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Results: 1 - 15 of 237
View Bardish Chagger Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Bardish Chagger Profile
2020-08-12 14:30 [p.2769]
moved:
That the House take note of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and measures taken by the government to respond to it.
View Rachel Bendayan Profile
Lib. (QC)
View Rachel Bendayan Profile
2020-08-12 14:30 [p.2769]
Mr. Chair, the COVID-19 pandemic is the worst public health crisis we have seen in generations.
It is a major threat to the well-being and prosperity of Canadians and people around the world. As a nation, we have done an amazing job of banding together from coast to coast to coast over the past few months to collectively address this unprecedented challenge.
Canada's intrinsic spirit can be seen in our essential and front-line workers and their staunch dedication to their communities. We owe them our deepest gratitude and, in some cases, our lives. We must also do our best to honour the many unsung heroes of these times.
Today, I am proud to shine a light on the innovative, tireless efforts of Canadian health care scientists and the important role that research plays in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Canada is lucky enough to have produced some brilliant minds, valuable assets that are sometimes underestimated.
In Quebec, in Montreal, I am thinking of all the researchers and scientists at the University of Montreal, McGill University, the Montreal Heart Institute, CHUM, Sainte-Justine Hospital and many others, who are working every day to develop innovative solutions for keeping everyone healthy.
Before this crisis, it is possible that we may have taken for granted our medical researchers who so often toil behind the scenes, but no longer. When the threat of COVID-19 first bore upon us, Canada's health research community stepped up without hesitation when we needed it most, and Canadians are forever grateful.
Even before the first cases were diagnosed in Canada, our government engaged with academic, industry, provincial and international partners to swiftly implement a research response to the pandemic. In February, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research was the first agency globally to launch an open call for COVID-19 research. Working closely with federal and provincial partners, the institutes sought to accelerate the development, testing and implementation of medical and social countermeasures to mitigate the rapid spread of COVID-19. Within a few short weeks of the initial launch, our Canadian Institutes of Health Research awarded peer-reviewed grants to 100 meritorious Canadian projects, a process that normally takes over a year.
Since then, bolstered by the $1.1-billion national medical research strategy that our government announced through our Prime Minister in April, the CIHR has already committed approximately $170 million and leveraged $25 million in partner funds for research on COVID-19. This very impressive outcome is a testament to the calibre of our health scientists and their commitment to protecting and improving the health of Canadians.
I am pleased to report that coordinated investment and mobilization through our Canadian Institutes of Health Research and other federal partners is advancing a broad and balanced portfolio of COVID-19 research.
We are advancing knowledge in fundamental research, new clinical guidelines and the assessment of the expected and unexpected effects of public health measures. We are advancing research aligned with Canadian and international priorities in the fields of therapeutics, transmission dynamics, diagnostics, public health measures and more. We are supporting clinical trials across Canada, as they are the best mechanism for offering Canadians experimental treatments while ensuring effectiveness. We are fast-tracking collaborative efforts to develop a made-in-Canada vaccine.
Federal investment through our Canadian Institutes of Health Research is enabling leading vaccine centres in Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia to join forces and pool their expertise and resources. To date, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research's COVID-19 rapid research competitions have awarded funding to 14 promising vaccine development studies. These investments complement the significant federal investment in vaccine research through Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's strategic innovation fund. We are also fostering critical partnerships between academia and the medical industry for vaccine development.
The work that is being done on the ground is absolutely incredible. A Quebec company called Medicago is using its technology platform to develop antibodies against the virus in co-operation with Laval University. Of course, the goal of this research is to protect the health of Canadians. We need to ensure that we are putting enough focus on the Canadian context and the specific needs of various populations. That means investing in strategic, targeted research to help our most vulnerable groups.
In addition to increasing anxiety about our health and safety, this pandemic has disrupted many aspects of our personal lives. Job insecurity, isolation and the loss of a loved one all have significant impacts on our mental health. To address this, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research is leading an initiative to provide urgent data to support decision-making on mental health responses to this pandemic. Guided by an external expert advisory panel, the initiative will inform the rapid deployment of psychological supports for mental health and substance use.
