Mary Ng

[International Trade, February 2nd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, we will always stand up for the interests of Canadians. The Prime Minister spoke with the U.S. President and Vice-President and emphasized that workers must benefit from our integrated supply chains. The Prime Minister and the President agreed to consult closely to avoid any measures that may constrain trade between our two countries. We will work together to support a sustainable economic recovery.

[International Trade, February 2nd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I want Canadian businesses and workers to know that we are actively engaging with our American partners at all levels and we will always stand up for the interests of Canadians.

The Prime Minister raised this in his call to President Biden, that workers in both our countries benefit from the integrated resilient supply chains. The Prime Minister also spoke to Vice-President Harris this week about strengthening our trade relationship and avoiding unintended consequences of the buy American policies for the benefit of people in both countries.

We are always going to take a team Canada approach, working with Canadian businesses and exporters, manufacturers and industries, just as we have done in the last five years.

[COVID-19 Emergency Response, February 2nd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for Surrey—Newton for his strong voice for small businesses.

We know many small businesses continue to be hard hit by this pandemic and continue to face restrictions, and are protecting the health and safety of their employees and their customers. HASCAP is another way our government is stepping up to provide this critical lifeline for Canada's hardest-hit businesses. Applications are open at Canada's financial institutions and businesses that do not receive the wage subsidy nor the rent subsidy will not be affected. I would encourage them to please apply.

[Health, February 2nd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, the exemption list largely includes developing countries and states from the European single market. Many of our long-standing international partners, including New Zealand or Japan, were also not included on this list, but me be clear: We have been repeatedly assured, in my discussions with my counterparts and in the Prime Minister's conversation with President von der Leyen, that the EU's measures will not affect our vaccine shipments. Our government is going to continue to work closely with the EU, and with the member states, to ensure that Canada's access to vaccines is not disrupted.

[Health, February 2nd, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, our government and I have been in contact with our counterparts at the European Union as well as with the member states on this very important issue. Over the past week I have reiterated to my counterparts that our expectation is that their mechanism will not affect vaccine shipments to Canada. Our next vaccine shipments remain on track for delivery.

We are going to continue to work with the EU and our international partners, as we have throughout this pandemic, to ensure that critical health and medical supply chains remain open and resilient. We share the urgency of Canadians to ensure that vaccines get to Canada, and we are operating every day with this urgency.

[COVID-19 Emergency Response, January 29th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her continued advocacy for small businesses.

From the very beginning of this pandemic, we have been listening to and working with businesses to make sure that there is a broad range of supports. I was very pleased, earlier this week, to announce an additional support, a lifeline support: the highly affected businesses program, otherwise called HASCAP. It is another way to help our businesses with loans from $25,000 to $1 million. Those businesses under one entity that have multiple locations can receive up to $6.25 million. This is another way that—

[Health, January 29th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, we continue to work with the European Union. We are absolutely seized with this. We understand how important this is and how urgent this is, which is why I spoke to my EU counterpart yesterday and why the Prime Minister spoke to the President. We will continue to work with the European Union on this matter, and as I said earlier, the EU measures will not affect the shipment of vaccines to Canada.

[Health, January 29th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I have been in contact with my EU counterpart as recently as yesterday, and the Prime Minister has spoken to the President. We are assured that the EU measures will not affect the shipment of vaccines to Canada. We will continue to work with the European Union, as we have throughout this pandemic.

We absolutely understand the urgency, and in fact, we are working with that sense of urgency every single day to make sure that Canadians get vaccinated.

[Canada-U.S. Relations, January 29th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, our government will always stand up for Canadian businesses and Canadian workers. The Prime Minister and the President have agreed to consult closely to avoid any measures that may constrain economic growth in and bilateral trade between our two countries. Canada is the largest export market for the United States. We buy more goods from the U.S. than we do from China, the U.K. and Japan combined. Canada is the number one customer for more than 32 states.

Yes, we will continue to work to stand up for Canadian businesses and the Canadian people so we can grow middle-class jobs here in Canada.

[Canada-U.S. Relations, January 29th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, we will always stand up for the interests of Canadians.

The Prime Minister spoke with the President and underscored that workers must benefit from our integrated supply chains. The Prime Minister and the President agreed to communicate with one another to avoid limiting trade between our two countries. We are working together to support a sustainable economic recovery.