Debates of April 13th, 2021

The Economy

[An hon. member]

Answer the question.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I want to remind hon. members that heckling is not really in the rules. It is actually against the rules in the chamber. It is definitely against the rules and downright rude over the hybrid system, if members are doing it via teleconference or video conference. That is just a reminder, in case any members were wondering.

The hon. member for Carleton.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the government with the worst economic growth since the Great Depression is the one right across the aisle right now, and we are not part of that government.

The finance minister said that COVID is a time for epiphanies. The Prime Minister had a strange and, for him, unusual epiphany in his letter to her. He said, “you will avoid creating new permanent spending” in the budget. That is right in the mandate letter.

Will the finance minister honour the Prime Minister's letter and avoid all permanent new spending, yes or no?

[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, the member opposite seems afraid to embrace the idea that public investment can actually support Canadians during their time of need. I point him to the words of the chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, Gita Gopinath, who indicated that it can be not only economically responsible, but fiscally sound at the same time, to make public investments to support Canadians during a time of emergency.

With respect to the epiphanies he seems to be referring to, I remind him that there is nothing radical about trying to fight climate change while we grow the economy, to support women while we grow the economy and to support vulnerable Canadians. I hope he will support the budget at the first instance when he has the opportunity next week.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is actually the finance minister who revealed she had an epiphany. I guess we are going to learn what was in that epiphany. We already know what was in her mandate letter.

The Prime Minister's letter said, “you will avoid creating new permanent spending.” That is necessary because Canada is currently on trajectory for a massive debt crisis if we continue to borrow at this rate.

Yes or no, will the finance minister honour the Prime Minister's written word to introduce no new permanent spending?

[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 can assure the hon. member opposite that when we move forward with the budget next week he will see decisions that will both support Canadians during their time of emergency and set the course for a recovery that will ensure Canada will prosper years from now.

I can reassure him all the investments that will be contained in that budget will be fiscally sound and will be supporting the best interests of Canadians, in both the short term and the long term. In the meantime, I would encourage the Conservatives to get with the program and begin to recognize the smart thing to do in a time of emergency can be to invest to support Canadians in their time of need.

Official Languages

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Doug Ford continues to attack the Franco-Ontarian community, but the collapse of Laurentian University is unprecedented. Laurentian University is the only national institution with a mandate to promote francophone, indigenous and anglophone education. I remember when the Prime Minister chose Laurentian University to host a cabinet meeting.

Why are the Liberals staying silent on this now? Where is the plan to work with the Franco-Ontarian community to preserve and protect this vital institution?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, I share my colleague's concern because what is happening at Laurentian University right now is particularly worrisome for the francophone community. That is why my thoughts are with the professors who have been affected, the students and the community. That is also why I have had conversations with the Government of Ontario. I am calling for the Ontario government to come up with a plan to ensure that we have a strong post-secondary institution in northern Ontario.

I will be pleased to work with my colleague to ensure that, as a federal government, we are able to help francophones in Ontario have access to a post-secondary institution.

The Economy

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, while average Canadians are on the brink of financial collapse, the fortunes of Canada's 44 billionaires have increased by $63 billion throughout this COVID pandemic. A modest 1% tax on personal wealth over $20 million would generate $10 billion a year to help pay for a just COVID recovery.

Will the Liberal government commit to including an ultra-wealth tax in its upcoming budget to ensure the wealthiest among us, those who made the most off this pandemic, finally pay their fair share?

[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 will not pre-empt announcements that will be shared as part of next week's budget, but I will reassure the member that from the very first time we formed government in 2015 our priority has been to support middle-class and low-income Canadians, and we have not been afraid to ask the wealthiest to pay their fair share.

In fact, the very first thing we did in 2015 was raise taxes on the wealthiest 1% of Canadians and cut them for the middle class. When we put forward the Canada child benefit, it put more money in the pockets of nine out of 10 Canadian families. I hope, unlike in those instances, the NDP will actually support the government as we move forward with a plan that will support Canadian households and businesses so we can transition from this pandemic toward a healthy recovery.

The Environment

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians care deeply about their health and the environment. As many of us know, Canada's cornerstone environmental protection law, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, CEPA, has been critical in reducing air pollution from vehicles, banning asbestos and keeping microbeads out of our water.

Can the Minister of Environment and Climate Change please update this House on how our government is modernizing this critical piece of legislation to protect the health and environment of Canadians?

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadians need a stronger environmental protection law that confronts 21st century issues with 21st century science. Every Canadian should be able to live their lives free from harmful effects of chemicals.

Today we tabled Bill C-28, the strengthening environmental protection for a healthier Canada act. Our proposal to strengthen CEPA will help us to better protect the environment, recognize a right to a healthy environment and provide industry with certainty and predictability. Today we will ensure a healthier environment for Canada and for everyone.

Ethics

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

Mr. Speaker, just how far are this Prime Minister's Liberals prepared to go to help out their friends? It seems there are no limits.

Under the Liberals, costs for consultants have increased by $6 billion since 2015. That is $6 billion of taxpayers' money. This is the highest level of spending on consultants since the late 1990s at least.

