Debates of March 22nd, 2021

The Environment

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, climate change is a threat to our health, our way of life and our planet, and that is why our government is implementing climate measures right now.

We are keeping the promise we made to Canadians to present an improved climate plan that will meet our objective of creating thousands of jobs across the country and ensuring that we exceed the Paris target for 2030 and also lay the foundation for net-zero emissions by 2050.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, for once I agree with the member for Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine.

Even a Liberal government minister is admitting that it is her own government's fault if the fishing season in the Magdalen Islands is jeopardized. Ottawa is endangering the region's entire economy by eliminating 37% of the port's capacity. The federal government is responsible for the port's condition, and therefore it is responsible for maintaining it.

Ottawa must accept its responsibilities. Will the Liberal government promise to immediately compensate fishers and businesses for the losses incurred due to the Liberal government's negligence?

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to work with our stakeholders and with our fishers to make sure we are doing everything possible to mitigate any challenges we are seeing with the port.

We will continue to work with all parties engaged. We will follow up with the member on this issue.

Finance

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

Mr. Speaker, Friday was a sad anniversary for Canadians because it marked exactly two years, or 24 months, since Canadians have had a federal budget. For two years now, the Liberals have failed to be transparent and accountable.

While all of the G7 countries have presented at least one budget since the start of the pandemic, the Prime Minister would rather hide his incompetence than present a recovery plan to Canadians.

When will the Minister of Finance present a budget to Canadians?

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

Mr. Speaker, with respect, the Minister of Finance will be sharing details soon on the timing of this year's budget.

However, I will remind the member that during the course of this extraordinary, once-in-a-century pandemic, we have gone to great lengths to make sure that Canadians have access to information about where their money is being spent. I can point to a 237-page fall economic statement, the regular practice of putting forward estimates and biweekly updates when the COVID-19 committee was meeting. Now reports are going to the government operations committee, in addition to most of the information being put on the Government of Canada's website. I would invite the hon. member to check it out.

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

Mr. Speaker, what is going behind closed doors with the Liberals is worrisome.

The government cannot control its spending and requested a $663-billion increase to its line of credit. Yes, I said billion, not million. The government wants to charge $663 billion more to Canadian families' credit cards, and the Minister of Finance refuses to explain why she wants to borrow so much money.

I am worried about the bill this government is going to leave behind because it has no respect for our grandchildren's future.

When will we get a budget with a real economic recovery plan?

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

Mr. Speaker, if my friend opposite thinks that the cost of action has been too great, I would ask him to consider the cost of inaction. It would have been paid for with bankruptcies of local businesses and individual Canadian households not being able to afford to put food on the table.

With respect to his assertion, I would point out that the recent report of the International Monetary Fund has explained that while the fiscal deficit and public debt have increased, sizable fiscal support was necessary to help avert larger economic and social consequences. Canadians can rest assured we will continue to be there for them through this pandemic, no matter what it takes and for as long as it takes.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, these are excuses. The government has gone over two years without tabling a budget, which is a dubious record. What is worse, it wants to increase its line of credit by a staggering three-quarters of a trillion dollars, and the minister will not even tell us how she plans to use that money.

All we know is she has no plan to reopen our economy and no plan to secure our future. The only guarantee is that future generations of Canadians will be left holding the bag. Where is the budget, and where is the plan to reopen the economy?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. member for divorcing himself from the conversation on the reality of climate change at the convention over the weekend to bring the focus onto economic issues. Only the Conservatives would suggest our emergency benefits have been too generous and that Canada could not afford them.

The reality is that when the coronavirus stopped the Canadian economy in its tracks, it caused serious costs to our communities. The government decided we would be there to support households so families could keep food on the table and businesses could keep their doors open and workers on the payroll.

As we move forward, yes, there will be a need for continued investment, but as the chief economist at the IMF said, that can be fiscally responsible and economically sound.

Health

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, due to decades of underfunding and privatization, COVID-19 has cost the lives of thousands of Canadians in long-term care homes. Residents and staff are living and working in unsafe conditions so bad the army had to be called in to care for seniors and help overwhelmed workers.

Federal governments allowed this to happen by failing to regulate national standards of care and allowing companies to profit off vulnerable patients and those who care for them. Will the Liberals put the health of our seniors first and take profit out of long-term care?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I think the member opposite knows that it is not only the right of provinces and territories to deliver health care, but it is also their responsibility. Having said that, the member opposite knows the federal government has been there for provinces and territories and protecting seniors in long-term care homes throughout this pandemic. We have committed to the development and upholding of long-term care standards across this country.

In fact, we have been there to support workers who have been struggling with low wages and poor training with $3 billion to the provinces and territories to increase the wages of low-income essential workers.

Post-Secondary Education

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

Mr. Speaker, 60% of student loan borrowers are women. They hold the vast majority of student debt, accrue more interest and have more trouble paying it off. The pandemic has only made the gender gap worse.

