Debates of Feb. 5th, 2021

The Economy

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, it is curious to me that the hon. member would suggest Canada's spending more to be there for businesses and households is a bad thing.

We knew at the beginning of this pandemic that we had the choice to either let households and businesses bear the cost of the economic shutdowns associated with COVID-19, or to be there so that we could ensure that families could keep a roof over their heads and food on the table, and businesses could keep their workers on the payroll.

If I had the opportunity, time and time again I would choose to be there for Canadians, and I am disappointed to see that the Conservatives would choose not to.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Speaker, let us ask some simple questions.

Why is the Prime Minister not being upfront about the supply of vaccines? Why are businesses being kept in the dark while workers are forced to stay home? No vaccines means no jobs and 2% more unemployment in Quebec. No vaccines means a large number of small businesses will close.

Is it too much to ask the Prime Minister for a bit of honesty and less talk? We have had enough of empty talking points. Unemployed Canadians deserve to know what is going on.

Will the Prime Minister please admit that his plan is not working and tell the whole truth?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, it is difficult to take lessons from the prepared lines of a member who seems content to read his question off a piece of paper in front of him in the chamber.

It is not a prepared line that we stepped up to be there for nine million Canadians with CERB. It is not a prepared line that four and a half million workers still have their jobs because of the wage subsidy. It is not a prepared line that 800,000 businesses have had the emergency business account to help them keep their doors open.

With great respect to my friend and colleague opposite, we know this COVID-19 pandemic comes with an immense cost. The difference between our parties is that we knew that the government had a duty to be there for Canadians, households and businesses—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Edmonton Centre.

Public Safety

[James Cumming, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Madam Speaker, not even a month in, President Joe Biden has stated that his administration considers the Chinese telecom giant Huawei to be a national security threat. Now, six years into his role, the Prime Minister has yet to make a decision on Huawei.

Will the Prime Minister stand with our international allies and say no to Huawei?

[William Amos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation]

Madam Speaker, our government is going to continue to ensure that Canadian networks are kept safe and secure. We are never going to comment on specific companies, and everyone knows that an examination of 5G technologies and a review of security and economic considerations is well under way. We are going to carefully weigh these matters with our allies and our partners, including the Biden administration, and we are going to make the best decision for Canadians.

[James Cumming, Conservative, Edmonton Centre, AB]

Madam Speaker, that is just not good enough.

Canada is the only allied Five Eyes country without a formal policy to ban or restrict Huawei from operating within it, and now it looks like our neighbours down south are ready to make a strong decision on this matter.

Why is the government choosing to stand with a company connected to the Chinese government, rather than our long-held strong international allies?

[William Amos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation]

Madam Speaker, it is clear that our government recognizes the importance of protecting Canada's telecommunications systems. We are regularly engaging with telecommunications companies, with our allies and the security infrastructure on a variety of topics, just like this. We are not going to publicly discuss advice given by our national security experts, but I can assure the House that we are always going to be taking the steps necessary to protect Canadians.

Health

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Madam Speaker, the federal government failed to quickly procure COVID-19 vaccines for Quebec. In other words, the pandemic is going to last longer than it should. That is bad news for everyone, but especially for seniors. They are the ones who would have been vaccinated by now, but Quebec was forced to slow down its vaccination campaign in seniors' residences since it has nothing to inject them with.

What is the government doing right now, not six months from now, to get doses more quickly and ensure that we can vaccinate seniors?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Madam Speaker, Canada has seven very solid vaccine procurement agreements. As the hon. members know full well, we will receive six million doses by the end of the first quarter, and we will receive enough doses of vaccines that have already been approved to vaccinate all Canadians by the end of September.

Seniors

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Madam Speaker, we look forward to seeing the schedule and plans.

As the pandemic drags on, seniors have been isolated in their homes for 11 months, unable to see loved ones. The virus is obviously a threat to their physical health, but the isolation is taking a toll on their mental health, as well as their financial health. Seniors have received the least amount of support from the federal government, even though they are most affected by COVID-19. The meagre amount they received from the government this summer is not enough.

Will the government finally permanently increase pensions by $110 a month for people 65 and older?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Madam Speaker, our hearts go out to our seniors, the pioneers who built our communities, who are living in residences and long-term care homes all across Quebec.

We are pleased that they have gotten priority access to the vaccine. Some vaccines have already arrived, and others will arrive this week, contrary to what the House just heard. We will be getting enough new doses to vaccinate all seniors and Quebeckers by the end of September.

Government Appointments

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Madam Speaker, yesterday, McKinsey & Company agreed to pay nearly $600 million U.S. for its role in fuelling the opioid crisis in the United States. For almost a decade that firm was led by Dominic Barton, now the Prime Minister's hand-picked ambassador to China. It was a period in which McKinsey was advising opioid companies to pay rebates for drug overdoses just to boost the sales of OxyContin.