I am very happy to report that in the month of June a preliminary body of rapid knowledge syntheses was shared with decision-makers and partners within just 30 days of the funding allocation. These reports synthesize current evidence on mental health and substance use services, delivery guidelines and practices, and related issues placed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Another very critical area of study pertains to the sex differences in the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and associated immune responses. A government-funded team has already published results highlighting how different sex responses and the mechanisms behind them may help inform novel therapeutic approaches to COVID-19.
Research efforts are also focused on Canadian seniors. As we saw in many provinces, Canada's aging population is particularly vulnerable to the pandemic, as are residents of long-term care facilities, such as Quebec's CHSLDs.
A team funded by the Dalhousie University research institute recently published a paper on the impact of the virus on these care facilities, which proposed that biomarkers could help predict disease severity and explain why some residents are more severely affected than others.
Research on indigenous health also remains a priority for our government. We know that Canada's indigenous people were disproportionately affected by the pandemic. The COVID-19 response lacked culturally appropriate, distinctions-based interventions grounded in sound evidence and indigenous knowledge. Consequently, we created a funding opportunity to address these deficiencies through bold and innovative strengths-based, solution-focused research led by the community.
While our foremost priority is the health of Canadians, we must recognize that a virus knows no borders. This is a global threat that requires a collaborative global response. This is why we are working in close concert with international partners, such as the World Health Organization, the Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness and others. Through our international engagement in scientific research, we can leverage every opportunity to bring innovations home to Canadians while promoting homegrown expertise and leadership.
It is also extremely important to have evidence-based policy. As we work diligently to protect Canadians, we continue to base our decisions on the evolving body of evidence that exists in the research community, and we continue to learn more about the virus every day. We are connecting policy-making with science, for instance, through knowledge mobilization activities, and with supports for COVID-19 vaccine and therapeutic task forces.
Investments in health research and in our researchers ultimately pays dividends in saved lives. We are heartened by the remarkable dedication and talent of our scientists, and our government has acknowledged its obligation to sustain Canada's research excellence. This means supporting our researchers now and into the post-pandemic recovery. I invite the members of this House to join me in recognizing the invaluable efforts of Canada's research community.
View Michael Barrett Profile
CPC (ON)
Mr. Chair, we have not had the opportunity to hear from the Prime Minister on a few issues, and I would like to invite the member to comment on them. The most pressing of these today are the ongoing scandals that have engulfed the government. We have a tremendous number of unanswered questions.
We have issued an invitation, which has not yet been responded to, for the Prime Minister to appear at the ethics committee. We have issued an invitation to the finance minister to attend that committee as well. Parliamentarians have questions for the government. Canadians have questions for the government. We do not have all of the answers with respect to this WE scandal. We have new news breaking every day.
Can the member tell us if we can expect to see the Prime Minister and the finance minister appear at committee, as they have been requested to do so?
View Rachel Bendayan Profile
Lib. (QC)
View Rachel Bendayan Profile
2020-08-12 14:42 [p.2771]
Mr. Chair, I believe that both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance have appeared before a committee. They have appeared before a committee in order to answer questions from opposition members such as the member opposite. That opportunity was provided in order to be as transparent as possible.
I believe that the government, throughout this crisis, has shown itself to be available to answer questions, even more questions than government members would normally answer if the House were sitting. I would also note that it is unprecedented in Canadian parliamentary history for a prime minister to appear before a committee, and our Prime Minister did.
View Mario Simard Profile
BQ (QC)
View Mario Simard Profile
2020-08-12 14:43 [p.2771]
Mr. Chair, I listened closely to my colleague. As the research and innovation critic, I was also interested in the Medicago file. Let me reiterate what happened.
The government launched several calls for proposals, three or four. A firm called AbCellera received its funding in short order. Medicago received a letter from the government in mid-April, I believe, stating that the firm would soon receive a letter outlining the terms and conditions. There was a lot of back and forth, and Medicago did not receive the letter until early July, if memory serves. AbCellera managed to get its letter very quickly, while Medicago had to wait three or four months. Investors were nervous.
I still wonder what could explain the government's unacceptable delay in responding to Medicago.
View Rachel Bendayan Profile
Lib. (QC)
View Rachel Bendayan Profile
2020-08-12 14:44 [p.2771]
Mr. Chair, I thank the hon. member for the question, and I would be happy to get more details on this case to provide him with an answer.