On Saturday, the NDP proposed a plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt per person, stop loan payments until the pandemic is over and permanently cancel interest. Will the self-proclaimed feminist Prime Minister stop profiting off the backs of women and students who are just trying to get an education and follow our lead by freezing loan payments, forgiving student debt and ending interest for good?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, we recognize that student debt can be challenging for graduates. That is why, in response to COVID-19, we increased the Canada student grants by 50% to help Canadians from low- and middle-income families. We have improved the repayment assistant program so applicants would not have to repay their student loan until they are earning at least $25,000 per year. We have expanded eligibility for Canada student grants and loans for part-time students and students with dependent children.

We will continue to be there to support students and remain committed to making post-secondary education more affordable.

Public Safety

[Jean Yip, Liberal, Scarborough—Agincourt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, anti-Asian racism is on the rise. Since the start of the pandemic, there has been a significant increase in hate crimes against the Asian population, from verbal abuse to harassment, culminating in the violence we witnessed in the U.S. last week. COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the lives of Canadians, and racism is further increasing challenges faced by the Asian-Canadian community.

Can the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness inform Canadians how our government is fighting back against hate, discrimination and racist violence?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Scarborough—Agincourt for her tireless advocacy.

Recent events have reminded us of this tragedy and the need to end the unacceptable threats faced by the people of Asian descent, which have increased since the start of the pandemic. We strongly condemn these acts and we stand in solidarity with all Asian communities in denouncing racist violence.

Last Friday I convened a round table with members of Markham—Thornhill in Waterloo, along with leaders of law enforcement from right across Canada, to discuss ways to raise public awareness and to hold perpetrators to account. We will take action to keep Asian-Canadians safe, and that action will be informed by race-based data collection.

Health

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, every single Canadian has felt the impact of pandemic restrictions on their mental health. Families are saying goodbye to loved ones on FaceTime. Business owners and gig-economy workers are unsure how they will make ends meet, and we are still seeing rises in the level of domestic violence. We need hope and clear advice from the government on the circumstances under which normal life can permanently resume.

For example, can a Canadian senior who is suffering the negative mental health impacts of isolation and who has received their vaccine give their grandchild a hug?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure if the member opposite realizes this, but many of the situations she referenced are the purview of the provincial and territorial governments. In fact, it is the provinces and territories that, with support from the federal government, develop guidance to be used in all of our jurisdictions. As well, it is, in fact, the provinces, territories and local leaders who decide which measures need to be in place to protect citizens.

I will tell the House this: Our government believes in following science and evidence, including public health leaders, and we will continue to do that.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we are facing a mental health crisis that is worsening by the day. Lives and livelihoods have been lost, suicides rates have spiked, and depression and anxiety are at unprecedented levels. This crisis is real, and Canadians need real mental health resources now. They do not need another government website. They do not need to be placed on hold because of the government's failure to implement a three-digit national suicide prevention hotline.

Conservatives have a real plan to secure Canada's mental health and well-being. I have a simple question. Where is the government's plan?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, every step of the way this government has invested in mental health supports, both pre-pandemic, and, indeed, throughout the pandemic, as the member opposite might realize. In fact, I want to speak today about wellnesstogether.ca. Unlike what the member opposite says, this is not just a website. This is actually direct connections for Canadians across the country to get paid, professional help, completely for free and in both official languages, translated into 60 others.

I encourage all Canadians to check out wellnesstogether.ca today. In fact, over a million individuals across Canada have used the program in over 2.9 million distinct sessions.

Natural Resources

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister raised the issue of Line 5 with President Biden.

Will he ask President Biden again to intervene to keep Line 5 open and save 50,000 jobs on both sides of the border?

[Seamus O'Regan, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, Line 5 is non-negotiable. People will not be left out in the cold. Hundreds of thousands of homes on both sides of the border depend on it for heating. Tens of thousands of jobs on both sides of the border depend on it. We take threats to Canada's energy security very seriously. We are standing up for our proud energy workers. They are the ones who are leading our economic recovery. They are leading the way. As I say, Line 5 is non-negotiable.

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vern Yu, the president of liquids pipelines for Enbridge, told our Canada-U.S. special committee that the company would appreciate the support of our federal and provincial governments by filing amicus curiae briefs in the lawsuit, declaring they support Enbridge’s position that this is a federal matter of jurisdiction in the U.S.

Will our natural resources minister commit to filing such a brief in support of keeping Line 5 open?

[Seamus O'Regan, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, Line 5 is a battle that we are fighting on every front, including legal and diplomatic. We are taking every tack that we need to in order to make sure that we protect Line 5.

Line 5 is the most efficient way to deliver the products that Michigan needs to heat its homes, fly its jets and power its economy. Shutting it down would mean 800 extra railcars and 15,000 additional trucks per day transporting crude and propane. We do not need more trucks on the road jamming up the 401 and our already congested border crossings. Line 5 is safe. It has been for 65 years and it will continue to be.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on January 27, the House of Commons unanimously adopted a Bloc Québécois motion to call on the Minister of Immigration to grant citizenship to Raif Badawi.

However, almost two months later, Mr. Badawi is still in prison in Saudi Arabia, and he is still not a citizen.

My question is simple. What has the minister been doing for the past two months?

Why is Raif Badawi still not a citizen, despite the request from all members of all parties of the House?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, Canada will always defend human rights around the world, and we are closely monitoring Raif Badawi's case.

Canadian officials continue to raise his case at the highest level, and we have asked many times for clemency [Technical difficulty—Editor].