William Amos

[Business of Supply, June 17th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for that comprehensive answer.

I know that our CFDCs really appreciate the $71 million. That means over $1 million for each CFDC. In concrete terms, this means there are businesses in every sector that might not otherwise have gotten any assistance from the federal or provincial governments and that were able to ask for help from our CFDCs. As the minister noted, our CFDCs understand our regions very well. For example, the Vallée-de-la-Gatineau CFDC has been serving the public for 40 years, which means it has been working with our SMEs for 40 years.

I would like to know more about the intent behind the investment in CFDCs.

How can it provide assistance if other programs are not available to our SMEs?

[Business of Supply, June 17th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for her comments and her hard work for our regions and their small businesses.

MPs who represent regions like mine, the Pontiac, can see exactly what kind of damage the COVID-19 pandemic is doing to our small businesses. We need to help our SMEs and our regions. The recovery fund that our government created is certainly very important, and I am grateful to our minister for creating it.

In addition, everything that the government has done to invest in our CFDCs is very important. Pontiac has three, namely the Vallée-de-la-Gatineau CFDC, the Pontiac CFDC and the Papineau CFDC. We have worked hard to make this a success, and I credit our minister with fostering collaboration between the entire CFDC network and Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. It goes to show that, from the very beginning, our government has always been there for our regions, worked with our regions and cared about our regions.

I would like to invite the minister to tell us more about what she has done with CFDCs across Quebec.

[Science, May 26th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, from day one, science has been at the centre of our government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are relying on the scientific advice of Canada's chief public health officer, our chief scientific adviser and many others to inform our decision-making and our public health response.

In April, we announced $1.1 billion to stimulate the science sector through Canada's plan to mobilize science to fight COVID-19.

This funding will support Canadian scientists in the international race to develop a vaccine and treatments, and it will increase our capacity to manufacture them once they are available.

These massive investments in science are already paying off. Yesterday, the University of Saskatchewan's VIDO-InterVac, an early federal funding recipient, announced that its vaccine was successful in animal models, meaning that it will soon be moving to clinical trials in humans.

Canada is home to some of the best scientists in the world and Canadians trust them, so our government is committed to supporting them as they work around the clock to solve the COVID riddle.

[Proceedings of the House and Committees, May 26th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for those wise and generous comments. I think all Canadians can learn from those contributions.

Certainly, the greatest success our team has had in sharing messages with the public on social media has been around celebrating our front-line service providers and celebrating our nurses. If I want to get a lot of likes and shares on our Facebook page, we are positive about the people who are doing the hard work. Yesterday, it was celebrating the Canadian Armed Forces men and women who are working so hard in our long-term health care facilities in Quebec and Ontario, and the response is overwhelming.

Canadians right now want to feel uplifted. They want to feel supported, and they deserve to be supported. We are all under stress, we are all under duress. We all know someone who is having a tough time right now or probably a dozen people who are having a tough time.

Our front-line service providers are worthy of that kind of celebration. I appreciate that we are able to celebrate the member's staff as well. They are doing a great job. I know everyone's team is doing a great job here. We are all just human beings after all.

[Proceedings of the House and Committees, May 26th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my esteemed colleague on the other side of the House.

I also take this opportunity to thank Tyler LaSalle, one of my assistants, who took some time off to go and work in one of our seniors' residences in Ontario.

To go back to my colleague's question, the Internet is without doubt the main infrastructure concern and a matter of priority for the Pontiac. We have to admit that, all over rural Canada, high-speed Internet is a frustrating concern because there is no quick response.

However, since I was elected in 2015, we have been able to announce projects totalling more than $20 million, projects subsidized by the federal and provincial governments. Sometimes, the projects were submitted by not-for-profit organizations and sometimes by major telecommunication companies.

Does that solve the problem? The answer is no, not at all. We must move forward and I believe that our government has a plan to move forward very positively, with the collaboration of the provinces and funding of $750 million from the CRTC.

I believe that service improvement projects will be submitted in the Pontiac, because they are needed. We must also have patience, although all of my constituents want to have the Internet yesterday, not today or tomorrow.

[Proceedings of the House and Committees, May 26th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I would highlight for the House the fact that I will not be delivering my full speech. I will simply be thanking my staff, because my team in our constituency office has done such great work and have been there for the constituents of Pontiac. It bears mentioning to the public.

I am so happy to be able to celebrate their work. We do not always see the people working behind the scenes answering phone calls and emails. They have worked hard during this pandemic, and I know that the same goes for all of my colleagues from all parties in the House of Commons.

I really want to give special thanks to my team members.

Erin Davis is our team lead and has been with us since 2015. She is doing an amazing job coordinating the whole team. Jessica Forgues works in our Campbells' Bay office, obviously now virtually since the office is closed. She is front line, receiving all those calls, Stéphanie Lacroix does our administration and financial management. Francis Beausoleil also works with Stéphanie in our Chelsea office. Then there is Anick Caron has recently joined our team and is doing great work in our Gracefield office.

I want to thank Anick for her work in Gracefield, in the Gatineau Valley, and I also want to thank Geneviève Lemaire, our communications assistant.

Geneviève just recently joined our team, taking over from Maja Staka, who also did great work with our team.

These are the unsung heroes of the COVID-19 period, from a politician's perspective.

When we represent our constituents, we need all of our assistants and our teams supporting us.

It is only with a team effort that we can serve the public, so I want to thank my Pontiac team. With that, I will conclude my speech.

[COVID-19 Pandemic, May 25th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to represent Pontiac in the House and to say how pleased and proud we are of our constituents, who are resilient and supportive of people and businesses affected by COVID-19 throughout the Outaouais and Canada.

Suddenly Canada and the world have changed forever. The COVID-19 era is one of extremes and it is one for the ages. There is the loneliness of loved ones in long-term care, the selflessness of our front-line care providers and the optimism of our cure-hunting medical and scientific researchers. The unity of our governments is what I most appreciate right now, with all parties working together, because we know that Canadians count on us.

I applaud all members for their hard work for their constituents, because together we are going to get past this. Together we are going to be in solidarity with one another.

[Petitions, March 9th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise on behalf of 44 constituents of Pontiac, who presented me with a petition in my office. We had a very good discussion about the issue of the climate emergency that faces our planet.

The petitioners are urging our government and Parliament to move forward with measures to take action as we face so many climate-related events, such as the floods we faced in the Pontiac in 2017 and 2019. They are insisting it is urgent that we act immediately to address greenhouse gas emissions, to transition to a low-carbon economy and to do so in reconciliation with indigenous peoples and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

[Criminal Code, February 27th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my esteemed colleague for his question. This certainly is a very sensitive subject. It is a complex and deeply personal issue.

That is what comes through when I talk to people in the Pontiac. Everyone is concerned not only about their own future and their own health, but also the health and future of their family members and loved ones. We need to strike a balance between societal needs. The Government of Canada remains committed to protecting vulnerable individuals on the one hand and every Canadian's right to equality on the other. We need to safeguard eligible individuals' autonomy in requesting MAID. We also have to protect families and individuals who are not competent to make that decision. It is not easy. I am proud of our government for bringing in legislation on this issue.

[Criminal Code, February 27th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I must confess that is an aspect of this bill that I do not know enough about. I am going to have to go back and discuss that with the Minister of Health and the Minister of Justice because it does raise an interesting question. Canadians do have access to different health practitioners. Rather than saying something that I do not know much about, I would rather reserve comment, thank the member for his question and then have a discussion with him separately.