Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, with respect to the hon. member and what I would say is a ginned-up question and theatrical performance, our focus throughout this pandemic has been to use the immigration system to continue to meet the needs of the Canadian economy. At a time when our borders were closed to protect the public's health, we pivoted to a strategy that started welcoming more people who were already insid…
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Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's question is rather timely given that, Monday of last week, I announced details of the $85 million that was set aside in the recent economic and fiscal update to address processing capacity within the department. The money that we are going to be investing is going to improve processing times for work permits, for study permits and for permanent residency cards, impro…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to answer the hon. member's question. He is right to point out that businesses need access to workers and they need access to them quickly. I would respond by pointing to the fact that last year we welcomed the greatest number of permanent residents, including those under economic migration streams, in Canada's history. Just this Monday, I also had the opportunity to make…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to share that yesterday, in order to respond to the very serious pressures the pandemic has put on our immigration system, I announced there would be an $85-million investment to improve processing times for work permits, study permits, temporary resident visas and proof of citizenship, and to eliminate the inventory of PR cards. At the same time, we made further announce…
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Mr. Speaker, as I am sure the hon. member opposite will appreciate, Canada has both domestic and international legal obligations in how we need to treat irregular asylum seekers who cross the border into Canada. I am pleased to let the hon. member know that I am doing everything in collaboration with my counterparts in the province of Quebec, and I had the opportunity to have a productive conversa…
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Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member can appreciate that there were necessary measures put in place to protect the health and well-being of Canadians during the pandemic. Now that the situation has changed, we have made good on our domestic and legal obligations to ensure we are treating asylum seekers in accordance with Canadian and international laws. I will remind the hon. member opposite that …
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Madam Speaker, there is no question that in our agricultural sector, and across different sectors in the economy, the role that immigration plays in welcoming workers to the economy is very important for our collective well-being. I can advise the hon. member that yesterday I had the pleasure of having a conversation with my Quebec counterpart, Minister Boulet, to discuss the source of internation…
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Madam Speaker, there is no question that the COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges for our immigration system, when we continued to have demand to come into Canada at a time when our borders were closed. However, I have good news for the member opposite. Month after month, we have set records in our nation's history, due in large part to the work of my predecessor, the member for Eg…
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Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his concern, and I point out, as he is looking at the role immigration plays in the economy, that we are going to set a record for the number of people who are admitted to Canada this year. I will also point out that as of last month, 106% of the jobs lost during the pandemic have now been recovered, making our labour force participation rate the highest …
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Mr. Speaker, the truth hurts sometimes, but the reality is that if the members of the opposition would like to frame this in the context of the recent federal election campaign, I would point out that the government campaigned on a commitment to bring 40,000 Afghan refugees to Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada campaigned on a commitment to end the government-assisted refugee stream altogeth…
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Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member wants to frame this in terms of the recent election campaign, I would point out that on this side of the House we campaigned on a commitment to bring 40,000 Afghan refugees here. On the opposition side, members campaigned on a commitment to end the government-assisted refugee stream. He criticizes our—
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Mr. Speaker, I think all members of the House will agree on the importance of Canada making good on its commitment to resettle 40,000 Afghan refugees. Members on the opposite side are asking when people are going to arrive. Two weeks ago, when I was asked this question, I said 3,800 were here. Earlier this week, when I was asked the question, we had more than 4,000. I am pleased to share that by t…
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Mr. Speaker, with great respect, the attempt to politicize the question of the resettlement of 40,000 Afghan refugees is entirely inappropriate. The reality is that every morning when I wake and every night when I go to bed—
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Mr. Speaker, I hope the hon. members opposite will take the occasion to allow all members to speak when it is their turn. The opposition is asking questions about the timing of an election when we are dealing with the worst humanitarian crisis that could be happening in the world today. We have made one of the most substantial commitments to resettle 40,000 Afghan refugees in our country. More tha…
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Mr. Speaker, I take enormous exception to the allegation that any member of the House is playing roulette with the lives of some of the world's most vulnerable people. The reality is that Canada stepped up to make a world-leading commitment to bring 40,000 Afghan refugees here. As the member pointed out, there are more than 4,000 here today, 1,200 more in third countries and 9,500 more in Afghanis…
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Mr. Speaker, the situation in Afghanistan is nothing short of heartbreaking. The reality is that we have made a substantial contribution by committing to bringing in 40,000 Afghan refugees, and I point out to the member that the effort is well under way. More than 4,000 Afghan refugees are living in Canada today, another 1,200 in third countries have been approved to come to Canada and another 9,5…
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Mr. Speaker, we have to acknowledge that there has been a rapid and serious rise in the cost of housing across Canada, but we were wise to this fact long before the pandemic. That is why we advanced the national housing strategy beginning six years ago, which did not seem to get the support of the opposition parties at the time. We are going to continue to make the kinds of investments that have a…
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Mr. Speaker, it is hard to figure out what metric the member is pointing to when we are confused about which is higher and which is lower. With great respect, what has not wavered is our commitment to ensuring that we are investing in building supply and investing in programs. There is a new rent-to-own program so people who are renting can afford a place to call home, which will have generational…
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Mr. Speaker, every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. With respect to the hon. member's question, I would point out that is precisely why our government brought in the national housing strategy, which has seen more than $72 billion planned to help ensure Canadians get the housing they need. Since 2015, in just the past six years, our government supported the creation of ne…
