House of Commons Hansard #104 of the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was support.

Topics

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:20 p.m.

Conservative

James Cumming Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB

Mr. Chair, is a target not important is this area?

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:20 p.m.

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON

Yes, Mr. Chair, targets are definitely important, and let me talk about probably the target that is the most important to Canadians, which is the one million jobs promised in the throne speech. This budget will create them by the end of the—

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:20 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton

The hon. member.

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:20 p.m.

Conservative

James Cumming Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB

Mr. Chair, I think Canadians want to know where the one million jobs are, so that would be a target.

Can the minister tell me how many of those jobs will be in the natural resource sector?

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:20 p.m.

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON

Mr. Chair, what I am going to do is talk about some of the things our government has done to support Canadians. How about this number: 876,000 businesses across the country have been supported by a CEBA loan.

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:20 p.m.

Conservative

James Cumming Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB

Mr. Chair, what relief programs are newly incorporated businesses eligible for?

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:20 p.m.

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON

Mr. Chair, here is another number that might interest the member opposite: 182,000 businesses across the country benefited from the rent subsidy and emergency lockdown—

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:20 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton

The hon. member.

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:20 p.m.

Conservative

James Cumming Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB

Mr. Chair, what specific programs are newly incorporated businesses eligible for?

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:20 p.m.

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON

Mr. Chair, one of the most important elements in the budget is investments in small businesses. There is the digital adoption program that is going to help drive a surge in productivity, and the tax credit for up to $1.5 million a year.

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:20 p.m.

Conservative

James Cumming Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB

Mr. Chair, I take it that is none.

Can the minister tell me what specific measures were taken to lower input costs and taxes to SMEs?

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:20 p.m.

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON

Mr. Chair, that is actually precisely the opposite of what I said. When it comes to small and medium-sized businesses, this budget makes a historic, unprecedented investment. One of the most important elements is the tax expensing of $1.5 million for three years.

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:20 p.m.

Conservative

James Cumming Conservative Edmonton Centre, AB

Mr. Chair, on what date can I tell my grandchildren the government will finally balance a budget?

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:20 p.m.

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON

Mr. Chair, if the member opposite is concerned about his grandchildren, as I am sure he is, and all of us care very much about our children and grandchildren, what I hope he will tell them is that this government is investing in the future. It is investing in jobs and growth. It is investing precisely in those grandchildren.

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:25 p.m.

Winnipeg North Manitoba

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Chair, I would like to pick up on the last point the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance made in regard to our grandchildren. I am very proud of my grandchildren, and I do think of the future and the direction that we are going.

One of the things we can all feel very good about is that during the pandemic, and even pre-pandemic, we have had a government that was very concerned about the future of Canada, so our grandchildren would be in a better environment. I could go back all the way to the first budget, where we saw all forms of support for Canada's middle class, to the challenging times of the pandemic, where we continue to support Canadians in a very real way. Our government has supported, through the middle class, a healthier economy that continues to build and perform quite well in comparison to other jurisdictions. This is because of the investments we have made.

I feel very good about the future of Canada because we have had very strong stewardship of our economy through both of our ministers of finance, the strong leadership of our Prime Minister, and a caucus that works day in and day out to ensure that we get things right. When we know we need to improve, we strive to make those improvements.

Having said that, I want to provide my comments for 10 minutes, leaving four or five minutes for questions and comments with the Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance.

Let me start by saying that in Manitoba, in reading the Winnipeg Free Press today, there is good reason to have hope. I will read from an article about the first dose being given to 60% of adult Manitobans. It says, “Manitoba is less than two weeks away from vaccinating 70% of its eligible population against the novel coronavirus in a final push to bend the COVID-19 curve of Canada's hot spot.”

It has been difficult over the last little while, as this third wave has had a significant impact in the province that I love and care so dearly about. I know that people are genuinely concerned. Upon reflection, one of the things I think about is how the province and the people have come together. We have seen our health care workers in particular, and so many others, recognize the need to serve. They have stepped up to the plate once again.

Our ICUs are packed. We have to have people go out of province. We understand how important it is that the population continues to play that supportive role. We see that through physical distancing and respecting the need for restrictions. When I reflect on it, I go all the way back to day one, over a year ago, when the Prime Minister said that we needed to focus our attention on the pandemic, and on fighting and battling this pandemic.

