Debates of May 28th, 2021

Canadian Heritage

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Madam Speaker, the minister likes to use the word “expect” a whole lot in her answers, but what I have noticed is that the government refuses to hold them accountable. Let us move onto a different topic.

The principle of net neutrality is that everyone's content online is treated the same way. It means no favouritism. The government used to respect this principle, but that is not true anymore. With Bill C-10, the government will boost some content and suppress other content all based on arbitrary criteria. It is completely discriminatory.

Will the minister stop trying to pick winners and losers, and leave Canadians' online content alone?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Madam Speaker, Bill C-10 is about having web giants, like Netflix, contribute to the creation of Canadian productions. It is about Canadian jobs and Canadian artists. Bill C-10 does not deal with Internet service providers in any way. There is nothing in Bill C-10 that would allow or support in any way that Internet service providers could block people from accessing a service like Skype, or slow down a service like Netflix or YouTube in order to encourage someone to buy a different streaming service.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Madam Speaker, the minister once again tries to mislead the House and the Canadian public. The bill would result in discrimination against some Canadians. It is clear the Liberals no longer advocate for net neutrality; they think discrimination is okay so long as the government is the one doing it.

Here is the thing. We cannot lift one group of artists up by tearing another group of artists down, which is exactly what Bill C-10 is trying to do. The heritage minister is attempting to pick winners and losers. Will he change course, do the right thing and scrap Bill C-10?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Madam Speaker, the only obligations in Bill C-10 for social media companies are for the companies themselves, not individuals. The proposed obligations for the companies are restricted to having them advise the Canada Revenue Agency, contribute a portion of those revenues to Canadian production and make those creators discoverable.

Nothing in the bill asks social media companies to hide content. It is about requiring web giants that make money in our country to contribute to our Canadian shows, movies and music. Why would we let web giants make money from Canadians and not contribute back?

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Madam Speaker, a well-read answer. I really wish the individual who just answered would stop trying to mislead Canadians.

The Internet is an amazing tool that allows Canadian artists to explode in popularity around the world. With Bill C-10, the Liberals are attempting to build a wall around Canadian creators. The problem is, on average, 90% of their audience is from outside of Canada. By creating a so-called protective wall around them, the Liberals are actually imprisoning them, thereby quashing their ability to succeed.

When will the minister stand up for all Canadian artists and scrap Bill C-10?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Madam Speaker, Bill C-10 is about modernizing the Broadcasting Ac, which has not been updated in 30 years. That is before streaming services became a part of the way that Canadians found their shows, movies and music and it needed an update. However, from the very beginning, before the bill even went to committee, the Conservatives vowed to block this law from going ahead. The Conservatives have been against web giants contributing to the creation of Canadian stories from the beginning. Why?

Health

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Madam Speaker, yesterday, the COVID-19 testing and screening expert advisory panel recommended that the government stop hotel quarantines, not for health reasons, but because the quarantines are ineffective owing to the government's disastrous management. That is not a recommendation; it is a statement of failure.

The experts are right when they say that it makes no sense that people who cross land borders do not have to quarantine. They are right when they say that it makes no sense that people can avoid hotel quarantines by paying a fine. Rather than end the program, will the government finally start managing it properly?

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

Madam Speaker, we welcome the report from the COVID-19 testing and screening expert advisory panel. These recommendations are going to be incredibly helpful as we move forward in adjusting measures. One of the fastest ways to adjust restrictions is for Canadians to continue to get vaccinated.

Every step of the way our process at the borders has been about adding layers of protection. Every single layer of that protection is an additional measure that is going to stop the spread and protect Canadian lives. We will stop at nothing to do so.

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Madam Speaker, public health authorities must be the ones driving the process. The hotel quarantine program is not the problem. The problem is the federal government's incompetent management of the border. Until travel is safe again, returning travellers must be monitored.

People have been making sacrifices for 15 months. As we near the end of the pandemic, the federal government cannot tell them that it is abandoning border security because of an administrative foul-up. Will it get its act together instead of shirking its responsibilities?

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

Madam Speaker, absolutely not. As I just said, our approach has been about adding layers of protection to ensure that all Canadians are safe. That is why we have some of the strictest border measures anywhere around the world.

In fact, we know these requirements are working because air travel has reduced by 96%, compared to pre-pandemic travel levels. As the situation evolves, we will absolutely take into account any science and evidence, but we are going to ensure that the hard work done by Canadians is not sacrificed and we will keep them safe.

Canada Revenue Agency

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

Madam Speaker, many Canadians will remember the issue that sent 30,000 self-employed individuals into a panic last Christmas as they were told they were ineligible for benefits and had to reimburse the government. The CRA's failure to define income in the context of small business caused anxiety for millions. In fact, many Canadians repaid benefits they were rightfully entitled to.

Can the minister please tell these hard-working Canadians when they will get their benefits back?

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment]

Madam Speaker, when the pandemic hit, we quickly introduced the CERB, helping more than eight million Canadians put food on the table and keep a roof over their head.

We know that this continues to be a difficult time for many. That is why we are allowing self-employed workers who applied for the CERB based on their gross income to keep their payments as long as they meet all other eligibility requirements. For people who may still need to make a repayment, no one is required to so at this time.

As the Prime Minister said, we will work with Canadians who need to make repayments in a way that is flexible and understanding of their circumstances. There will not be penalties or interest for anyone who erred in good faith.

