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Results: 1 - 15 of 35
View Wayne Easter Profile
Lib. (PE)
Okay. I do have a chair's ruling on this, Mr. Julian, which I think you were expecting.
On Bill C-30, I'll read the one for clause 264 first. The other rulings on the other two amendments are basically the same, only with different acts.
Bill C-30 seeks to amend the Canada Student Loans Act to temporarily suspend interest and interest payments with respect to guaranteed student loans during the period that begins on April 1, 2021, and ends on March 31, 2023. The amendment attempts to suspend interest and interest payments by a borrower for an indeterminate period of time that begins on April 1, 2021, therefore extending the time the government would assume the payment of interest to the lender, which would result in increasing payments from the consolidated revenue fund. The amendment as proposed is inadmissible as it requires a royal recommendation since it imposes a new charge on the public treasury.
That relates to NDP-11.
The same wording, basically, relates to NDP-12, as it deals with the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act. It would be the same wording for NDP-13 on clause 266 as it relates to the Apprentice Loans Act.
On all three, I rule them inadmissible based on the need for a royal recommendation, since it imposes a new charge on the public treasury.
View Peter Julian Profile
NDP (BC)
Yes. I'll just finish briefly. I haven't taken a lot of airtime over the last couple of days.
Given that it is the historical ability of the finance committee, with the government being pressed to provide a royal recommendation, I will appeal your decision to the committee, and the committee can decide whether they choose to overrule your decision and ultimately adopt these amendments. That, of course, increases pressure on the government to do the right thing and provide the royal recommendation.
View Wayne Easter Profile
Lib. (PE)
All right.
I will ask the clerk to go to a recorded vote on the chair's ruling.
(Ruling of the chair sustained: yeas 9; nays 2)
(Clauses 264 to 267 inclusive agreed to on division)
(On clause 268)
The Chair: Thank you very much, Ms. Damsbaek. That was much appreciated.
We will turn, then, to division 31 and first nations elections. There is only one clause.
We'll go to Christopher Duschenes.
Does there need to be an explanation on this? I guess we had better. We might as well.
Go ahead.
View Peter Julian Profile
NDP (BC)
Thanks very much, Mr. Chair.
Thanks to all our witnesses for coming here today. That includes the departmental witnesses. We hope your families continue to stay safe and healthy.
Congratulations, Madam Freeland, for shattering that glass ceiling as the first Canadian woman to present a national budget.
Now, the context of that national budget is that Canadians are suffering through an unparalleled crisis. At the same time, we've seen Canadian billionaires increase their wealth by $78 billion. Hundreds of thousands of Canadians have not been able to return to work. Yet Bill C-30 slashes, in just a few weeks' time, as the third wave crashes on our shores—the most devastating wave yet—the CRB from $500 a week to $300 a week. At the same time, it does nothing to address the fact that Canadian students are having to pay back student loans during a pandemic.
Will the government accept amendments to ensure that the CRB is not slashed from $500 to $300 in the midst of a pandemic and that students get a debt moratorium so that they are not having to pay back student loans in the middle of this crisis?
View Sean Fraser Profile
Lib. (NS)
View Sean Fraser Profile
2021-05-11 17:03
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I wasn't expecting a question in this round, so I'll treat it as a bonus.
Before I do, let me just put on the record my extraordinary disagreement with our colleague Ms. Jansen's perspective on the CERB. I can tell you the feedback that I heard, Minister, in my own community. During a time when people were being forced to stay at home to protect the health and well-being of their families and members of their communities, this is a program that made sure they could pay their rent and mortgages and put food on the table.
I want to direct my question towards the measures targeting young people, particularly students, in this budget.
Before I got into politics—in fact, before I got into anything—I was a student president at StFX University. Go X Go!
I see Wayne shaking his head up there; I'm a homer.
I was one of the folks who went to Ottawa to lobby MPs for important changes. Some of the things in this budget around extending a moratorium on interest on student loans, not requiring students to pay back their student loans until they're earning $40,000 a year, extending the doubling of the Canada student grant—which is going to cover, on average, 90% of the tuition for the lowest-income families in Canada—are all terrific measures. However, there is one in particular that I don't think has got the attention that it deserves. There is a new proposal in this budget that is going to ensure that students don't need to pay back their student loans if their monthly payments exceed 10% of their household income. I should say that they'll still be required to pay that portion back, but the amount beyond that 10% will be covered, both principle and interest, by the federal government.
