Debates of Feb. 25th, 2021

Employment

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, I am committed to working to ensure that every Canadian receives the benefits they are entitled to, including EI.

We are not asking people to repay if they cannot afford to. I am happy to work with the member opposite on that particular case, of course. I will follow up with him directly after Oral Questions.

Women and Gender Equality

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, COVID-19 is the most serious public health crisis Canada has ever faced. It has laid bare fundamental gaps in our society and disproportionately impacted those who are already marginalized, vulnerable or struggling.

Women have faced steep job losses. Many have bravely served on the front lines of this crisis in our communities and carried the burden of unpaid care work at home.

With International Women's Day approaching on March 8, can the Minister for Women and Gender Equality update the House on the theme for the day, and how we will be marking the occasion?

[Maryam Monsef, Liberal, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for Pickering—Uxbridge for her strength and for her leadership.

This International Women's Day, we salute the women on the front lines of the fight against COVID. We acknowledge all the ways that women, particularly racialized women, have been hardest hit by COVID. We invite applications to our $100 million feminist response and recovery fund. We will convene a virtual two-day summit focused on Canada's feminist response and recovery.

Our government will continue to work with strong feminists to create one million jobs, and to improve health and safety outcomes for all women.

Airline Industry

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the GTA is home to thousands of airline sector employees. In fact, Barrie—Innisfil is known as terminal 4. I cannot begin to explain the level of frustration, anxiety and anger among pilots, flight attendants, service agents, employees and their families as they sit at home. Their lives and livelihoods are threatened because of incoherent policies and a resulting lack of sectoral support.

For months now, as layoffs mount, routes are cut and planes are parked, all these families have heard from the Liberals is that support is coming.

On behalf of these anxious families, I want to know this: When is that support going to be coming?

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, as the member of Parliament for Mississauga Centre, where many employees of the aviation sector live and work, I am very much in touch with them, and the anxiety they are going through today due to the COVID pandemic.

I can assure my hon. colleague and all employees of the aviation sector that we are engaged with the airline sector with a sense of urgency on finalizing a support package, because the aviation sector is important for Canada's economy and it is important for Canada's security.

[Doug Shipley, Conservative, Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week, I had the privilege of meeting with the Association of Canadian Independent Travel Advisors. Many Canadians are suffering through this pandemic, but travel advisers are being decimated. These self-employed, hard-working individuals work on 100% commission. As we all know, the travel industry has been shut down for many months; therefore, they have had no ability to make any revenue. Now they are concerned that they may have to pay back past commissions.

Will the Prime Minister listen to the concerns of these hard-working Canadians and ensure that their livelihoods are protected in any rescue package provided to Canadians?

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure my hon. colleague that we are listening. As I said earlier, we are currently in discussions with the airline sector on providing customized support given the conditions that it is going through right now.

I can assure my hon. colleague that refunds, regional route restoration and commissions are part of the discussion.

Youth

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, young Canadians and their parents are growing increasingly concerned about the alarming decline of job opportunities as a result of the government's response to the pandemic. Experts are saying that it will be a decade before opportunities for our young people return to pre-pandemic levels. We know that in December 2020, 250,000 young people were out of work compared with the year prior.

This government has made hundreds of announcements and spent billions upon billions of dollars in the last year on pandemic emergency spending, yet it has failed to provide Canadians a jobs recovery plan for our young people to secure their future.

Where is it? Where is the plan?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth]

Mr. Speaker, we will always work on behalf of young people in Canada, and that is exactly why we have a full voice at the cabinet table. When it comes to not only employment opportunities but creating opportunities in which young people are involved, we will continue to do that. If we look at strengthening the youth employment skills strategy, our government has committed to that. In the Canada summer jobs program, we have doubled the number of jobs, and young people can continue to apply. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we made sure that youth were at the forefront of our response.

We will continue working on behalf of young people. They are not only the leaders of tomorrow, they are the leaders of today.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[Marc Serré, Liberal, Nickel Belt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian farmers work hard every day to produce high quality products. In September 2019, Verner, Ontario, in the riding of Nickel Belt, hosted the largest international plowing match and rural expo of all time with the help of 1,000 community volunteers. The agricultural industry has been working very hard and facing some major challenges during this pandemic.

Can the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food tell us about the measures our government has put in place to help the agri-food sector across the country?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, we are very grateful to our farmers, who have overcome great challenges to continue to keep our grocery shelves stocked throughout the pandemic.

Canada had a record year in 2020 with $74 billion in agri-food exports. Our government is there to help farmers get through this crisis by providing various emergency assistance programs and improved risk management programs and by ensuring that foreign workers arrive safely in Canada.

Pharmacare

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the NDP put forward a life-saving pharmacare bill that would help thousands of Canadians who cannot afford their medication. Eighty-eight per cent of Canadians support a universal pharmacare program, yet of the 34 members of Parliament in Alberta, I was the only one who voted to support this bill. We need to ensure that Alberta health care is strengthened at the federal level to prevent erosion at the provincial level.