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Mr. Speaker, this year we accepted a record number of foreign workers. We set the most ambitious immigration target in our history. This year, we have already supported over 345,000 new permanent residents. Month after month, we are supporting a record number of immigrants, who are contributing to our community. We will continue to innovate and modernize our system, because we know that immigratio…
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Mr. Speaker, what the Conservatives seem unwilling to recognize is that there is a global phenomenon caused by interruptions to the supply chain, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that have caused labour shortages in economies right across the world. Thankfully, as the Minister of Finance just shared in our other official language, more than 100% of the job losses from the peak of this pandemic have n…
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Mr. Speaker, before I begin, let me say that it is nice to see a fellow Bluenoser in the chair today. I would point out that Canada has now recovered more than 100% of the jobs lost during the peak of the pandemic, but we still suffer from the same labour shortages that are affecting competitive economies right across the world. In order to address the labour shortage, we have a number of facets t…
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Mr. Speaker, I am sure the hon. member can appreciate the exceptional nature of a once-in-a-century pandemic that required exceptional measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to save the lives and protect the well-being of Canadians in our communities. As the public health imperative changes, we have domestic and international legal obligations that we will meet in a way that respects the d…
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Mr. Speaker, the origin country of an asylum seeker does not change the legal obligations that the federal government is required to meet, both domestic and international. Further, I find language is being used to spark fear and division among Canadians and to turn them against people who are showing up at the border. We will treat some of the world's most vulnerable people with compassion and res…
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Mr. Speaker, on an issue as important as addressing systemic racism in the public service, we need to ensure that we behave like adults when we are having conversations. I thank the hon. member for the very responsible conversation that we were able to have just a few hours ago, where it was not framed in necessarily quite the same way. The reality is systemic racism is a real threat, not only to …
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have a long and storied history of accusing Canadians of being lazy. I remember, as an Atlantic Canadian, when Stephen Harper described our culture as one of defeat and tried to pass policies that would not support middle-class Canadians during their time of need. That has characterized the Conservative approach to the management of the pandemic and the economic loss…
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Mr. Speaker, from the very beginning of this pandemic, the Conservatives have opposed our emergency supports that were designed to keep workers on the payroll and help families keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. In fact, that member held a press conference so that he could declare Conservatives do not support big, fat government programs. His leader has spoken at length about his …
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Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member wants to compare us to our G7 counterparts, I would point him to the fact that we have a 64.6% labour force participation rate in Canada, compared to 61.6% in the United States. I would also point him to the fact that 80.9% of jobs have returned from peak job losses here, compared to 65.9% in the United States. The reality is that we are seeing a relatively stronger…
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Mr. Speaker, with respect, the hon. member seems not to appreciate the difference that our economy is experiencing in a positive way. This is the result of the measures we have put in place to support Canadian households and businesses through this pandemic. Yes, in order to protect lives from the threat of COVID-19, provincial governments put public health measures in place, including in Nova Sco…
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Mr. Speaker, when the hon. member refers to job losses in the past couple of months, she ignores the fact that after the previous wave, we actually saw more than 560,000 jobs created. When she is talking about the specific measures that are designed to help women take part in this economic rebound, I will acknowledge women have disproportionately been impacted. That is specifically why we have mad…
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Mr. Speaker, with respect, it is disappointing but not surprising to see the Conservatives take such glee in Canadians who were put out of work in order to protect the lives of their families and neighbours. The reality is that, yes, there has been a short-term hit to job numbers because provincial governments have restricted economic activity to save people's lives and preserve the long-term econ…
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Madam Speaker, let me begin by pointing out how disappointed I am that the hon. member takes such glee in the suffering of Canadians who have lost their jobs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. If he is concerned about getting the paycheques back for Canadians who have been impacted negatively, I would point him to the measures that he is obstructing, such as the Canada hiring recovery incentive…
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Madam Speaker, I find it bizarre that the hon. member is pointing the finger at blind partisan arguments, when he seems to have asked a question without a real subject other than a generic allegation about the government's failures. I will tell him about the government's work. We launched one of the most ambitious pandemic responses, from both a public health and an economic point of view. We are …
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Madam Speaker, with great respect, if the hon. member is concerned about getting supports to Canadians who are experiencing financial need as a result of the pandemic, he should get out of the way and stop obstructing the budget, which includes supports that are going to help vulnerable Canadians. The budget is going to put more money in the pockets of affected workers. It is creating incentives f…
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Madam Speaker, the hon. member's question rests on false pretenses and suffers from a deficit of morals. As a matter of fact, the Bank of Canada, not the Government of Canada, is responsible for managing inflation. In any event, if the member would speak to an economist, they would tell him that the increase in prices we are seeing on some products is a result of supply and demand in the marketpla…
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Madam Speaker, the hon. member is trying to torque statistics to insert a narrative into this debate that simply is not borne out by the facts. We know that the economy is in a volatile position because we need to respond to the continuing public health emergency. I have good news for the hon. member. If he could convince his colleagues to get out of the way and stop obstructing the measures inclu…
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Madam Speaker, I am glad that for a change it appears the hon. member is actually reading some of the government's budget. If he pays close attention to the same chart, he will see another trend line on that graph that indicates the impact job numbers would have felt without government supports. The very dangerous game of chicken that the Conservatives are engaging in to prevent supports from help…
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Madam Speaker, I rise to speak to the same point of order. You seem to have granted what is an appropriate remedy. I would only point out that it may actually impinge on a question of privilege if, due to problems with translation, a member is unable to give their statement. However, I believe you have granted the appropriate remedy, so thank you.