Housing

[Corey Tochor, Conservative, Saskatoon—University, SK]

Madam Speaker, the Bank of Canada has been warning us about housing prices being up over 30% during this pandemic, and we have massive job losses throughout the country. These increases cannot continue. We know that some families represented by that side of the chamber will be just fine, but what about average-day Canadians?

Families need to know how they can secure affordable housing and how this government will ensure that families do not lose with massive interest rate increases on the rise and many mortgages across Canada coming up for renewal.

[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]

Madam Speaker, I take great exception to the hon. member's assertion that the families who may live in my community because of my partisan affiliation are somehow less deserving than the families he represents. The reality is that when it came to this pandemic response, we were there for families no matter where they lived, no matter who their representatives were.

The issue of housing affordability is a very real one that we are watching very closely. We have worked with the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions to monitor the situation and are looking at changes to the mortgage stress test to ensure that things do not run amok. In addition, I would direct the member to the national housing strategy, which is looking at reducing homelessness and making sure that all Canadians can live in a home they can afford.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

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

Madam Speaker, Ben Mansoura, a permanent resident who is a senior IT manager from Toronto, had to file an access to information request about himself just to find out if he passed an online citizenship test back in December, and he is not the only one. This is a prime example of a system that is ineffective and inefficient. Frankly, it is harming the mental health of immigrants and Canadians, and also our nation's economy.

Why does the minister continue delaying addressing this inefficient system, causing applicants more hardships?

[Peter Schiefke, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Madam Speaker, openness and transparency in government are essential, and our government takes the protection of Canadians' privacy very seriously.

We have made progress in support of access to information and have backed that with investments that are strengthening our system. Our officials have proactively reached out to the Information Commissioner in order to address any questions they may have.

We are going to continue to ensure access and transparency, and ensure that all of the integrity and privacy that is part of our immigration system stays in place.

Forestry Industry

[Gerald Soroka, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

Madam Speaker, recently, California and New York passed bills that target Canadian forest products. The bills these states passed are fundamentally flawed, will hurt trade, and condemn our forest industry, comparing us to other, much less sustainable forest industry product exporters, when in fact Canada has the most sustainable forest industry in the world.

Will the minister stand up for our forest industry, or will he let these states push us around, as he does with our energy sector?

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Minister of Small Business]

Madam Speaker, I just want to reiterate that I agree that Canada's forestry sector is important to our economy. It supports hundreds of thousands of good, well-paying jobs here in Canada. We will always vigorously defend their interests, and we look forward to continuing to work with the United States on this matter and ensure that the industry continues to stay vibrant.

Indigenous Affairs

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

Madam Speaker, this week, the Auditor General made clear what is obvious to first nations in our region and the country: The government consistently fails them. First nations began the pandemic with nowhere near enough personal protective equipment and struggled to catch up. When communities cried out repeatedly for more nurses, more than half of their requests were rejected. Whether it is on water, housing or this pandemic, we are getting monthly condemnations from the Auditor General and monthly commitments from the government to do better.

Where is the political will from the Liberals to act on the repeated neglect and deliver for first nations?

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services]

Madam Speaker, we would like to thank the Auditor General for her report.

Our government shares the priority of ensuring that indigenous peoples have the resources and support they need to combat and prevent the spread of COVID-19. As part of our ongoing work, Indigenous Services Canada is continuing reviewing our practices to improve the efficiency and flexibility of providing surge crisis support.

We are working hand in hand with indigenous organizations and communities to receive real-time feedback, and we will seek to better our processes now and beyond COVID-19.

Tourism Industry

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Madam Speaker, with limited international and domestic travellers, summer 2021 is going to be another devastating loss for tourism and hospitality businesses right across the country. The Liberals are cutting the wage subsidy and rent supports for these businesses just when they need them the most. Once again, the government is leaving workers in the tourism and hospitality sector behind.

Will the minister commit today to extend the wage subsidy and rent support until at least spring 2022 to help these small businesses and their workers?

[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]

Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his legitimate concern for the small business operators in the tourism sector, which we know has been hit disproportionately by COVID-19.

The first thing these businesses want back is their customers, and we are working hard to deploy vaccines to ensure that we can have a sense of normalcy return as soon as possible.

With respect to the wage subsidy, I would point the hon. member to the fact that we have extended in the recent budget the wage subsidy and the rent subsidy, with the flexibility to do more if necessary, and we have implemented new funds to support Destination Canada and $500 million directly toward support for the tourism sector.

We will be there for operators, because our recovery depends on their participation in the economy.

Families, Children and Social Development

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

Madam Speaker, the pandemic has impacted many Canadians, including young families. My constituents in Scarborough—Agincourt have had to balance work with child care alternatives and many higher expenses along the way. Can the minister please tell this House what our government is doing to support families with young children during this difficult time?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Madam Speaker, families have faced financial challenges during this pandemic. That is why we announced a Canada child benefit top-up payment of up to $1,200 per child under the age of six. Today, the first payment is being made, going directly into the pockets of parents, and will benefit 1.6 million families. The Canada child benefit helps nine out of 10 families and has helped lift 435,000 children out of poverty. My message to families is clear: We will always be there to support them.

Public Safety

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Madam Speaker, Canadians are disturbed that two scientists at the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg may have been passing top-secret information to the communist regime in China.

Both scientists were fired in January, but the Prime Minister will not tell us why. The scientists were given top-level security clearance by the Liberal government, and we know they shipped deadly viruses like Ebola from Winnipeg to the virology lab in Wuhan, China. It was Canada's security agency, CSIS, that expressed concern, which initiated the scientists being fired.

Will the Prime Minister protect our national security and stop providing top-level security clearance to scientists who report to the Chinese military?