How can the Prime Minister justify voting against this bill, which would help Canadians pay for life-saving medication?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I think what the NDP and my hon. colleague fail to recognize is that we must work with the provinces and territories to ensure a pharmacare program that will work for everyone. That is what we are doing. We have done more than any government in a generation to lower drug prices. I am working with my colleagues on a national universal pharmacare plan. We have established a transition office to create a new Canada drug agency and a national formulary, and we are investing $1 billion over two years to help Canadians who live with rare disease get access to the medications they need. That is real progress.

COVID-19 Emergency Response

[Marwan Tabbara, Liberal, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

Mr. Speaker, some of my constituents were instructed by officials that in order to access the CRB they must first apply for EI. Despite not qualifying for EI, they complied. They were denied. Then when they applied for the CRB, the CRA disqualified them because the system showed them as having active EI applications.

Can the government please explain what is being done to resolve the issues between these two departments?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, we know that this continues to be a difficult time for many, which is why we transitioned to a simplified EI program and created three new recovery benefits to support Canadians. Service Canada and the CRA work closely together to share data on Canadians who apply for benefits, to ensure that only one benefit is paid to someone applying at any given time. In some instances this can cause a delay.

That said, we understand that any delay in receiving benefits can be really hard for people. That is why Service Canada and the CRA are continuing to work closely together to reduce delays and ensure that Canadians are paid the benefits they need in a timely manner.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

That is all the time we have for today.

I wish to inform the House that the Chair has received notice from the House leaders of all recognized parties stating that they are satisfied the remote voting solution is ready to be used.

As a result, as of the next sitting on February 26 and until June 23, members who are voting remotely will use the new electronic voting system.

Information about this new system is available to members on Source.

Business of the House

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, after two conclusive tests, we now have a voting app. That being said, I would remind all hon. members that every vote is important and that we must respect decorum to the highest degree regarding the mandate the people have entrusted to us in our respective ridings.

Speaking of ridings, we know that next week the 338 parliamentarians will be in their riding to hear from their constituents on the ground. Then they will return to the House.

I invite the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons to tell us what we can expect on our return on March 8.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, thank you for sharing this excellent news. I believe hon. members were unanimous on this.

That being said, I thank my colleague for his Thursday question.

This afternoon we will continue debate on the Bloc Québécois opposition day. Tomorrow morning, Friday, we will begin second reading stage of Bill C-21, an act to amend certain acts and to make certain consequential amendments in relation to firearms. Tomorrow afternoon, we will resume debate on Bill C-14, an act to implement certain provisions of the economic statement tabled in Parliament on November 30, 2020 and other measures.

Finally, I would like to inform the House that Tuesday, March 9, the week we return, will be an allotted day.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish my colleagues an excellent week in their respective ridings and excellent work with their community.

[Paul Manly, Green, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

There have been consultations among the parties, and I believe if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move: That the House recognize that housing is a fundamental human right; that it recognize that an estimated 1.8 million Canadian households spend more than the affordability threshold of 30% of their income on rent, and 8,000 of those households spend more than 50%; that it recognize that an estimated 2.4 million Canadian households experienced core housing needs in 2020; that it recognize that housing is becoming less affordable and more precarious for low-wage workers, people who have lost work due to COVID-19 restrictions and people living on fixed incomes; that it recognize that an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 Canadians are homeless and hundreds of thousands more are on the verge of becoming homeless; that it recognize that housing affordability and homelessness are twin national crises; and that the House believes the government should take immediate action to protect existing affordable rental stock from predatory investment practices and that the government should prioritize investments in non-profit and co-operative housing.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

All those opposed to the hon. member moving the motion will please say nay.

[Some hon. members]

Nay.

The House resumed consideration of the motion.

Opposition Motion—Financial Situation of the Elderly

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise today in the House to speak to this motion from the Bloc Québécois.

I am proud that my party is using one of its opposition days to talk about seniors and the precarious financial situations they live in. By putting this issue on today's agenda, we are giving all parliamentarians a chance to wake up to this issue, since some do not seem to be aware of it, and share their thoughts.

The Bloc Québécois is calling on the House to recognize that seniors have been most directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We need to recall that too many seniors are living in a financially precarious position, and to acknowledge the collective debt that we owe those who built Quebec and Canada. We are asking the government, in the next budget, to increase the old age security benefit by $110 a month for those aged 65 and more.

You will therefore understand how proud I am to participate in the debate about seniors. I will perhaps speak about more familiar issues to help Canadians and parliamentarians better understand the reality of seniors aged 65 and over.