It is very important for the government to do things right, as everyone in the House knows. In this specific case, it may have taken a few extra weeks to properly draft and understand this contract, and I think it is very important and perfectly normal to take the time to do that.
View Charlie Angus Profile
NDP (ON)
View Charlie Angus Profile
2020-08-12 14:45 [p.2771]
Mr. Chair, what really needs to be pointed out is the incredible social solidarity Canadians from coast to coast to coast have shown in response to the unprecedented economic and medical catastrophe that has befallen us. It is really important to also state that we are not out of the first phase yet. We could be plunged back into a crisis. If we are plunged back in, it will be a catastrophe for families who have already suffered enormous economic losses, for small businesses and for students who have had their lives upended.
We are just over two weeks away from CERB's ending. Many people in my riding have no jobs to go back to, or they are only going back to partial or insecure work. We need to be there for them to get them through this crisis. If we leave people behind at this time, it will take years for our nation to recover economically and socially.
I would like to ask the member about the efforts that need to be taken between now and the beginning of September to make sure that we have a plan to get us through what may be a very difficult fall and a very difficult winter, particularly if COVID hits us again the way people expect it may.
View Rachel Bendayan Profile
Lib. (QC)
View Rachel Bendayan Profile
2020-08-12 14:46 [p.2772]
Mr. Chair, I would like to echo the comments of my hon. colleague with respect to the solidarity with which Canadians have come together during this pandemic. I would also like to express my wish for the continued solidarity of all parties in this chamber in order for us to continue working for the benefit of Canadians as we continue to fight COVID-19. We need to continue to come together to get to the other side of this crisis.
With respect to the specific question regarding the CERB program, I must admit that it is a program I hear of so much in my community, as I am sure I would in the communities of everybody in this House. I believe that there are over 8 million Canadians who have been helped by this extremely valuable program. It has allowed families to put food on the table, and pay for rent and housing.
As the Minister of Employment has indicated several times now, we are in the process of transitioning from CERB to employment insurance. However, this is not the previous employment insurance. It is a modernized, changed employment insurance, which will ensure that all Canadians receive the support and help that they need.
View Dan Albas Profile
CPC (BC)
Mr. Chair, I am going to ask a question of the parliamentary secretary in her capacity as the member of Parliament for her area.
Obviously, we all have constituents. I have heard from my constituents, as well as from other members of Parliament, who have an issue with the government giving no certainty to parents in regard to employment insurance parental benefits. Even today, the minister gave it zero attention, other than to say that they are working on something.
What does the member tell her own constituents? Is she comfortable with the government delivering zero certainty to those families?
View Rachel Bendayan Profile
Lib. (QC)
View Rachel Bendayan Profile
2020-08-12 14:48 [p.2772]
Mr. Chair, the question of child care is extremely important. As a mother of a young toddler, I know how important it is for mothers and fathers to have child care in order to go back to work and in order to resume activities.
We have committed, as a federal government, to substantial transfers for child care to our provinces. As the member opposite knows, we need to work in conjunction with the provinces on this issue, and we are working hand in hand with the provinces to ensure that all families have the child care that they need and deserve.
View Kevin Lamoureux Profile
Lib. (MB)
View Kevin Lamoureux Profile
2020-08-12 14:49 [p.2772]
Mr. Chair, the way Canada has responded to the coronavirus has really been inspiring.
The different levels of government, the non-profit organizations, and Canadians in general, all responded. There is so much more to talk about with each those sectors. We could talk about the federal programs, whether it is the wage subsidy, the CERB program, or the billions of dollars being spent. We could also talk about the literally millions of Canadians who have been assisted and the tens of thousands of businesses that have been saved. So much has been done in a relatively short period of time as a result of a lot of hard work by Canadians from coast to coast to coast.
We are now in a better position to be able to deal with a second wave coming. We are in fact in a much better position. I am wondering if my colleague and friend could provide her thoughts on why it was so important that governments, non-profits and Canadians as a whole come together in order to minimize the negative impacts of the coronavirus.
View Rachel Bendayan Profile
Lib. (QC)
View Rachel Bendayan Profile
2020-08-12 14:50 [p.2772]
Mr. Chair, as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, I have been working in close collaboration with colleagues on numerous programs throughout the crisis. I must say that small businesses in my community and in communities across the country have been extremely grateful for the programs and supports that we have put in place.
