Debates of Feb. 18th, 2021

Hooked on School Days

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to wish my son Gabriel a very happy seventh birthday.

[Member spoke in Italian]

[Translation]

I rise today to recognize Hooked on School Days, which is being held February 15 to 19. Let us be honest: Our young people could use a reason to get hooked on school these days.

It has not been easy to adapt to the many changes education has undergone over the past year. Between having classes in the kitchen or living room, not being able to play with classmates or even having to wear masks, it has been an entire year of learning and adaptation for all students and teachers in Alfred-Pellan.

I congratulate all the teachers, support staff and students, young and old, on their perseverance, resilience and daily victories in a school setting that is completely different. Everyone continues to amaze and inspire us. My message is this: Do not give up, you are doing great, way to go.

Athletes from Beauce

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge the accomplishments of Antony Auclair, an athlete from Beauce who recently won the Super Bowl. He is the pride of our young Canadians and Beauce residents. It all starts with a dream, and then it takes effort.

Speaking of effort, Beauce has been doing Canada proud in the world of sports for some time now. Besides Antony, I want to acknowledge the efforts of Marie-Philip Poulin, from Beauceville, who was named the best female hockey player in the world; Eliot Grondin, an Olympic snowboard cross athlete from Sainte-Marie who recently won two world cup medals; Raphaël Lessard from Saint-Joseph, a talented driver competing in the NASCAR truck series in the United States whose season just started; and Thomas Chabot, a young NHL hockey player from Sainte-Marie who plays for the Ottawa Senators.

We have many more young athletes making the people of Beauce and all Canadians very proud. They are working hard to achieve their dreams.

Sports is in Beauce's DNA, and so is pride.

I congratulate all the Beauce athletes of today and tomorrow.

Black History Month

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Brampton West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Black health care workers are both at the forefront and behind the scenes of this unprecedented battle against COVID-19. During a virtual Black History Month event in Brampton West, we celebrated Black front-line workers for their remarkable contributions during such a critical time in our country. We heard from Crystal, Tristan, Sherika and Angella on what it means to be a Black health care worker during the pandemic, along with Dwight, Prudence, Heather and Sellinor, whom I have had the privilege to work alongside on the front lines as a volunteer nurse.

While we owe it to our health care workers to end this virus, we also owe it to them to end another virus that plagues our society and institutions, which is anti-Black racism. As a proud member of Parliament for Brampton West and as a proud member of the Liberal government, I will not rest and will continue to work toward ending systemic racism in this country. I wish members a very happy Black History Month.

Trévi

[Yves Robillard, Liberal, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC]

Mr. Speaker, given the public health situation, entrepreneurs in our ridings are being sorely tested and must try to keep going in order to be ready when things get back to normal.

Today, I would like to talk about a company in my riding of Marc-Aurèle-Fortin. The Trévi pool company has stayed in business thanks to its resilience and ingenuity. This family business decided to manufacture all of its in-ground and above-ground pools in Quebec.

My office has been working closely with Trévi to help this industry leader get through the pandemic and then grow once the pandemic is behind us.

Together, we can get through this crisis. I hope we will build back even stronger.

Black History Month

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Amherstburg Freedom Museum is in my riding in the town of Amherstburg. The museum tells the story of Black slaves seeking refuge in Canada via the Underground Railway: pioneers who built homes, businesses, schools and churches in Essex County. It is the first Black national historic site in Canada, founded in 1966 by Melvin Simpson, and showcases this community's vital role in the Canadian tapestry.

Elise Harding-Davis, curator emeritus and celebrated Black Canadian history consultant, can trace her own Canadian ancestry back seven generations. Elise has worked tirelessly to preserve Black history in Canada for the next generation.

Finally, a salute to Claudius Thomas. Claudius leads the local chapter of Black Boys Code, a national organization founded to prepare Black youth for success in today's technology-dominated economy, each of them leaving the world a better place than they found it.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, 25 years ago, the Hon. Jean Augustine established February as Black History Month across Canada. This month, while we celebrate the incredible achievements of Black Canadians, we need to reflect on the systems that limit them from achieving their true potential.

There is an urgent need to reform criminal justice, to reimagine policing and to ensure equal access to jobs, housing, capital, health care and education. Today, the Minister of Justice introduced important changes to sentencing to turn the tide on the disproportionate impact the current system has on young Black Canadians.

Despite the impact of anti-Black racism, Black communities in Canada are resilient. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many members of this community have been on the front lines to keep us all safe. I would like to thank the Black front-line workers who have been at TAIBU Community Health Centre, the Jamaican Canadian Association of Nurses, the Black Health Alliance and those across the country who continue to keep us healthy and safe and make Canada great every day.

