Parliamentary Speeches

Government Orders

Madam Chair, I want to convey for my hon. colleague that we are focusing on the safety and security of the Afghan people. We will continue to work very hard to—

Government Orders

Madam Chair, I thank my hon. colleague for the important mandate we have been given as a government to continue to put gender equality at the heart of our work. Since day one we have done this, and we will continue, for example, to advance the national action plan to end gender-based violence with more investments in our communities.

Government Orders

Madam Chair, we need to make sure that we improve regulations, and make sure that they do not have red tape that they do not need, so that they are able to thrive in our country.

Government Orders

Madam Chair, it is important to note that, a few months ago, FedNor became a stand-alone agency in northern Ontario. This will enable us to keep increasing the number of jobs in the north and support small and medium-sized businesses that have a lot to offer in northern Ontario.

Government Orders

Madam Chair, I thank my hon. colleague for asking this very important question. Accessibility in the public service means ensuring that all employees have the tools they need to do their best at work and to succeed in their careers. This involves identifying and eliminating barriers that prevent people from participating, as well as guaranteeing access to all devices, services, programs and inform…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, again I thank my hon. colleague for bringing forward an idea. We always want to improve our system and at this time we will have next week, on December 14, the economic outlook of our country. We will look at the next steps for investments for Canadians and our accountability and transparency as we continue to support them through the pandemic, which we are still in at this time.

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, as we know, we just went through a very difficult pandemic. We need to look at how we will continue to support Canadians and how we are going to continue to bring our investments forward for Canadians. We will look at the process of our budget cycle as we go along. At this time, as my hon. colleague probably knows, we have the fall economic statement next week, on December 14, and aft…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, as I am the new President of the Treasury Board, I am currently working with the process that we have and I am always looking for possibilities for improvement. Maybe through a conversation with all of my colleagues we can make sure we have the best process for our government.

Government Orders

Madam Chair, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for his question. We recognize that the aeronautics and aerospace industry and its workers have been particularly affected by the pandemic. The Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry has been in continual contact with key stakeholders in the sector. We have always stood up for Canada's aerospace workers, and we will continue to do so. By w…

Government Orders

Madam Chair, I will make the necessary inquiries, with my colleague's permission. Things are happening right now, and I want to make sure I have the right answers. I should be able to get that answer to the Speaker of the House shortly. I would just like to say that this evening is really important for us to be able to do our job as parliamentarians, because the Supplementary Estimates (B) are a v…

Government Orders

Madam Chair, we recognize that the implementation of the Phoenix pay system has had an impact directly, or even indirectly, on many current and former employees, and damages agreements have been reached with all bargaining agents to compensate employees for general damages and severe impacts caused by the pay system. Claims processes are in place for most of these agreements, and we are working cl…

Government Orders

Madam Chair, we all know women should receive equal pay for work of equal value, and proactive pay equity legislation will address the systemic undervaluing of work performed by women. For the public service, we will work with bargaining agents and employee representatives to identify gaps between positions held mostly by women and ones held mostly by men that have work of equal value. Once pay eq…

Government Orders

Madam Chair, I want to start by thanking all the public servants who stepped up and got vaccinated to make sure we could continue to fight through this pandemic, and to make sure that the health and safety of Canadians was our first priority. Over 95% of public servants have received both their vaccines, and over 98% have received their first dose. This is a great demonstration that we are moving …

Government Orders

Madam Chair, today I am pleased to table the Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22. The ability to exercise oversight is one of the most important roles parliamentarians can play on behalf of our citizens. In fact, accountability is predicated on parliamentarians knowing how public funds are being spent, so they can hold the government to account for its actions, which is why our government will co…

Government Orders

Madam Chair, we are working very hard to get to that objective and all together we will be able to get there.

Government Orders

Madam Chair, we know, and my hon. colleague knows also, that the pandemic has brought new challenges to our immigration system and we have faced them head-on. We are acting quickly. We are moving from paper to digital, extending visas and adding resources where they are needed most. We have welcomed nearly 100,000 new Canadians—

Government Orders

Madam Chair, as members know, we have brought over 300,000 refugees and immigrant newcomers to Canada. We will continue to get to our objective. I know this is a very important concern and we will provide our report very soon.