I am thinking in particular of the emergency business account. Over 715,000 small businesses are benefiting from this interest-free loan, which includes a grant. I am also thinking of the wage subsidy, which provided 75% subsidies on businesses' wages. This has allowed employees to continue to be paid while they, in order to stay safe, stayed home.
There are numerous other programs that are allowing our economy to bounce back. As I am sure the members of this House know, we have had several consecutive months of job growth in this country, far more than other countries around the world, and we are on track for an economic recovery.
View Dan Albas Profile
CPC (BC)
Mr. Chair, throughout this crisis, the official opposition has been asking questions and proposing policies to the government, policy ideas that would support Canadians dealing with the pandemic and eventual recovery.
Unfortunately, the government has refused to listen to the good ideas or even listen to the pleas of Canadians. From the very beginning of this crisis, we have been hearing from new and expectant parents who lost their jobs due to COVID-19 and who will not have the qualifying hours to access parental benefits through employment insurance. I heard from one parent this week who will be eight hours short.
Over the last number of months I have repeatedly asked the minister why she has not yet fixed this problem. She stated that it would be fixed, maybe, at some point in the future.
This is not a “tomorrow” problem. People are having children today, right now, with zero certainty on where they stand. Service Canada is telling them that they simply do not qualify unless policy changes. In at least one case, a new parent was callously told by government staff to go back to work.
Just imagine a young parent, perhaps a single parent, who is already scared to be having a baby during a pandemic, and who is just 25 hours short of qualifying for benefits.
People are being told to go back to work, but now their job is gone. Not only do new parents need time with their newborn, but they are being asked to go back to work. Many sectors quite simply do not exist right now, and there is no work to go back to.
Having a baby should be the happiest time of a person's life, but because of the government's refusal to address this problem, it has become a time of anxiety and fear.
If the government does not intend to fix this problem, it needs to stop saying it will and stop raising false hopes. The government is letting down an entire generation of Canadian families, and we will never stop fighting on their behalf.
Another major issue is that people who are on the CERB, but now have jobs to go back to, are unable to do so if their employers are using a work-sharing agreement. Work share allows employers and the government to split the wages of workers in an effort to get people back to work, and has been a part of the EI system for some time. Unfortunately, people who were on the CERB are being told they are not able to access work share until the minister makes a policy change allowing that transfer.
Again, Service Canada staff are telling employers and members of Parliament's offices that the only delay is coming from the minister's office.
Why will the government not make this change? It is baffling. These people have job opportunities. They want to work, but a technicality is preventing them from working, a technicality the minister can fix today.
When we asked the minister's staff when this would be fixed, they told us that the real problem was that the worker had made a mistake and incorrectly applied for the CERB rather than the work-sharing program. They blame the victims and refuse to fix the problem.
Fixing parental leave and adjusting the work-sharing program are simple changes that would help people immediately. The minister could go back to her office and fix these problems today. I hope she does.
A major policy suggestion the opposition has made was for a back-to-work bonus. The CERB is punitive in that it cuts off someone's entire benefit the moment they make over $1,000 a month. No government program should disincentivize work, but that is exactly what the CERB does when it does not have to.
We have provided a perfect policy option that would make the CERB more generous, more flexible, and make work more attractive. The government, of course, has ignored it completely. Canadians need support to transition into the work force and ensure that local businesses can still fill their shifts and get back on their feet.
At the same time, we know that the CERB is still essential for a great many Canadians.
Our economic recovery will be driven by Canadians' hard work, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. We tried our best to make sure Canadians would get the support they needed. However, the government rejected our fixes over and over, without explaining why.
What was its response to new parents? Crickets. The response to people interested in work-sharing? Crickets.
What was the response to a proposal to make sure that people can work more and keep their benefits? Crickets.
The government is bending over backward to reward their friends with hundreds of millions of dollars in government contracts while ignoring average Canadians who need the help getting back on their feet. For new parents begging for help, they are told to go back to work. For Liberal friends, it is buckets of cash heading out the door.
