Debates of April 23rd, 2021

Regional Economic Development

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Madam Speaker, this is a first.

Sugar shacks are the perfect example of a food service business that is only open in the spring, and their season cannot be postponed. Sugar shacks lost 100% of their revenue last year during the first wave and 100% this year during the third wave, yet there is no federal assistance program tailored to their needs. Clearly no one is aware of this.

This type of business only exists in Quebec. Perhaps this is why the people in Ottawa are not familiar with sugar shacks. It is not right that after the pandemic ruined two spring seasons, the federal government has still not realized that it needs to help sugar shacks, because everyone around the world considers them to be part of Quebec's heritage.

When will the government do something?

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

Madam Speaker, given the circumstances, I would like to answer both questions.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I think it was the same question, but I invite the minister to reply.

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her question.

Many of us in the House of Commons have participated in the Ma cabane à la maison initiative. I myself participated in Ahuntsic-Cartierville, and our Quebec lieutenant took part, as well. It is a great initiative.

I want to reassure my colleague. Not only do we support sugar shack owners, but we have been there to help them through the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec. We will continue to help them.

If the member has specific cases to raise, she can reach out to my office. We will be able to help them, because of course we must protect our maple syrup industry and help our business owners in the regions of Quebec.

Foreign Affairs

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

Madam Speaker, the woke Liberal government ran and hid from voting when it came to standing up for those being persecuted for their religious beliefs, proving that human rights mean nothing to them. It is the same government that shut down the Office of Religious Freedom, after all. There has been no plan for persecuted minority groups such as the Sikh and Hindu refugees in Afghanistan or the Muslim Uighurs in Communist China.

Why is the Prime Minister all talk and no action on standing up for religious freedoms at home and abroad?

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

Madam Speaker, this government has actually extended the Office of Religious Freedom and integrated it in a much broader way within our international human rights obligations. We repeatedly have meetings with people from around the world. We are exercising leadership in the international contact group on these issues, both at an individual level and at a corporate level, to make sure that we as Canadians have a voice regarding international human rights on every subject that has been raised by the member.

Tourism Industry

[Alice Wong, Conservative, Richmond Centre, BC]

Madam Speaker, this past weekend Richmond lost another small business. After nearly 50 years of faithful service to the community, Hanson Travel was forced to permanently close its doors due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, Mr. Lau is not alone. I have heard time and again from struggling businesses in Richmond that the government needs to take steps to help support Canadians in the air travel industry, including travel agents.

When will the government finally take real action to support our tourism industry?

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

Madam Speaker, obviously we know that tourism operators and travel agencies have gone through difficult times. That being said, we have been there for them since the beginning and there is also good news for them in the budget. I hope my colleague will share the good news about the $1 billion to support the tourism sector, making sure businesses have access to the wage subsidy and rent relief programs until September, as well as a lot of support through the regional development agency. There will be a new one in British Columbia, so that is also good news for tourism operators in her home province.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Before I go to the next speaker, I would like to remind the member for Carleton and the member for Kingston that they should not be going back and forth debating in the House while questions and comments are being answered. The individuals who are listening virtually can hear what is going on as well, and it disrupts the House of Commons.

The hon. member for Provencher.

[Ted Falk, Conservative, Provencher, MB]

Madam Speaker, Churchill Wild is a world-class adventure tourism company specializing in polar bear watching. It is based in my riding of Provencher. Like many in the tourism sector, this business is struggling thanks to border closures and travel restrictions. Every day that these measures persist makes it harder for it to keep its doors open.

The Liberal budget claims to have a plan for the safe reopening of our borders, but there is no plan. There are no timelines and no data-driven schedule for the safe reopening of these borders.

When will the Prime Minister deliver a real plan to help the Canadian tourism sector recover?

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

Madam Speaker, I want to reassure my colleague, because obviously we have a plan to support the tourism sector. We have been there since the beginning of the pandemic for them. We are here for them now. We will continue to make sure that we are there for them in the future.

That is why we have invested $1 billion, a historic investment. I hope my colleague will share that with his constituents, because obviously we need to make sure they have access to money to survive the pandemic, but also make sure that they can invest in their business and create great destinations in the future.

Health

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

Madam Speaker, the pandemic has shone a light on systemic issues affecting long-term care facilities across the country.

We have seen the devastating impacts of COVID-19 on those living and working in long-term care. We must do more to protect our most vulnerable. National standards of care for our seniors in Canada will ensure that regardless of where they live, all seniors will be treated with dignity.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health please tell the House how the government is taking action on this important issue?

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Scarborough—Agincourt for this important question. On a personal note, her strong advocacy has had a real impact on this policy, and I thank her for that.

She is absolutely right that we need to protect those living and working in long-term care. Our seniors built this country. They deserve safe and quality care, and to be treated with dignity.

That is why, in budget 2021, we provided $3 billion to create national standards for long-term care. We are going to work with provinces and territories to create these national standards. We need to make permanent changes to ensure this never occurs again.

