Business of Supply  However, although I support this motion 100%, I am not pleased that we are one full year into the pandemic and we require a motion such as this to get the Liberal government to act to support small businesses in tour and travel business. A year ago this week, we suspended Parliament because of the pandemic, and we are still begging for support from the government.

Finance  It is a reminder that the House must work for the good of all Canadians and take all Canadians into consideration. Now is not the time to capitalize on a post-pandemic economic recovery, after everyone has suffered. It is not the time to think up new methods and to pick winners and losers. My colleague mentioned the economic statement. He was very careful to avoid saying we have gone two years without a budget, while many other governments and countries have presented budgets to their citizens.

National Strategy to Redress Environmental Racism Act  Of course, it is now March and we know that it is not close to reaching that goal and has not even set a new date for when it hopes to achieve that. It has blamed its lack of progress on the file on the pandemic, but that excuse frankly does not add up. We know it was on track to miss its timeline long before COVID‑19 ever hit. We also know that many indigenous communities have been incredibly diligent about fighting COVID‑19 have nonetheless been finding ways to get essential work done on reserve, while protecting the health and safety of their residents.

Human Resources committee  The Conservatives, like all parliamentarians, voted to help families with the ability to provide for their families because their livelihoods have been restricted because of the pandemic. Everyone voted for that. Everyone agrees that that's a role for government. It's the extra charges and how we get out of this that I'm kind of preoccupied with. I'm kind of surprised today that we haven't talked about....

Opposition Motion—Plan for Reopening the Economy  Mr. Speaker, there is a simple answer to that question. The pandemic has been going on for so long that the government should not even need the full 20 days because it should already have a plan. On November 12, 2020, workers in the airline industry on forced leave called for a plan.

Opposition Motion—Plan for Reopening the Economy  However, when someone is in a position of leadership and managing a government, they must be able to develop a series of plans and provide clear guidance. The problem we have had from the start of the pandemic in Canada is that, when it first hit us, we were all waiting. First, we were waiting to see how the government would react to a crisis that was rapidly coming into focus around the world.

Opposition Motion—Plan for Reopening the Economy  I recall many clashes between the Prime Minister and the Premier of Quebec, because the Prime Minister could not give Quebec everything it needed to deal with the pandemic. I remember that very clearly. However, my colleague from Guelph does not seem to remember much of this. I do not remember seeing the first ministers making announcements together, standing side by side.

Finance committee  This still leaves the government with a contingency of $87 billion and a $100-billion stimulus fund, which as yet remains undefined, and incorporates the exempted borrowing that was exercised during the pandemic, so I encourage all of my colleagues here at committee to do the reasonable thing and support this amendment.

Opposition Motion—Plan for Reopening the Economy  We kept that promise, because it was important to ensure that Canadians could quickly get the help they needed throughout this pandemic. From the start of this crisis, the members of the official opposition have said that in addition to dependability, Canadians needed clarity and leadership in times of crisis. One year later, that is still true.

Human Resources committee  We know that they provide critical care and support for our seniors, and we know it's not an easy job. It's mentally, physically and emotionally taxing on each of them. We know that this pandemic has underscored the workforce shortage of skilled personal support workers, and in looking to address the workforce shortage, we cannot lose sight of the skills that are needed to deliver quality care to our seniors.

Small Business  Mr. Speaker, small businesses have borne the brunt of the pandemic: 60,000 of them have failed; nearly 20,000 are on the brink; millions of jobs are at stake; many need more loans to survive; and thousands cannot qualify. However, debt is no substitute for customers and small business debt is threatening recovery.

Employment Insurance Act  The health committee has been filibustered for ages over that issue. Why do I think that is important? It is because governments make choices during a pandemic, and during this pandemic the government has made a really big choice. I have raised this question with government members many times: Why are they not providing any funding to new businesses and start-ups?

Business of Supply  The government's constant dissemination of false and misleading information is one of the core reasons why Canada has had, comparatively, such a poor response to this pandemic, relative to other countries.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, my colleague's remarks here today have been very thoughtful, and I want to make note of his reflections on the impact on the human condition, both intended and unintended, and the consequences that we have seen. Certainly people are beginning to talk about an echo pandemic when it comes to mental health, including stress, anxiety, depression and suicide. They are also talking about the impacts on seniors, which he alluded to, where seniors have felt that they have lost control over their lives, as they have not been involved in the decision-making.

Business of Supply  I can tell him that of the 2,000 people who came to Canada from the most affected region of China, after the military warned his government of a brewing pandemic in that country, none arrived by truck either. They all got here by plane, unless he is aware of a trans-oceanic bridge that they would have taken. No, they came here because his government left the borders open even after we warned it not to.