Debates of April 19th, 2021

Health

[John Nater, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in Ontario, the third wave is already hammering small businesses that were already on their last legs. ICUs and hospitals are filling up with COVID patients who have not received their vaccines. Kids in Ontario are not in school. They cannot play soccer or baseball, all while seeing businesses and families south of the border getting back to normal in a vaccinated United States. This third wave is entirely due to the failure of the government to deliver vaccines.

Will the government urgently deliver adequate vaccines to Ontario so families can fight off the third wave?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, every step of the way we have been there for provinces and territories, indeed, Canadians to protect them from COVID-19 and to protect their financial security. We are going to continue to do that by working with all provinces and territories across the country.

The distribution of vaccines is an agreement that has been worked out collaboratively among premiers. We will continue to make sure that vaccines are delivered in a timely way, so they can continue their important work of vaccinating their populations.

Small Business

[Brenda Shanahan, Liberal, Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we know that COVID-19 has had a major impact on small businesses, especially indigenous businesses.

Indigenous economic development is an essential aspect of reconciliation. Last week, the government made a major investment in the indigenous growth fund.

Would the minister tell the House how this concrete commitment to economic reconciliation will benefit indigenous entrepreneurs across the country?

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Minister of Small Business]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Châteauguay—Lacolle for her question.

We are committed to supporting the success of indigenous entrepreneurs. Our $50-million investment in the indigenous growth fund will help close the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous businesses, create more economic equity and further advance the important work of reconciliation.

Health

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the government repeatedly says that it has delivered. The only thing I can say that it has actually delivered are COVID-19 new variants that are wrecking havoc across the country. Let me be clear that these new variants are only here because of the government's catastrophic failure to secure our border.

Will the government finally admit this failure, apologize to Canadians who have lost family members during this COVID-variant third wave?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, COVID-19 is indeed a global pandemic. It is unfortunate that we see every country around the world battling COVID and trying to protect their citizens. That is exactly what we have done.

We have added layers of protection at the border including, most recently, as the member opposite would know, the requirement to test before departure; to test upon arrival; to stay in a government-approved hotel; to receive their negative tests before moving on to their personal quarantine; to sequence all positive tests; and, indeed, to ensure that people submit to a 10-day test before leaving quarantine.

We will continue to protect Canadians from the importation of COVID-19.

National Defence

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadian soldiers were deployed to Latvia without their COVID vaccinations. Within two weeks of joining their Canadian soldier colleagues in Latvia, we learned that the pandemic peaked in Latvia. Now we learn that soldiers have been deployed to another COVID hot spot in Ukraine.

Why does the Prime Minister not realize that his vaccine shortages are not just serious in Ontario, but dangerous for our women and men serving overseas?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the health and safety of our Canadian Armed Forces members serving abroad and inside Canada is our top priority. Our surgeon general and the acting chief of the defence staff have been working with our health officials on prioritizing where the vaccines should go. We do have a very good plan in place to make sure that our members get vaccinated. In fact, I just had a briefing this morning and more should be happening very quickly.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Berthier—Maskinongé on a point of order.

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the interpretation is not working.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Can they hear me now? Perfect.

I will let the minister start from the beginning so that everyone can hear the answer.

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the health and safety of our members in the Canadian Armed Forces is our top priority, whether it is serving abroad—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Salaberry—Suroît is also rising on a point of order.

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

Mr. Speaker, the interpreter is telling us that the minister's equipment does not seem to be working properly.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I am sorry, my own equipment is not working. Could the member repeat what she just said?

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

Mr. Speaker, I was saying that the interpreter is telling us that she cannot do her job because the minister's equipment does not seem to be working properly.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

There seems to be a problem with the equipment on the minister's side. Sometimes the headset is on, but it is not the active microphone. Maybe it is on the camera. I would ask the minister to have a look.

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, both microphones are working. We have already been working with IT officials in trying to get a better system in place. My team is working on this, but right now, everything is hooked up and I checked it just before question period started.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Salaberry—Suroît.

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

Mr. Speaker, I feel like I am having a conversation with the English-to-French interpreter. She is telling us that the sound is poor. Could someone speak with the interpreters, because we are hearing the conversation through our headsets?

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

There seems to be a problem with the minister's system. I would ask the House to be patient as we wait for the problem to be fixed and for the minister to repeat his answer.

The hon. member for Salaberry—Suroît.

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

Mr. Speaker, we cannot accept an answer from a minister for which there is no interpretation. I suggest that you ask the parliamentary secretary to answer, as he may have the proper equipment.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

It is up to the party to decide who will answer. I cannot ask someone else to answer.

Let us try one more time and if it does not work, then maybe we will request an answer in writing.

The hon. minister.

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Vancouver South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am sorry for the problem. My team has been working on solving this, because the translation is very important to me as well.

The health and safety of our Canadian Armed Forces members is important and it is our top priority. The chief of the defence staff and the surgeon general have been working tirelessly, making sure the priority is done. Vaccination is currently ongoing, more doses have been provided. I can assure everyone that we are working at top speed to make sure our members are looked after, but this is all done with proper medical advice.

Public Services and Procurement

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

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal vaccine rollout has been floundering for months. We keep paying the price for vaccine delivery delays. In my riding of Sarnia—Lambton, we have had to cancel vaccine clinics repeatedly. Case numbers and ICU hospitalizations are out of control.

Do the Liberals have any plan to actually get us out of this pandemic?