After listening to various speeches, I am very surprised to see that my colleagues opposite are making a distinction between someone who is 65 and someone who is 75. Those 65 and older all have the same needs and responsibilities. They need decent and suitable housing, they must be able to buy groceries, they must be able to eat fruits and vegetables and meat or, if they are vegetarian, pulses and tofu, they must be able to pay their electrical and Internet bills, and they must be able to pay for their medications.

What we see, and I believe everyone here must have noticed this, is that over the past few years, and especially this past year, the cost of living has increased substantially, as shown by the grocery bill.

According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, whether they are 65 or 75, people need to be able to house and feed themselves. Our seniors' financial means must be increased to reflect the new cost of living. It is not okay for absolutely everything to increase except for our seniors' old age security.

If we do a quick calculation, those receiving the guaranteed income supplement and old age security get about $1,500 a month. Whether I am 65 or 75, these two combined sources of income provide just $18,600 a year to live on. What can I buy with that? What is happening right now?

Quebec seniors want to stay in their homes as long as possible. To be able to stay in my home as long as possible, I need services and support from my community, community groups, volunteers, family, caregivers and friends, but also from CLSCs. This is what our seniors want more than anything, and some even want to die at home. This requires doctors and nurses who will be able to support our seniors throughout their lives at home.

However, people who can no longer stay at home because they need too much care must find a place to live where they can be cared for and provided with the services they need. In Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, to find a place to live that can provide the kind of services needed when one is sick or losing their autonomy, no private assisted-living residence can offer these services for less than $1,000 per month.

On top of that, while this includes basic meals, it does not necessarily include any services. You could easily spend up to $1,500 or $2,000 a month to get your medication and meals and to have your room serviced. We can see very clearly right away, by my rather simple calculation, that expenses exceed the $1,500 per month that seniors receive.

It might be a bit of an occupational hazard, but I am very concerned about the most vulnerable, people who have worked hard their entire lives but have not had the good fortune or the privilege of being unionized or having a collective agreement that includes pension income. Those who were fortunate enough to contribute to a private pension fund were able to benefit, once they retired, not only from old age security, but also from those savings. However, that is not the situation for many seniors in Quebec. Most of them have to live solely on their pension and the guaranteed income supplement.

As a member of Parliament, every week, I am contacted by seniors who tell me how difficult it is to make ends meet these days, and how they have to make some difficult choices. They know they need certain services, but they cannot afford them. As an MP, I assure them that the Bloc Québécois supports them completely, and I promise to be their voice in the House of Commons.

That is why I wanted to rise today. I wanted to point out that these people are falling through the cracks. They are perhaps a group that we do not hear much about, but they are so very important. It bothers me when seniors are seen as victims or as people who need help. In contrast, in Quebec, our seniors are our strength. They helped build our society and they deserve to be taken care of.

Moreover, there are many low-income seniors who help our communities by contributing to their development and building community solidarity. They may be in a precarious financial situation, but that does not keep them from contributing or volunteering for many community organizations, which have now become essential services that help us get through the pandemic.

Today, we are making a heartfelt appeal to the members across the way so that, in their next budget, they include a $110 monthly increase in the old age security pension and a $50 monthly increase in the guaranteed income supplement. That would enable those affected to live decently, with dignity. More importantly, it would make them feel like they matter, that they are people who deserve our support.

I encourage all parliamentarians to give serious thought to the Bloc Québécois motion before rejecting it. I especially encourage the government to finally include in its next budget a decent increase that` respects and recognizes the contributions of the seniors, who built Quebec and Canada and who built a just and equitable society for us. Collectively, we must allow ourselves the will and the means to support them as they deserve.

On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I wish the very best for our seniors, which means there must be an increase in the old age security pension and the guaranteed income supplement.

[Kevin Waugh, Conservative, Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK]

Mr. Speaker, when the Liberal government came out with the $300 payment last May and it finally reached the doorsteps in July, our office in Saskatoon had hundreds of calls each and every day. We have a high concentration of seniors in Saskatoon—Grasswood. The one group that maybe we have not looked at are senior singles. They have been left behind. Couples of course are on fixed incomes. The expenses of single seniors are the same as couples, but they only get one installment.

I really feel for single seniors, because they have really struggled. Everything has gone up: water, power, food, as the hon. member mentioned. I wanted to get her thoughts about single seniors in her province who are trying to stay in their home and survive from day to day.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Salaberry—Suroît, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his very interesting question.

Whether one is younger, older or elderly, being single is more expensive because fixed costs are the same. That is a very important concept.

Like my colleague, I received dozens of letters from seniors criticizing the one-time payment. They saw it as an attempt to shut them up and tell them they would be getting $300, whether they lived by themselves or with someone else, and that was it. The government does not recognize that fixed costs have to be paid every month. A one-time payment is fine at first, but people have to keep paying for food, health care and rent.

I agree with my colleague that the government either ignores or is insensitive to the financial plight of our seniors. We ask the government to support our motion when the vote takes place on March 8.