In the case of students for whom, say, 10% of their monthly income is $400 a month and whose monthly payments are $650, this is going to extend hundreds of dollars every month to low-income students when they're trying to get their feet under them.
Could you tell me the motivation behind this policy and the importance of supporting young people? I'll add that the reason I care about this is that I think the next cure for cancer or the next business solution might be locked in the mind of some kid who can't afford to go to school. It's not just that kid who loses out when he or she can't get an education; it's every single one of us.
If you could highlight the importance of some of these measures to make sure that we can improve the affordability of an education, I would be grateful.
View Don Davies Profile
NDP (BC)
Thank you, Brandon.
I want to zero in on a few things. I want to preface by saying that I know every single Canadian has been terribly affected by the COVID crisis, but I think that seniors and young people have particularly had their lives disrupted in certain ways—I think students in particular in that regard. I want to ask you a couple of specific questions.
What would be your recommendation to the federal government in terms of the appropriate policy to handle student debt and interest payments for student loans at the federal level?
View Don Davies Profile
NDP (BC)
Just so that I'm clear, Brandon, right now as we speak, are graduates paying federal interest on their student debts?
View Don Davies Profile
NDP (BC)
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's generous of you.
Brandon, I want to give you a chance to answer my last question. It's budget day today. What advice would you give the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance regarding the best measures to help students in this country?
View Leah Gazan Profile
NDP (MB)
Just with the limits on my time, Minister, it was in your mandate letter—
Hon. Carla Qualtrough: I know.
Ms. Leah Gazan: —so if you could follow up with my office with a response....
On the student loan repayment moratorium, we know that industries that employ young people have been hard hit during the pandemic. The service industry is one example. Young people currently have fewer job options, and those that are available are often low-paying jobs and put them at higher risk for COVID-19.
On November 25, the House unanimously adopted a motion to extend the pause on federal student loan repayments. Why have we not seen action on this? When will you pause federal student loan repayments?
View Peter Julian Profile
NDP (BC)
Thank you.
You talked about comprehensive supports. Here's another example: part 2—student loan payments. Despite the fact that the NDP steered through a motion, which passed unanimously, for a moratorium on all student loan payments, what we have is just a moratorium on interest.
Students are struggling. People with disabilities are struggling. These are situations that are well known to Canadians right across this country. The NDP has also proposed supports going immediately to people with disabilities, far beyond the partial payment that was made this fall and that took nine months to occur.
Why didn't the fall economic statement ensure that there was a moratorium on all student loan payments and that there were adequate supports in place for people with disabilities?
View Matthew Green Profile
NDP (ON)
Thank you. I'm trying to get an outlook for the next generation, notwithstanding the fact that our aging population has had some good years and of course some other decades that might not have been so good.
I want to take a moment right now and zero in on your legislative costing note on eliminating interest on the Canada student loans program. In it, you have suggested that it will cost $315 million for 2020–21. It showed that in the past five years, ESDC has written off, waived or forgiven more than $2 billion in students loans due to financial distress and what student borrowers are experiencing here throughout COVID. That's on top of the $410 million ESDC has to spend to contract the administration of Canada student loans programs to DH Corporation over the same period of time.
In your opinion, what would be the effect of eliminating student loan interest payments; what effect would it have on borrowers; and could this help potentially offset the losses experienced by the student loan defaults and writeoffs?
View Matthew Green Profile
NDP (ON)
I note that the new Biden administration has extended the freeze. We have not, to date. We're hoping this government will go down that path.
Just for my own clarification, what is the effective rate right now on the program? Is it also impacted by the really low interest rates?
View Matthew Green Profile
NDP (ON)
Respectfully, though, I'm not looking for comfort; I need to get a sense of the number.
I say that with the utmost respect to you.
View Louise Chabot Profile
BQ (QC)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'm going to ask a question about the student loans mentioned in the fall economic statement. $329.4 million was announced to eliminate interest on Canada student loans and Canada apprentice loans for fiscal 2021-22.
Since these programs do not apply to Quebec students, can you give us the details about compensation for Quebec students further to this announcement?
View Louise Chabot Profile
BQ (QC)
Thank you. I am mainly interested in how Quebec students will be compensated for this program.
My other question I have already asked. You are aware that the employment insurance claims of people who received money during their parental leave are caught up in an administrative maze. All these claims are frozen, sometimes for months, because of a lack of clear policy. That's what Service Canada agents are telling claimants. They are telling them to call their members of Parliament. We feel it's unacceptable.
Are you working with the department responsible to get clear instructions for unblocking claims so that people can receive assistance?
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