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Madam Speaker, on June 2, the House of Commons issued an order for unredacted documents that pertain to the transfer of viruses from the National Microbiology Lab to the Wuhan Institute of Virology in March of 2019, and the departure of two National Microbiology Lab scientists. As we know, the government is responsible for protecting certain sensitive information that may include safeguards, for e…
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Madam Speaker, there is no question that Parliament's oversight is required so the government can function at its best. The government respects the need for transparency and understands the importance of accountability, though it also understands the importance of protecting sensitive information. In this case, disclosure of the documents, without certain safeguards in place, would potentially put…
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Madam Speaker, before I begin, I want to thank my hon. colleague for raising this important question around bank fees. More broadly, I will extend my sincere appreciation for his continued feedback from the very beginning of this pandemic, which in fact has helped shape my own thinking on a number of our emergency supports. The past 15 months have not been easy for anyone. The COVID-19 pandemic an…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his well wishes. It is 2:10 a.m. on the east coast, but we are still going strong. Since the very beginning of this crisis, our focus has been to do whatever it takes to help Canadian workers and businesses through these tough times. We understand that there needs to be faith that the economy is not just working, but working for everyone. We continue to…
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Mr. Speaker, we will partner with folks on the international scene, but it is rich for the member to suggest that he is somehow more morally astute than the government. Our focus, when it comes to the relationship with China, is securing the release of the two Michaels, the well-being of 300,000 Canadians in Hong Kong and the treatment of the Uighur population in Xinjiang. We will continue to focu…
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Mr. Speaker, there is no impact on Quebec's jurisdiction. We understand Quebec's position very well. The Deputy Prime Minister has had constructive discussions on this subject with Minister Eric Girard. I think it is good for the entire country to be able to do things that help us have a common economy. For example, consider trade between the provinces and territories, where there is an opportunit…
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Mr. Speaker, it is completely unacceptable for companies to be extending bonuses to wealthy executives when they are in receipt of public money designed for workers. I am pleased to share with the hon. member that we have designed the program in a way that is going to help combat this particular trend. In particular, I would point out that companies need to prove, with the Canada emergency wage su…
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Mr. Speaker, I find it rich every time the Conservatives put on record their opposition to sensible public health measures that are designed not only to keep Canadians safe, but to protect the long-term interest of our economy as well. Our plan from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic was to do everything we can to protect Canadians from the public health emergency. I point the hon. member to t…
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Mr. Speaker, I find it interesting how the Conservative narrative on the fiscal capacity of Canada has been used as an excuse to oppose measures that are actually going to help vulnerable Canadians who have been impacted. I would like to pass on to the hon. member that, whether he takes his pick between Moody's, S&P or DBRS, they have all reaffirmed Canada's AAA credit rating. We had the lowest de…
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Mr. Speaker, with great respect for the hon. member, I take some umbrage at the question he has put. He knows fairly well that during this pandemic it was our government that was there for people in need. We advanced record supports to help families keep food on the table and help workers remain on the payroll. Going forward, we have immense benefits we are rolling out to continue to support peopl…
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Mr. Speaker, I would urge the NDP to tone down the rhetoric and stop trying to take credit for the measures that our government put in place to help Canadians in their time of need. The very first thing we did when we came to office in 2015 was raise taxes on the wealthiest 1% so we could cut them for the middle class. The NDP voted against it. When we had a chance to stop sending child care chequ…
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Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Securities Transition Office has supported efforts to establish a co-operative capital markets regulatory system. We are proposing providing the office $12 million in funding over two years to continue supporting the government's efforts to establish a co-operative capital markets regulatory system. This is a good thing for the entire country.
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