He told Canadians back then that we would be there for Canadians, for real people and our businesses. If we review the things that have taken place, there are many indications showing how we have been able to get to the point we are at today. I do not have any problem whatsoever in looking beyond our borders and feeling good in terms of where Canada is today. I attribute our success to date to that team Canada approach.

The federal government did not do this on its own. There was very much a coming together of different levels of government. We saw provincial governments, municipal governments, non-profit organizations and private businesses all come together, recognizing that we needed to work together in order to overcome this world pandemic and the damage that it was causing.

From the very beginning we saw a government that understood in a very real way that we had to be there. Being there meant a program, coming from nowhere, that we know as CERB, which served over nine million Canadians. Our population is 37.5 million people. Think about what it would have taken and about the fine work of our civil servants and all those involved in making that program a reality. It put disposable income in the pockets of Canadians when Canadians needed it, when they were concerned about how they were going to pay their mortgages and their bills. Bills do not stop coming in even when someone does not have an ability to generate income because of the pandemic.

Imagine the number of businesses that would not be here today if the government, working with others as a team, had not developed programs that have become the pillars of the federal government throughout the pandemic. I am thinking of the emergency business account, emergency commercial rent program and lockdown support. I loved the wage subsidy program. That program saved tens of thousands of jobs. It kept people working during the pandemic. Not only was it good for individual Canadians, but it was also good for businesses. There was the business recovery benefit, recovery sickness benefit and recovery caregiver benefit. Those were the pillars that were there to ensure that the federal government had the backs of Canadians. That was so very important. By doing that, we are in a far greater position to be able to build back better.

We look at the budget implementation bill and the budget, which we heard about from the Minister of Finance. It is an incredible, progressive budget that supports Canada's middle class and those aspiring to be a part of it in a very real and tangible way. We can look at what it is doing for child care. We can look at the budget's potential of getting more people engaged and the contribution that that engagement is going to have on Canada's future growth. We have recognized the value of long-term care and standards. We have learned a great deal from the pandemic and we can take advantage of what we have learned and build upon it. That is what this budget is doing.

Canada has hope today because we have a government that recognizes the value of working as a team with other levels of government, with Canadians. We have a government that recognizes the value of bringing forward a budget, which is going to make a difference. That takes me to my first question for the parliamentary secretary to the minister of finance. Reflecting on the budget implementation bill and how it is a continuation of allowing us to build back better, so that we will have a stronger and healthier future for the next generation and today's generation, could he provide his thoughts on why this bill is so critically important at this time to continue to be there in a real, tangible way for all Canadians from coast to coast to coast?

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:35 p.m.

Central Nova Nova Scotia

Liberal

Sean Fraser LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance

Mr. Chair, I would ask the hon. member to bear with me, as we are now at about 12:35 in the morning on the east coast, and it has been an engaging debate every step of the way.

In response to the member's question, when I think first about the impact of this budget, I cannot ignore that we continue to be in a public health emergency. COVID-19 has thrust a lockdown on my home province of Nova Scotia most recently and people need support.

It makes me think back to the early days of the initial shutdown nearly a year and a half ago and the phone calls that were coming in to constituency offices like mine right across Canada. People were worried about putting food on the table. Business owners were worried about keeping their lights on and their doors open. Workers wanted to be kept on payroll so they knew a cheque would be coming in and they would also have access to their benefits.

We stepped up in a way that I was very proud of, with programs like CERB, helping more than nine million Canadian workers; the wage subsidy, keeping over $5 million on the payroll; and the emergency business account, helping businesses keep the lights on. Many of these benefits are extended in the budget implementation act that was been tabled recently. We know that we need to continue supporting folks until this emergency is over. Thankfully, due to the expedited vaccine rollout, it looks like that may come sooner rather than later.

As we punch out of this pandemic recession through investments that will help businesses grow, help them innovate, help with extraordinary job placements and with hiring incentives, it is essential that the growth the private-sector forecasts are suggesting will arise does not benefit the wealthy few but extends to everyone.

Are you trying to get my attention, Mr. Chair?

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:35 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton

It is just a mistake. It is a little glitch at our end. The parliamentary secretary can continue, please.

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:35 p.m.