Before naming him to a key position in the Liberal government, was the Prime Minister informed of Mr. Barton's role at McKinsey and the firm’s involvement in the opioid crisis?

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Madam Speaker, as I have said before in the House, Ambassador Barton's role is first and foremost about defending the Canadian people's interests and values in China. That includes securing the release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, and that includes being active on every file that is of interest to Canadians in China. Canadians can be proud of the immense amount of effort the ambassador has devoted to all of these objectives.

Upon his nomination, Ambassador Barton worked directly with the Ethics Commissioner to set up an ethics screen. We can continue to be proud of his work in China for Canadians.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Madam Speaker, it is incredible that the Liberals are defending Dominic Barton and refusing to answer this question. Is it because McKinsey pleaded guilty to criminal charges for its role in the opioid crisis? That crisis has claimed the lives of more than 16,000 Canadians. Is it because the provinces have now filed civil suits against the opioid companies that McKinsey advised?

Again, they should answer yes or no. They should not be afraid to answer this question. Did the Prime Minister have prior knowledge of Mr. Barton's role at McKinsey and the firm’s involvement in the opioid crisis?

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Madam Speaker, I think that all Canadians and everyone in the House knows about the opioid crisis, which is gripping many parts of our country and causing great turmoil, stress and death. We still feel the impacts of Purdue's role in creating the opioid crisis. We are not denying that.

This crisis has been felt across our country. Too many communities are impacted and too many loved ones are left behind. The world wants answers. The world needs answers. It should get answers, but while we wait, we will continue to do our part to ensure the health of all Canadians.

COVID-19 Emergency Response

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

Madam Speaker, many Canadians who are out of work turned to the government for help. Unfortunately, the government is letting them down. People who have been denied employment insurance have been directed to apply for the CRB. However, due to a technical issue with the CRA’s pay system, they were automatically being denied.

Can the minister please confirm on what day this ridiculous issue will be resolved?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

Madam Speaker, I can assure the member and everyone in the House that we are making every effort to get this resolved as soon as possible. Understandably, we want to make sure people are not getting two benefits at the same time, but people need to get the benefits they are entitled to.

We are working on this. I cannot give the member a date, because right now we are all hands on deck trying to solve this. I will get back to him with further information.

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Madame Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Revenue.

The government has left parents in my riding in a catch-22. Home with their children, they applied for EI. Their claims were denied. They were advised to apply for the Canada recovery caregiving benefit, but those applications were also denied due to their having open EI claims. Proof has been provided to CRA, but its database is not able to bypass the error.

No more platitudes and no more buck passing. When can these parents expect this desperately needed income support?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

Madam Speaker, I can assure the member that the CRA and ESDC, through Service Canada, are working to resolve this issue of people having two different claims in the system. From an integrity point of view, we want to make sure people are not being paid twice, but that is small comfort I know for citizens who are waiting for their payments. We are working very hard to resolve this.

Housing

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Madam Speaker, a 70-year-old woman was fatally injured in a home invasion. The suspect was found at the homeless encampment at Strathcona Park. As the homelessness crisis continues, safety concerns for the campers and residents have escalated to a breaking point. Emergency action is needed to house the campers and end this dire situation. The province has requested fifty-fifty cost sharing with the federal government to acquire distress housing or motels as an emergency pandemic measure. It has been over nine months and still there is no answer.

Will the federal government take immediate action and partner with the province to end the homelessness crisis?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Madam Speaker, we have prioritized investments for the most vulnerable Canadians, including those who are homeless or at risk of experiencing homelessness. Early during the pandemic we invested $157.5 million to ensure additional dollars. We also launched the rapid housing initiative, in which the City of Vancouver and the Province of British Columbia will get significant funding to build rapid housing and find permanent solutions so the most vulnerable are not on the streets and have affordable housing options.

Transport

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Madam Speaker, freighter anchorages around southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands were established on traditional and unceded territories without the consent of local first nations. The area is also being proposed as a national marine conservation area, recognizing its vital marine ecosystem and precious coastal environment.

The Liberals often like to say that no relationship is more important than that with indigenous peoples, and that they genuinely care about our environment.

When will the Minister of Transport honour these commitments and put a stop to the Port of Vancouver using our waters as an overflow industrial parking lot?

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Madam Speaker, the government's long-term strategy regarding anchorages is aimed at three things: improving the management of anchorages outside of public ports, ensuring the long-term efficiency and reliability of the supply chain, and mitigating environmental and social impacts. The new interim protocol for anchorages was developed in partnership with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, the Pacific Pilotage Authority and local communities. In fact, the new protocol was instituted to respond to the immediate concerns of those coastal communities.

I can assure the hon. member that the well-being of coastal communities is of the utmost importance—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Pierrefonds—Dollard.