COVID-19 Emergency Response

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Madam Speaker, the government says it has enforced some of the strictest border measures in the world. This could not be further from the truth.

The so-called quarantine hotels have little to no security. Four hundred and four passengers simply walked out of the airport with nothing more to worry about than a fine. Who knows how many more were just never caught?

The government allowed dozens of flights to arrive from Delhi with COVID-positive passengers, all while India now faces the threat of a double variant.

When will the government get serious about keeping Canadians safe?

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Madam Speaker, we have been serious since day one. In fact, our measures at the border are some of the strongest.

No matter the country of origin, travellers must submit to a test prior to boarding and when they land. There is also a mandatory quarantine, and then additional testing after, when they continue their 14-day quarantine. As a result, these measures are working.

I would also like to point out that the health critic for the Conservatives actually supports releasing strong measures at the border. Does this member agree with her?

Official Languages

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Madam Speaker, what is unfortunate about this Liberal government is that it has once again abandoned Quebec and the fight to protect the French language. There was nothing in this week's budget about providing tools to protect and promote French in Quebec.

The Minister of Official Languages was present for November's emergency debate on the decline of French in Quebec. Action must be taken quickly. We cannot wait for consultations on her white paper. We must act now.

Why is this Liberal government once again abandoning the French language and Quebeckers?

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

Madam Speaker, yesterday, his colleague asked me what investments were in the budget for the official languages. He obviously had not read the budget, and I am wondering whether my colleague has read it either.

Funding is provided in the budget for the French language and also for Quebec.

With funding also allocated for French second-language programs in Quebec, which are for English-speaking Quebeckers, we will be able to strengthen the French fact in Quebec overall. That is also the goal of the modernization of the Official Languages Act.

Several funding initiatives are proposed in the budget. I hope that my colleague will join us in celebrating this.

Veterans Affairs

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Madam Speaker, our veterans and members of the Canadian Armed Forces have put their lives on the line for Canada. Those who have experienced sexual trauma while in the military should not have to fight their government for compensation.

The CAF-DND sexual misconduct class action settlement is scheduled to close on November 25. For too many, the claim process is so painful that the deadline will limit the number of victims able to come forward.

When will the minister extend the deadline for the class action and allow victims to come forward with claims on their own time?

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence]

Madam Speaker, we understand it is important to invest in veterans, and our government has done that. It is why, after a decade of slashing and cutting the budget by the previous government, we spent $11 billion in new benefits and services. We have reopened the offices the Conservatives closed and we have rehired a thousand veterans who were fired by the last government. This government has supported veterans and their families, and we will continue to do so as we move forward.

Public Safety

[Wayne Easter, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Madam Speaker, my question is to the the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. There continues to be some confusion on the government's strategy to keep our communities safe and to improve public safety from gun and gang violence. Policies designed in Ottawa must produce results on the ground at the local level.

What measures is the minister taking with and for the province of Prince Edward Island to improve the safety of our citizens from gun and and gang violence?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Madam Speaker, I thank my distinguished and esteemed colleague for the question.

Many communities, both urban and rural, have seen a rise in gun crime over the past few years. In response, our government has introduced robust and stricter laws to ensure better gun control, but we have also continued to make investments. We are continuing to invest in fighting this violence and going after those who commit it.

We recently announced that Prince Edward Island will be getting more than $1.5 million through the guns and gang violence action fund. This is a tangible measure that will make communities safer.

The Environment

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Madam Speaker, one in five Canadians lives in energy poverty, paying more than 6% of their income on home heating. They cannot afford the upfront costs of a home retrofit rebate program or take on more debt in the form of retrofit loans, yet that is what the government is offering. The Liberals could have created a no-cost, turnkey, low-income program just like the 2004 Jack Layton plan or the U.S. weatherization assistance program.

Why will the Liberals not use the billions of dollars that subsidize the oil and gas industry to help low-income Canadians?

[Chris Bittle, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Madam Speaker, we are taking action to fight climate change and grow the economy, and budget 2021 is a critical step forward.

Budget 2021 represents $17.6 billion that will help with a cleaner and more sustainable future. That includes $4 billion for the protection of our lands and oceans, over $600 million to protect and restore Pacific salmon and $5 billion to support the net zero accelerator to help decarbonize heavy industry. We have an ambitious plan for climate change that will help all Canadians, including those in the hon. member's constituency.

Innovation, Science and Industry

[Ramesh Sangha, Independent, Brampton Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, in spite of being fully capable, our government failed Canadians on domestic vaccine production in a timely manner. Canada is in the middle of a serious pandemic, but the government keeps on bragging with announcements of millions and millions of dollars with no end result.

How is the government going to justify its slackness to Canadians?

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

Madam Speaker, our government has invested significantly from day one in biomanufacturing, recognizing that our country did not have the capacity to produce its own vaccines. We have made investment after investment all across the country. These have been hundreds of millions of dollars and now, through budget 2021, there is over $2.2 billion so Canadians are protected not just now but in the future. We know Canadians need these vaccines and are going to need boosters in the future. Our government is prepared and we are making the necessary investments.