Small Business

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, we have all heard from struggling small businesses in our ridings. Small business owners do not have pensions. They do not have employer health and dental insurance, vacation pay, sick leave, maternity leave, a minimum wage or overtime payments. Owning a business is a tough life, yet thousands of Canadians with a dream and an entrepreneurial spirit do it anyway, and they provide the goods and services upon which every community depends.

Sadly, these hard-working Canadians have borne the brunt of COVID restrictions. While relief programs allow some business owners to cling to their life's work, they need customers and they are watching helplessly as the rest of the world surges ahead of Canada with vaccines and the end of pandemic restrictions. The government owes it to small business owners, who are burning their savings and piling on debt, to deliver vaccines to safely open the economy and save our local businesses.

Official Languages

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, our country was built by two founding peoples, one francophone and one anglophone, along with the first nations.

The Official Languages Act, which was adopted in 1969, declares English and French to be Canada's two official languages. French has been on the decline in Quebec and in francophone communities across Canada. The last report from the Commissioner of Official Languages was clear. We need to take urgent action to stop the decline of French in our country.

A Conservative government would take action within its first 100 days, modernizing the Official Languages Act to make it stronger, creating an administrative tribunal to handle complaints, allocating a budget for francophone universities in minority communities and centralizing enforcement powers at the Treasury Board to protect public servants. As the leader of the official opposition has said so well, we must act now to protect the French language across Canada.

How can Quebeckers and francophones have faith in this Liberal government, which has done nothing to protect the French language over the past five years?

Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing

[Carol Hughes, NDP, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Mr. Speaker, every day my social media feed shows me people across Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing doing their most to raise spirits and bring a smile to others.

That is how I learned of the Thessalon First Nation snow sculpture contest, and where I hear concerts from fantastic musicians such as George C. Williamson, his grandson Cole Hughson and Robbie Shawana, all from Manitoulin Island, and from Johnny Lemieux and Estelle Deschamps from Smooth Rock Falls.

In Espanola, Dennis Lendrum and volunteers have been improving the Black Creek Sno-Shoe Trail on the Espanola Game and Fish club's property for all to enjoy.

In Wawa, brothers Myles and Spencer Jennings are clearing and maintaining a skating path and small hockey rink on Wawa Lake.

In Kapuskasing, the rotary club is hosting a photo scavenger hunt on the hiking trails, while students from École Secondaire Jeunesse-Nord in Blind River and from Assiginack Public School made valentines for seniors in their communities.

It is clear that Canadians are finding innovative ways to help each other through the pandemic and it is easy to see that we are truly in this together.

Regional Recreational Organization

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to take advantage of the activities surrounding the 50th anniversary of Loisirs Laurentides to acknowledge the exemplary work of all its partners.

This organization is a major player in sports and leisure in the magnificent Laurentides region. This organization was established on February 22, 1971, with a view to promoting physical activity and healthy habits for the people of Laurentides.

I want to acknowledge the invaluable contribution of the volunteers and the management team who have made Loisirs Laurentides a landmark in the region.

Long live Loisirs Laurentides and happy festivities for this noteworthy 50th anniversary.

COVID-19 Emergency Response

[Chris d'Entremont, Conservative, West Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, Nova Scotia has been so fortunate during the second wave of COVID-19. In our province of almost a million souls, we only have 14 active cases and only one patient in hospital as of this morning. That is quite a contrast compared with other provinces and territories in our great country.

However, our economy continues to take a huge hit due to the Liberal government's failed vaccine rollout plan. Delays in a vaccine directly correlate with delays in our economy, and with Canada currently ranked 52nd in the world in terms of immunization, it will be impossible for us to foresee a strong economic recovery in the near future.

From the start of the pandemic, the constituents in West Nova took an all-hands-on-deck approach to help slow the spread of the virus, but we are getting tired of the isolation and would like to get back to normal. People want to get back to work or visit their grandchildren in other provinces. The only way to do this is through a strong vaccination program, which the Liberal government has yet to produce.

We need to get the vaccine rollout right in order to secure jobs and secure our economic future. Let us get all Canadians and Nova Scotians back to work.

Gerald Thompson

[Scott Simms, Liberal, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I pay my respects to a great man and proud Newfoundlander. Gerald Thompson of Grand Falls-Windsor recently passed away and I would like to pay tribute to his community service. He was dedicated to the Memorial United Church, the executive director of the chamber of commerce, a dedicated member of Lodge Northcliffe for over 40 years and indeed a dedicated Liberal, from Joey Smallwood's election to today.

Gerald left a great impression on his community, one of great respect, and I will miss his great poems. Gerald's greatest legacy is his family: four children, 15 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

To his partner and wife Ruth, someone who stood with him through an incredible journey, all of us here in the House of Commons send our sympathies. God bless Gerald.

Employment

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business published a report showing that one in six small businesses are considering closing permanently, putting 20% of private-sector jobs in jeopardy.