Government Orders

Madam Chair, as the hon. colleague knows, IRCC has approved 9,800 people under the special immigration program. Of this number, more than 3,800 Afghan refugees have already arrived in Canada. We will continue to do that and take into consideration the difficulties that we hear are ongoing on the ground.

Government Orders

Madam Chair, we know it is very important that we focus on the Afghans who we are trying to resettle here. The LGBTQ individuals are also very important. We will continue to work with our partners on the ground and in Canada to ensure we resettle them in Canada.

Government Orders

Madam Chair, I would like to inform my hon. colleague that we are taking all the necessary measures to bring these Afghans home to Canada. We will continue to ensure that we communicate with them and we will continue to inform the House on how we are doing.

Government Orders

Madam Chair, the Government of Canada is working in close collaboration with trusted international and Canadian partners to implement a second humanitarian stream that is focused on resettling the most vulnerable Afghan nationals. We are going to continue to work with our partners to ensure that we can resettle the objective of 40,000 Afghans.

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the supplementary estimates (B), 2021-22.

Mr. Speaker, I move: That the business of supply be considered at the next sitting of the House. (Motion agreed to)

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, in relation to the consideration of Government Business No. 9, I move: That the debate not be further adjourned.

Government Orders

moved: That Bill C-30, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 19, 2021 and other measures, as amended, be concurred in at report stage.

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, with respect to consideration of Government Business No. 9, I give notice that at the next sitting of the House a minister of the Crown shall move, pursuant to Standing Order 57, that debate be not further adjourned.

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, I would like to table, in both official languages, the letter sent by the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons on this subject.

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, in relation to the consideration of Government Business No. 10, I move, seconded by the Minister of Canadian Heritage: That the debate be not further adjourned.

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, we are taking action to fight climate change and grow our economy. Our investments in budget 2021 are a critical step forward because, on this side of the House, we know that climate change is real. Budget 2021 represents $7.6 billion that would help build a cleaner and more sustainable future, which builds on $50 billion from our strengthened climate plan and also another $15-billion…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for her very important question. We know that the pandemic has exposed serious flaws in our social safety net, including the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs. That is why our government has proposed a transformational investment in early learning and child care. Not only will this help these women entrepreneurs get back to work, but it wi…

Government Orders

moved: That in relation to Bill C‑30, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 19, 2021 and other measures, not more than five further hours shall be allotted to the consideration of the report stage and five hours shall be allotted to the consideration at third reading stage of the said bill; and That, at the expiry of the five hours provided for the cons…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, I am going to be perfectly clear. Our government is standing up for and will always stand up for Canadian workers. We have taken steps to protect 5.3 million jobs through the Canada emergency wage subsidy, which our government plans to extend. In budget 2021, we also announced the introduction of the Canada recovery hiring program to support eligible employers by providing subsidies t…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, we are focused on protecting Canadian businesses and Canadian workers who are losing out to multinational corporations that do not pay taxes. If the Conservatives believe that large multinationals should continue to be exempt from taxes, they should say so and be honest with Canadians. In 2019, we campaigned on the promise to tax large digital companies, and that is precisely what we …

