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

Madam Chair, I just spoke about families. I am going to speak briefly about seniors and the increases in the OAS and the GIS, along with the indexation of those pensions and benefits—

[The Assistant Deputy Chair, Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Calgary Midnapore.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Madam Chair, in a tight labour market, where we are statistically at full employment but where employers are struggling to find employees, what is the government doing to avoid wage inflation?

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

Madam Chair, through 150,000 jobs created just a few days ago, we are now at 106% of jobs back to our country following COVID-19.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Madam Chair, the jobless rate plunged from 6.7% to 6% in November, putting us in a labour shortage crisis.

What is the government doing to end the labour shortage crisis?

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

Madam Chair, the answer is a $30-billion investment in day care. This is great for gender equality. This is great for job creation. This is great for child development. This is great for poverty reduction.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Madam Chair, the government is proposing solutions such as formal hiring processes and holistic packages, but this is only shifting the players on the board. We need new workers.

What is the government doing to find new workers to end the labour shortage?

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

Madam Chair, an example from my province is a $6-billion transfer to Quebec, which has had a great day care system. It is not perfect, but it is going to lead to an additional 38,000 spaces for our children and therefore 38,000 more parents available for jobs.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Madam Chair, I will give the government an easier question: It is also proposing automation, which I actually think is a good idea.

What is the government doing to promote automation in industry, again, to end the labour shortage here in Canada?

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

Madam Chair, we have a $1.4-billion digitalization program coming through innovation, science and economic development. I encourage the member opposite to have people in her riding apply for the fund.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Madam Chair, employers are experiencing delays of up to a year in receiving their labour market impact assessments.

What is the government doing to expedite the LMIA process in an effort to address the labour shortage?

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

Madam Chair, that is an excellent point. We also need to have more people come into our great country. We need to have more support for those who want to retrain themselves and get the skills they need for the new economy. We need more women in the workforce and greater access to child care.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Madam Chair, up to 55% of entrepreneurs cannot find enough workers. This is limiting growth, which we need desperately at this time, and it is forcing businesses to delay or refuse new orders.

What is the government doing to help these small and medium-sized businesses find employees?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Madam Chair, I just want to remind my colleague opposite that Bill C-2 would extend the Canada recovery hiring program until May 7, 2022, and that would allow employers to hire people back at a discounted rate of 50%. That is one of the solutions to help the labour shortage.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Madam Chair, I hope that the government can answer this question. Industries such as hospitality and tourism have been among the hardest hit in the pandemic, but are now struggling to come back because they cannot find enough workers.

Again, what is the government doing to help these industries, which are struggling the most, to find employees?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Madam Chair, the best thing that the House can do to address labour shortages for the hardest-hit sectors, including tourism, is vote for Bill C-2, pass it and help these businesses to get back on their feet and get the workers they need.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Madam Chair, data shows that 8.9 million Canadians claimed CERB cheques, yet the actual number of new unemployed peaked at 1.5 million in May 2020. Clearly, there was some type of fraud going on.

What is the government doing to hold these fraudsters to account and get that money back into the public purse?

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

Madam Chair, it is true: Nine million Canadians received CERB during the crisis. That is close to 20,000 people in her riding who were able to pay for food for their children and themselves.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Madam Chair, as the House examines Bill C-2, which is in front of the finance committee currently, we are looking at spending another $8 billion.

What is the government doing to ensure that fraud does not occur in the future?