House of Commons Hansard #72 of the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was companies.
Gerald Soroka Conservative Yellowhead, AB
Madam Speaker, the government has completely bungled its quarantine hotel scheme. The Conservatives have been calling for a post-arrival testing regime since the beginning. The Calgary International Airport pilot project showed that this could be done successfully.
I recently met with travel agents to discuss the impacts of COVID on the sector and its path to recovery.
When will the government abandon its failed hotel quarantine debacle and instead implement post-arrival testing?
Darren Fisher LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health
Madam Speaker, Canada has some of the strictest travel and border measures in the world. New variants of concern have made it very important that we take further steps to protect Canadians from COVID-19. We have been clear from the start of this pandemic that no one should be travelling. We have to get that message through. Doing so can put people and their loved ones at risk.
From the start, we have had the safety and health of Canadians in mind, and we will always act to protect that.
Kyle Seeback Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Madam Speaker, with all due respect, the answer to that question is absolute garbage. I ask him to get off the talking points. Canadians returning can drive across the border and avoid this quarantine hotel. It is politics above science. We actually have something that will work: rapid testing for pre-departure and arrivals.
When will the government admit that this is politics over science and cancel this horrendous hotel quarantine program?
Darren Fisher LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health
Madam Speaker, just for a moment, let me clarify that it is that party on that side of the House that has always put politics over science.
From day one, our response to COVID-19 has been guided by science and evidence. We are working closely with provinces and territories to ensure they have the tools to respond to COVID-19, and that includes millions of items of PPE, rapid tests, millions and millions of rapid tests, and on-the-ground support through the Canadian Red Cross.
This gives me a moment to thank our amazing health care workers, caregivers and essential workers for their tireless efforts in these challenging—
The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes
The hon. member for Victoria.
Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC
Madam Speaker, Canada has missed every single climate target. We are the only G7 country whose emissions have actually increased instead of decreased since the Paris Agreement.
The world's top climate scientists are telling us that the next 10 years are the most important. We need climate action, a just transition for workers and climate accountability now, not a decade from now.
The Liberals promised milestone targets every five years, but then left 2025 out of their climate bill. Are they that scared of accountability or do they not agree that the next 10 years are the most critical? Why will the Prime Minister not commit to a 2025 target?
Peter Schiefke LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Madam Speaker, this Canadian net-zero emissions accountability act has robust accountability and transparency. Just to name a few aspects, it has a legally binding process for the federal government to set climate targets and bring forward plans to meet those targets, rigorous ongoing progress reports, yearly reports by the independent advisory body and ongoing audits by the commissioner of the environment and sustainable development.
The minister has been very clear in his willingness to consider amendments, but those amendments can only begin to be considered by the committee. I hope the member, her party and other climate supporting MPs in the House join us in moving this bill to committee as soon as possible.
Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB
Madam Speaker, on Wednesday, more than 30 organizations called on the Prime Minister to support a temporary waiver of certain intellectual property rights at the World Trade Organization.
The TRIPS provisions treat vaccine technology and knowledge as the private property of pharmaceutical companies, but the research was paid for with $100 billion of public funds from across the world, including Canada.
The purpose of the vaccine is not to pad the pockets of multinational corporations; it is to protect public health and get the economy back on track.
When will the Liberals stop putting profit before people and sign on to this important initiative?
Ali Ehsassi LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation
Madam Speaker, it is important for our government that there is a just global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Canada is a strong proponent of a multilateral rules-based system within the WTO context. We are committed to ensuring strong, resilient global medical supply chains and have reached out to the waiver proponents to better understand their concerns.
Salma Zahid Liberal Scarborough Centre, ON
Madam Speaker, this week we are celebrating women and the role they play in our society. While we have made a lot of progress towards equality, we know we have a lot of work left to do. The COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately impacting women, as well as racialized and indigenous communities. Some are calling it the “she-cession”.
In December, the government launched the 50-30 Challenge to encourage gender parity and representation at the decision-making table. Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry please provide an update on this program?
Ali Ehsassi LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for her tireless advocacy and for her very timely question.
Research, as she knows full well, shows that diversity in leadership leads to better business outcomes. To this end, our government launched the 50-30 Challenge several months ago. This program seeks to amplify the voices of women and other under-represented groups in our corporate boardrooms. The member will be happy to know, as will other Canadians, that to date, 1,000 Canadian companies across our country have not only—
The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes
The hon. member for Kildonan—St. Paul.
Raquel Dancho Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB
Madam Speaker, in 2018 the Liberals attempted to cut $2.5 million from the Canadian National Institute for the Blind’s accessible book program, but the disability community fought back. Non-profits NNELS and CELA now administer the program and provide three million Canadians who have reading disabilities with access to books and resources at no extra cost to them.
This year, in the middle of the pandemic, the Liberals plan to cut $4 million from NNELS and CELA. These organizations provide access to Braille, audio books and other accessible reading materials to Canadians with disabilities. This cut is just wrong.
Will the minister commit to restoring their funding, yes or no?