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, our government has always stood up for and will always stand up for Canadian businesses and workers from all sectors. Let us be clear what this agreement means for Canadians. It will make sure that Canadians are no longer disadvantaged by big corporations shifting profits offshore so they can escape taxation. We are focused on protecting Canadian businesses and workers who lose out to…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, we are focused on protecting Canadian businesses and Canadian workers who lose out to multinational businesses that do not pay tax. If the Conservatives believe that big multinational companies should continue to be exempt from tax, they should say so and be honest with Canadians. In 2019 we campaigned on taxing large digital companies, and that is precisely what we will deliver on, a…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member across the way for giving me another opportunity to talk about our government's growth plan and the way it works for Canadians. As the member opposite certainly knows, on Friday Statistics Canada published the GDP numbers for the quarter and there is good news. The economy grew at an annual rate of 5.6% during the first quarter of the year, which is much bet…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, let me be perfectly clear that our government will always stand up for Canadian workers and families. We have supported and helped maintain over 5.3 million Canadian jobs through the wage subsidy, and our government intends on extending that vital program through to next summer. In budget 2021, we announced that we would introduce the Canada recovery hiring program to support eligible…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member opposite for giving me another opportunity to discuss our government's growth plan and how it is working for Canadians. As I am sure the member opposite saw last Friday, Statistics Canada released its Q1 GDP number, and it is good news. The economy grew at the annual rate of 5.6% in the first quarter of the year, much better than the predicted 3.6% growth fo…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, if the Conservatives want to talk about the economy, let us talk about the economy. As of May 2021, over 2.4 million of the three million jobs lost at the peak of the pandemic, which is eight out of 10, have already been recouped. On April 26, S&P reaffirmed Canada's AAA rating. Just last week, Moody's also reaffirmed our AAA rating. Our plan is sustainable and responsible, and it is …

Government Orders

moved: That, in relation to Bill C-10, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts, not more than five further hours shall be allotted to the consideration of the committee stage of the bill; and that, at the expiry of the time provided in this order, any proceedings before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage on the said bill shall be…

Government Orders

Mr. Chair, I thank my hon. colleague for Davenport not only for her important question, but also for raising many of those investments that we have in budget 2021 in her speech. I will talk about more of them. We propose improving the Canada small business financing program by providing $560 million, which will support approximately 2,900 additional small businesses. It also outlines the new Canad…

Government Orders

Mr. Chair, COVID has certainly exposed the mental health struggles that Canadians faced even before the pandemic, and the impacts of COVID on our interactions with our friends, families and coworkers have taken a toll on the mental health of many Canadians. That is why our government has a plan to support the mental health and well-being of Canadians. This past year has been particularly difficult…

Government Orders

Madam Chair, our government knows the tourism industry has been one of the most impacted sectors of our economy and we are committed to supporting its recovery. That is why we have extended the Canada emergency wage and rent subsidies to continue to support employees in the tourism sector. The Canada emergency wage subsidy has already helped more than 5.3 million Canadians to keep their jobs, and …

Government Orders

Madam Chair, I would like to thank the member for Sudbury for that important question. Our government is committed to promoting both official languages, and it recognizes the role that they play for Canadians across the country. We allocated a total of $8.7 million to modernize the Official Languages Act and ensure that it better serves our country's linguistic duality. As my colleague pointed out…

Government Orders

Madam Chair, COVID-19 has highlighted many of the concerns facing our elderly population, and our government is committed to enhancing our current long-term care system and establishing national standards that meet and exceed the needs. That is why we have allocated $3 billion to support provinces and territories in ensuring that they are meeting long-term care standards and that the necessary cha…

Government Orders

Madam Chair, I want to thank my hon. colleague from Vimy for this crucial question. The high cost of housing across the country is affecting almost every Canadian. That is exactly why we are taking action on several fronts to alleviate the pressure on low- and modest-income Canadians. For this reason, budget 2021 will invest $2.5 billion and reallocate $1.3 billion in existing funding to speed up …

Government Orders

Madam Chair, our government knows the importance of green economic growth, and we have a serious plan that addresses climate change and supports our environment while promoting the growth of our economy. Budget 2021 proposes an investment of $5 billion toward a green bond framework to provide investors with information on opportunities to finance Canada's work to fight climate change and protect t…

Government Orders

Madam Chair, I thank my hon. colleague from Kingston and the Islands for raising this important question. This has been an historic year for Canadians, and we have already administered a first dose of vaccine to just over 60% of Canadian adults. We continue to rank in the top three countries in the G20 for the number of doses administered. As the Prime Minister said yesterday, everyone who wants t…

Government Orders

Madam Chair, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for his hard work in this domain. Climate change is real. Our government has brought forward a serious plan that cuts pollution while creating jobs, middle-class growth and economic opportunity for everyone. As my colleague said, COVID-19 has shown us that Canadians have what it takes to come together, mobilize and take action in the face of thi…