Now we come to the subject of the future of EI. The government announced that the CERB would be coming to an end and that people could go on EI. The millions of Canadians who do not qualify for EI will probably get something else, but who knows what that will be?
All that Canadians have gotten from this government is uncertainty and not enough information. Making sure people will be able to pay their rent and provide for their families is certainly one political issue that the government is responding to as ambiguously as possible.
When I first got the honour of filling this shadow cabinet position, I had a series of briefings with the ESDC staff. One of the topics was the future of the EI system. The expert in charge told me that if everything went well, it might still take a decade to transition to a new and modern EI system. They also said that implementing any change to EI would take 16 months to implement, yet the Prime Minister seems to be saying that such a transfer will happen next month, but that the government can't give us any details, but just to hang tight.
CERB is ending, but there are still millions of active claims and the minister herself said earlier this year they had to put in CERB because the EI system could not handle that many claims. However, now the Liberals want people to just trust them, saying that it will all go well, without providing any proof that anything has been improved.
This week, the minister announced that he would set the unemployment rate at less than 13% across the country since young people need to work fewer hours to be eligible for regular EI benefits in regions where the unemployment rate is not as high. This seems like a makeshift technical solution to get the outmoded system to allow applicants to work fewer hours. This is not a new system. This is the same system that failed in March, requiring the implementation of the CERB, for which there was no oversight whatsoever. Just like parental leave, this is not a future problem, it is a current problem, and young people are scared.
Dr. Tammy Schirle from Wilfrid Laurier has posed this hypothetical question that I believe will illustrate a major concern well. It is as follows, “Joe got laid off in mid March and put in an EI claim right away, got CERB. Will that count as part of the 26 weeks of benefits? Or is the transition into EI a new claim?” People who applied for the CERB through EI would presumably have EI files. Will those be transferred to EI? How does the system know that the CERB time does not subtract from future EI time if it is the same claim? Is it the government's assertion that every single CERB claim will seamlessly transfer to an EI claim with zero issues?
What proof can the government give Canadians that it will work, that people should have faith that they will get a payment right away? The government has given none. It took a few days for CERB to get paid and EI took almost a month. Will people have to wait a month from the first transfer to get a payment? That would mean many people would go multiple months with zero support.
I am not asking these questions to scare people or to act like the sky is falling. I am asking these questions because we have zero evidence that the government is going to address them, and people need certainty.
I have not touched on many major aspects of this. For the people who are not EI eligible, the government says there will be something there for them. Will they go to EI? Will CRA manage a CERB-like program or will ESDC? Will this program pay a flat rate like CERB or a percentage of wages like EI? These are important questions that we deserve answers to.
Canadians deserve answers.
The government's response is to just wait and that everything will be fine.
As the official opposition, we are going to make sure that we hold the government to account and to seek real answers. Canadians deserve nothing less than that.
View Darrell Samson Profile
Lib. (NS)
Mr. Chair, thank you for the opportunity to ask a question of my colleague. Before I do so, I would like to thank him for his French. He continues to improve his French language, and that is impressive.
I sincerely thank him and I hope he will keep up the good work.
This summer, I have been spending time in my riding, meeting and speaking with many people. Business owners, for example, have been talking to me about how important the wage subsidy has been for their businesses. Others have spoken to me about the rent subsidy and how that has helped their businesses, as well as the Canada emergency business account. These have all been key discussions with the business community.
I have also heard from veterans, families, seniors, youth, and middle-class Canadians how the supports that we have put in place to support these different groups of Canadians have been so effective.
My colleague speaks of delays. Can he answer why his party refused for over six weeks to financially support people with disabilities?
View Dan Albas Profile
CPC (BC)
Mr. Chair, I appreciate the member's observations on my French. I will try to improve even more.
It is important for us to look back at what exactly happened. The opposition leader said at that time that we would meet right then to discuss the government's bill. When I have spoken to people in disability groups, I heard that people who are receiving the Canada pension plan disability payments were not included. Neither were veterans, people whom this particular member of Parliament, as a parliamentary secretary, should be very concerned about.
We wanted to have a full discussion; the government did not. The government was in charge and decided not to have a debate, and stalled it further. What did we see? We passed a new benefit, and it includes veterans.
This member of Parliament needs to start looking in the mirror to his own government and ask, “Are we part of the problem here?”
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