Can the Prime Minister tell us how much of that money went into the pockets of his friends, like those at WE Charity?

[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, no funds went from the government toward the WE Charity. The question seems a bit misguided, frankly. The Conservatives seem more focused on trying to create political problems for the government than serving the interests of Canadians.

Canadians should be reassured that from the very beginning of this pandemic we have focused on having their backs and nothing else. As we move forward with a plan to kick-start the economic recovery and continue to support us from a public health point of view, I hope we can count on the Conservatives to support our mission, because that is what Canadians so richly deserve.

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

Mr. Speaker, we are talking about an additional $6 billion in contracts awarded to consultants, engineers and lawyers, all on the Canadian taxpayers' dime. According to Kevin Page, the former parliamentary budget officer, these expenditures do nothing to create the kind of economic growth that Canada so desperately needs.

The WE Charity and SNC-Lavalin scandals have proven that the Prime Minister will stop at nothing to help his buddies. He even went as far as asking the first woman justice minister to resign.

Do the Liberal members smell the stink of the sponsorship scandal hovering over the Prime Minister's decisions?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for the opportunity to answer this question.

Unfortunately, I detect a whiff of conspiracy theory in my colleague's question. I am sure that, like me, my colleague is well aware of the emergency we are facing at this time. We need to focus our energy and seek out talent wherever we can find it so we can invest in Canadians and ensure that, united, we can quickly and decisively get through the health and economic crisis we are experiencing.

Health

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, earlier in question period the health minister accused my colleague from Calgary of trying to scare Canadians when she asked a reasonable question about the AstraZeneca vaccine and her question was based on a release from the Public Health Agency.

The Conservatives have been saying that vaccines, rapid tests and information are the key tools in this pandemic and the current government has been late on all three of those tools.

Rather than attack my colleague and evade answering the question, I will ask the Minister of Health again. Will she be asking her officials to review the use of AstraZeneca based on the latest release from the Public Health Agency, yes or no?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, every step of the way we see the Conservatives play a dangerous game with Canadians. On the one hand they are asking for rapid tests, on the other hand they are asking for faster vaccines and then using a fear of those very same tools to scare Canadians.

I will not back down from my comments. We have world-class regulators who have one goal in mind, which is to keep Canadians safe. Vaccines save lives and prevent the spread. I hope my colleagues will ensure they encourage their members to get vaccinated when it is their time.

Public Safety

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I spoke to the chief of the Pikangikum First Nation in my riding about the urgent need for policing resources in the community. This issue had previously put the health of residents in jeopardy and continues to pose a safety risk for residents.

Chief Owen has told me that RCMP officers would be welcome in the community as an interim measure until an alternative policing solution can be found. However, the Minister of Public Safety has failed to act. Will the minister listen to the chief and mobilize RCMP resources to support the people of Pikangikum?

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

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, the member's question reveals his complete misunderstanding of the jurisdiction of the Ontario government to provide policing services in that community. I would refer him to the Police Services Act of Ontario.

We are working very closely in support of that community to ensure medical services are being provided and that security exists for the delivery of those services. At the same time, we are supporting the Ontario government to fulfill its responsibility to provide adequate and effective policing services in that community, as it is required to do.

Aerospace Industry

[Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Ottawa is paying a high price to compensate Air Canada for its grounded planes. It should have at least as much consideration for the 40,000 Quebeckers who build these planes.

Aerospace is our main export sector and the order books are empty. Skilled workers are leaving the sector and expertise is at risk. Federal inaction is destroying what took generations to build. On Monday, will the budget finally include something for aerospace?

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

Mr. Speaker, last night's announcement is excellent news for Quebec and all Quebeckers. As a result of our loans, Air Canada will refund Quebeckers' tickets, protect jobs here, and buy parts and planes here in Quebec.

Air Canada will also relaunch the suspended regional routes. This means that there will be flights again in Baie-Comeau, Castlegar, Gaspé, Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Mont-Joli, Val-d'Or and Wabush. We made a promise and we are keeping it. This is good news and the Bloc does not like that.

[Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Speaker, what the Bloc especially does not like is confusion. The government is confusing aerospace and air transportation. The answer was about air transportation, but those are two different things.

There are only three places in the world that have the know-how and the industrial infrastructure to manufacture an entire airplane, and the greater Montreal area is one of those places. However, Canada is the only country among the major players that does not have a strategic aerospace policy. Quebec is already punching above its weight internationally, but no one in Ottawa seems to realize that.

Monday is budget day. Will we finally see a smart, comprehensive policy for the aerospace industry, yes or no?

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

Mr. Speaker, we have always been there for the aerospace industry, and we will continue to be there for this industry, which provides good, high-paying jobs and represents Canada around the world.

Yesterday's agreement clearly states that Air Canada will have to purchase its parts and planes here, in Quebec. That is in the agreement. I would like to know what part of this agreement the Bloc does not like.

Post-Secondary Education

[Kenny Chiu, Conservative, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, last year the government promised to help students by engaging in corruption and scandal that led to the catastrophic failure of the Canada student service grant and the resignation of the country's minister of finance.

I would like to find out how the government intends to disappoint and hurt our Canadian students this year.