Liberal

Sean Fraser Liberal Central Nova, NS

Mr. Chair, I was just trying to make the point that as we experience growth on the back end of this pandemic, it is essential that we try to build growth in a way that works for everyone. We know this pandemic has hit women and young people harder than others. We know this pandemic has disproportionately impacted Black Canadians, indigenous Canadians and folks from different walks of life.

As we seek to go forward, investments like the new national child care and early childhood education strategy will ensure more women can take part in the workforce. Historic investments in excess of $5.7 billion will support young Canadians and reduce barriers of access to education, so we will not only create cost savings in the short term for them but set them up for long-term success.

The hon. member bookended his remarks with the idea of intergenerational fairness. The previous speakers had an exchange on the same issue in the context of making the kinds of investments now that, yes, may be expensive but will set us up for long-term success.

We cannot have a conversation about intergenerational fairness without discussing the real impact that climate change is having on people today and the disproportionate impact that young people should expect to live with if we continue on the path we are on.

I am extraordinarily proud of some of the investments we have made over the past number of years, the recent commitment to legislate targets in Canadian law and the investments included in this budget that will spur innovation in clean technology, provide tax incentives for people who manufacture zero-emissions technology and inspire us to adopt clean electricity more rapidly. We have investments to help deep home energy retrofits that will put people to work, reduce our emissions and reduce the cost of electricity.

When it comes to intergenerational fairness, members know as well as I do that we need to take action today to mitigate the worst consequences of climate change, so my daughter's generation has a world where she can live and work as she sees fit.

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:35 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton

At this point, we would only have about two minutes remaining in the time provided. However, in that there were some technical delays in the course of this evening's debate, we will extend that by about five minutes. In total, we will allow seven minutes. I think the next two speakers may decide to split that time, but let us go to the hon. member for Courtenay—Alberni and see what his direction is.

The hon. member for Courtenay—Alberni.

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:40 p.m.

NDP

Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC

Mr. Chair, could you clarify how much time we will have?

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:40 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Bruce Stanton

There will be about three and a half minutes for each member if you split the seven minutes, or seven minutes for one member.

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:40 p.m.

NDP

Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC

Mr. Chair, I will be splitting my time with the member for Vancouver East.

We know that the tourism sector is struggling. It is going to be the last sector to recover. The hospitality industry is the hardest-hit sector. The sector needs the government to commit to extending the wage subsidy and the rent assistance program into next spring. They are not going to see international travel this summer. It is very unlikely, and there will be very little on the domestic travel end.

Will the minister guarantee she will extend those programs into next spring?

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:40 p.m.

University—Rosedale Ontario

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Mr. Chair, let me start by congratulating the hon. member and all the people of B.C. for the announced plan for reopening and for the successful efforts of B.C. in pushing back the third wave of the coronavirus.

When it comes to tourism, we are very aware that this sector is particularly challenged. That is why the budget includes a billion dollars of additional support for tourism. That includes $400 million to support major and local festivals, $100 million to Destination Canada and $500 million to the tourism relief fund.

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:40 p.m.

NDP

Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC

Mr. Chair, the sector needs a commitment to an extension.

A constituent of mine, Christina Brach, is a shiatsu therapist. She was collecting the Canada emergency recovery benefit, and she was part of the clawback. The government informed her that it wanted its money back. She had to go and remortgage her house. The government then said she would be able to get her money.

In fact, the website states, “Some qualifying self-employed individuals whose net self-employment income was less than $5,000 may have already voluntarily repaid the CERB. The CRA and Service Canada will return any repaid amounts to impacted individuals.” Additional details were to come in the following weeks, but this was February 9.

That was four months ago. She remortgaged her house to pay that back. She stayed at home, took care of her kids, closed her business and did her part in terms of taking on COVID-19. When will the minister fix this and repay Christina, and others like her?

Finance—Main Estimates, 2021-22Business of SupplyGovernment Orders

11:40 p.m.

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON

Mr. Chair, I am really pleased that our government has been able to support 8.9 million Canadians through the CERB and another 1.95 million Canadians through CRB.

The member spoke about this specific constituent as being a parent with children. If those children are under six years old, the good news is, thanks to the fall economic statement finally being passed by this House, that member should be getting $1,200 per child under six to provide some further support because we know families need it.