We have already lost more than 800,000 jobs and the unemployment rate is one-third higher than the G7 average. The government promised one million jobs.

When will these workers get their paycheque?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for the question. It gives me the opportunity to share some good news with Canadians.

This week, the International Monetary Fund published its annual report related to Canada. The report shows that Canada's strong and decisive measures provided essential support to the economy and the functioning of financial markets and helped protect lives and people's livelihoods.

That is not coming from me but from the International Monetary Fund.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, they need to update their talking points over there, instead of just reading a selective quote from some starchy report.

The reality is this. Here are the numbers. Across the G7, the unemployment rate averages 6%. In the U.S., it is 6.3%; in the EU, it is 7.5%; in Canada, it is 9.4%. We are far worse than all the other countries that are also facing the COVID crisis.

Is it not clear that while those economies are suffering under COVID, our economy has the added problem of suffering under the policies of the government?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear about the success of our government's policies in supporting Canadian workers and Canadian jobs.

As of January, Canada had recovered 71% of the jobs lost since the beginning of the pandemic. That compares with only 56% recovered in the U.S. Canada has a 64.9% labour force participation rate. That is higher than Germany, at 56%, and the U.S., at 61.7%. It is higher than Japan and higher than South Korea.

We are doing well in tough times.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, that answer demonstrates how out of touch the government is.

If the policies were working, we would not have 834,100 more Canadians out of work now than were a year ago. If it were working, then we would not have an unemployment rate that is 50% higher than the average of the G7 and of the United States of America. The reality is that the government is delivering among the worst job records on Planet Earth, and Canadians are starting to wonder how they are going to put food on the table or a roof overhead.

When will those people who have lost their jobs get their paycheques back?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that debates in the House are inevitably partisan, and that is why I know that Canadians will be really pleased to learn that the International Monetary Fund, the premier international financial authority, this week published a report with a very positive verdict on our government's policies so far. The IMF said that our government's strong and decisive actions provided crucial support to the economy and helped protect lives and livelihoods. It predicts our GDP will grow by 4.4% this year.

Health

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, for months now, we have been clearly stating that the Liberal government has failed miserably at protecting Canadians.

In addition to COVID-19-related deaths, which now exceed 20,000, and the shutdown of the economy, the lockdown has us all stuck at home with no end in sight.

The decision to make a deal with the Chinese Communist Party was a disaster. In addition to being duped by CanSino, we wasted three months when we could have been negotiating with other companies.

Again, why did the Liberals make a deal with the Chinese Communist Party?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, with respect to vaccines, let me be clear.

Canada has secured 10 doses of vaccine per Canadian, and we have the most comprehensive and diverse vaccine portfolio in the world. To date, Canada has received over 1.4 million doses of vaccine, and we will receive another 400,000 doses this week.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I too can be clear with the minister. Currently, if we receive six million doses by the end of March, then three million Canadians will be vaccinated. That means 8% of Canadians will be vaccinated by the end of March. Right now, we rank 54th worldwide in terms of vaccinations. By the end of March, we will have dropped even lower.

My question is simple: does the Prime Minister have a plan B? At the moment, plan A is a flop.

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has understood from the very beginning that it was important to have a plan A, B, C and D. That is why we have the most comprehensive and diverse vaccine portfolio in the world. We decided not to risk depending on just one vaccine.

Health Canada has already approved the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and is currently examining the AstraZeneca, Novavax and Johnson and Johnson vaccines.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I get the feeling that we have come to plan D, which is about to fail.

At committee this morning, the COVID-19 vaccine task force confirmed that it did not recommend that the government participate in the CanSino vaccine project with China. The panel demonstrated that it did not have the scientific basis to recommend the project. The government decided to go ahead anyway, despite the experts' advice. It defied their recommendation and put all its eggs into the CanSino basket. As a result, time has been wasted and Canada has not been able to develop a new domestic vaccine production strategy.

Why did the government not listen to the experts? Who made that decision?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, from the start of the crisis, our government has always followed the advice of experts, researchers and doctors. That is our policy, and it is an essential policy during a pandemic.

With respect to the vaccines, we have the most comprehensive and diverse vaccine portfolio in the world. At the same time, we have focused on production in Canada.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I invite the Deputy Prime Minister to listen to what was said at the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology this morning. She would realize that that may not be the reality. Mr. Scott-Douglas, secretary of the task force, stated that the science suggested not backing CanSino. It is hard to understand the government. It refused, supposedly on the advice of experts, to give a mere $2 million to test the vaccine developed by Dr. Kobinger of Université Laval. However, it sunk $56 million into a Chinese project against the recommendation of the vaccine task force. This proves that these were political decisions and that the government only listens to the science when it is in its interest to do so.

Who decided to go ahead with the Chinese project? Who shut down the Quebec vaccine?