Irek Kusmierczyk LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment
Madam Speaker, we strongly believe that everyone should be able to access information and reading material. That is why we signed on to the Marrakesh treaty four years ago and why we have been working closely with all stakeholders, including disability groups and the publishing industry, on an agreed-upon plan to transition the industry to one in which books are born accessible.
We know that the pandemic has impacted the timeline and the realization of this transition and we are working with stakeholders to ensure that they are supported and that alternate-format materials remain available. I am confident that we will find a solution—
The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes
The hon. member for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound.
Alex Ruff Conservative Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON
Madam Speaker, he did not answer the question.
Many seniors across Canada are like my 98-year-old grandmother, living in long-term care homes with limited social and family contact that has been further reduced by the pandemic. Many have visual impairments or are legally blind. They are dependent on much-needed accessible reading materials that are provided through the CELA and NNELS organizations.
This is even more critical in rural Canada, where access and resources are limited, yet the Liberal government has decided to cut $4 million in essential funding for them. Why? My 98-year-old grandmother and millions of Canadians want to know.
Irek Kusmierczyk LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment
Madam Speaker, as I stated prior, we strongly believe that everyone should be able to access information and reading material. I am confident that we will find a solution that keeps us on the path to accessible publishing and we will continue to work with our partners in the disability community to make sure that we have a barrier-free and accessible Canada.
Peter Kent Conservative Thornhill, ON
Madam Speaker, to the demands of Canada’s Iranian and Jewish communities that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps be added to Canada’s list of terror groups, the minister deflected, saying four proxy IRGC agencies, including the Quds Force, are already listed. That listing, by the way, was in 2012, by our Conservative government, and when this House voted overwhelmingly to list the IRGC in its entirety, the member for Scarborough Southwest cast a yea vote.
Can the Minister of Public Safety explain his change of mind?
Joël Lightbound LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Madam Speaker, the list of terrorist entities is an important tool in preventing crime in Canada and granting authority to our intelligence agencies.
We rely on the expertise of those agencies to ensure that any new organizations are added to the list, and I can assure members that our intelligence and law enforcement agencies are doing an outstanding job of protecting Canadians and keeping us safe.
Chris Lewis Conservative Essex, ON
Madam Speaker, Essex-Windsor has one of the largest advanced manufacturing hubs in Canada, with over $3.3 billion in GDP and 1,000-plus manufacturers creating thousands of high-paying jobs. This does not include those servicing these businesses, its supply chain and those who export their services to the U.S., accounting for another $1 billion in GDP.
When will the government end punitive measures at the border and designate the owners, employees and customers of these businesses as essential commerce?
Rachel Bendayan LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Small Business
Madam Speaker, I am happy to take this question from my colleague, because supporting small businesses and our exporters is exactly what the government has been doing since day one of the pandemic.
I would be happy to sit down with my colleague opposite to discuss these particular issues.
Let me remind all members of the House of the fantastic news we received this morning regarding our job numbers. We now have the lowest unemployment rate since the start of the pandemic. This is good news for Canadian workers and for our exporters. I would like to thank all Canadians for helping us create 260,000 jobs in February.
Christine Normandin Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Madam Speaker, there is nothing more quintessentially Quebecker than the sugar shack as a business model.
It might even be too quintessentially Quebecker. As the Bloc Québécois has repeatedly pointed out, sugar shacks are falling through the cracks when it comes to help for businesses, and Ottawa never seems to know what we are talking about.
Sugar shacks make their entire annual income in two months in the spring. This means that after losing the entire 2020 season during the first wave of the pandemic, they are going to lose another full season with the second wave.
When will the government bring in targeted assistance for sugar shacks?
Rachel Bendayan LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Small Business
Madam Speaker, we all want to support our sugar shacks.
I know how important this industy is here in Quebec. I would like to remind my hon. colleague and all Quebeckers that Quebec's unemployment rate sits at 6.2% today. This is roughly the same unemployment rate as that before COVID-19, and we are very proud of our entrepreneurs, including our sugar shacks, who continue to work hard to create jobs.
Christine Normandin Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Madam Speaker, we must act now. The situation for sugar shacks is urgent because 75% of them could go bankrupt this spring if the government does not do something about it.
As sugaring season begins, I would remind the government that the majority of Quebeckers are locked down in a red zone. Sugar shacks could lose all of their sales two years in a row and there is no federal assistance that meets their particular needs.
Part of Quebec's identity, part of our land and heritage that is enjoyed around the world, is at risk of disappearing. When will the minister do something?
Marie-Claude Bibeau LiberalMinister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Madam Speaker, I agree with my colleague that our sugar shacks are an important sector of activity for our rural regions.
We want to help them through different programs, as we have been doing with several small businesses. I would like to take this opportunity to note that the maple syrup industry had a record year last year. I want to congratulate the sugar shacks and we will continue to work on this.
I also want to encourage all my colleagues to rise to the “sugar shack at home” challenge. It is a great way to support our sugar shacks.