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Results: 401 - 500 of 742
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.
Today, members talked about the Holodomor, a deliberate effort to kill a language and a culture. That is why I want to assure the member that French in Quebec is very important to me personally. I am well aware of the fragility of the French language.
I want to assure all members that we will work to protect French in Quebec.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, I want to again point out that I understand what a challenge it is for Quebec and Quebeckers to remain francophone in North America when they are surrounded by anglophones.
I also understand that there are new challenges in the digital age. That is why I truly want to work with all of our colleagues to protect the French language in Quebec and Montreal.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.
I am very pleased to inform the House that, starting today, small and medium-sized businesses can apply for the Canada emergency rent subsidy through the Canada Revenue Agency. Payments will begin on December 4.
I also want to note that the assistance will be retroactive to September 27. The government will cover up to 65% of rent. If businesses are subject to lockdown restrictions they will receive 90% of the cost of their rent.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, what we have today is not only a plan for commercial rent. We have a law, and I would like to thank all members of this House and of the Senate for supporting it.
I would like to take this opportunity to let all small businesses across our country know that they can apply today to Revenue Canada to get that rent support. Payments will begin on December 4. This is retroactive to September 27. This is the support our businesses need, and they will get it.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question. It gives me an opportunity to point out to Canadians that, together, we have created a rent subsidy program and that Canadians can apply today.
With regard to the emergency wage subsidy, we also decided together to extend this program until the summer. This is also very important to all businesses across the country.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, our government has prioritized the health response to COVID-19 and has supported businesses and our economy.
We entered this crisis with a strong fiscal position, which has allowed us to provide unprecedented support to Canadians during this pandemic.
I am pleased to announce today that on November 30 we will be presenting the 2020 fall economic statement. Our plan will continue to support Canadians through the pandemic and ensure that the post-COVID economy is robust, inclusive and sustainable.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian wine industry is, of course, something that we are all very proud of, and we are proud of the remarkable advances that that industry has made.
The Government of Canada works very hard to support that industry in regions across the country, including working very hard on some of the trade issues that the member has been asking questions about.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. Israel is a close and important friend of Canada, and Canada will always stand with Israel.
Let me also be very clear to Jewish Canadians in my riding and across the country. We stand with them, particularly today when we are seeing an appalling rise in anti-Semitism here and around the world.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, let me speak to Canada's place in the world and to our foreign policy.Today we are living in a world where there is a worrying rise of authoritarian regimes and a worrying rise of anti-democratic populism. Our country, in that world, will always stand up for human rights and will always stand up for the rules-based international order. That may not always be popular, but that is the Canadian way.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, our government is proud of the process we introduced.
In 2016, we made essential reforms to the existing process, which included bringing back judicial advisory committees. This led to the appointment of 400 first-class legal experts to the bench by our government. It is a transparent and fair process that has contributed to diversity on the bench.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.
Our Minister of Justice was a law professor at McGill. He is a lawyer with very strong ethics and principles. We are very proud of the judicial selection process introduced by our government. It is a transparent process, far more transparent than the one we had before.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, I do not fully agree with the question.
The reality is that our judicial appointment process is a clear process, a transparent process, an open process, a process that has led to a more diverse judiciary. It has helped select highly qualified judges in Canada.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.
I am obviously an anglophone, but I must say that I agree that the French language in Canada, in Quebec and in Montreal is in a very fragile position. I agree that all of us here in the House have an obligation to work to help and preserve the French language in Quebec and Montreal. This is very important to us.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, defending the French language and Quebec culture is a priority for our government.
I want to give an example. During the negotiations on the new NAFTA, which were very difficult, we held a very firm position, which was to not allow any changes to the cultural exemption that protects Quebec culture and the French language. We succeeded in protecting that. It was very important to us.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Absolutely, Mr. Speaker. That is why I am very proud to say that the Canadian net-zero emissions accountability act will require the federal government to meet its net-zero emissions target by 2050.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, of course the Prime Minister will, and so will everyone on this side of the House.
I will ask, respectfully, the leader of the NDP, whether the NDP will commit to supporting the Canadian net-zero emissions accountability act. This is landmark legislation. It sets Canada on the path to net-zero emissions by 2050. I am so proud of Canada for this legislation and I hope all members of the House will support it.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, our income support programs have played a fundamental role in getting Canadians through the first wave of the COVID crisis, and they are going to get Canadians through the second wave.
When it comes to fraud, that is completely unacceptable. The hard-working public servants in the CRA are doing an outstanding job, and they are going to make sure that all claims are legitimate.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, I am not going to offer new projections, but let me remind the member that in the fiscal snapshot, the deficit—
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Yes, Mr. Chair, and I want to be clear with members. I am going to refer to numbers from the snapshot, not new numbers tonight. I will tell the member more with the next question.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, as I said in my speech last week, we are extending the maturities of our debt to lock in current interest rates, which are at a 100-year low, our debt service charges.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
As I said, Mr. Chair, I am going to be offering detailed projections and numbers in my economic update later on this fall, not tonight, but I will cite the—
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, we have a program, as I said last week, moving into longer-term debt instruments. This is to lock in current rates. That is exactly what we are doing right now.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, our government and the Bank of Canada's debt-management program is second to none in the world. We are making a careful and thoughtful effort to lock in longer-term maturities and move to longer-term instruments. That is what we are doing. Instruments are maturing all the time and are being moved into longer-maturity, lower-interest-rate debt.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
That is an excellent question, Mr. Chair.
The date was chosen so that the Canada emergency wage subsidy would coincide with the Canada emergency rent subsidy.
The three criteria that the hon. member listed are all important. I think the most important thing for us will be our country's economic situation, which is obviously very closely tied to the health situation.
For this reason, we have announced parameters until December 19. It is a matter of giving companies some certainty because it is important, but also to give us the necessary flexibility, because it is very difficult to know in advance what the economic and health situation will be at the end of the year.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, that is a very important question about the details of the Canada emergency rent subsidy. I can assure the member that we intend to help businesses and find a solution for each of them. We are not looking for reasons not to pay the subsidy. Obviously, Canada is a big country with a big economy—
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, I simply want to add that this is a big program. This is the first time that Canada is going to pay a rent subsidy directly to businesses. We added an element that, in my opinion, is very important and that is targeted assistance for businesses that are subject to a public health lockdown order. We need to work on that and see if there are any gaps. However, the intention is to help our businesses.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, I thank the member for his question.
We did discuss this issue. The reason is that we always have to ask ourselves the following: What is the purpose of our measures? In my view, the purpose is to create a bridge for the businesses that are viable today and encourage them to continue working. Through our programs, we must think about the future, not the past. Through the new programs, we need to try to help the businesses that will be working in the future. That is the reason.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, I think that is an entirely reasonable question, and one that I have wrestled with. At the end of the day, my answer is the one I offered to my colleague from the Bloc. I think that our programs need to be focused on the future. We need to focus on supporting businesses in their activities going forward. What we want to do is to create a bridge from today to tomorrow and not focus on the past, but I do thank the member for the question and for his obvious concern for the businesses in his riding and across the country.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, let me start with the second half of that question, which is a really important one.
In choosing December 19 as the date to which we are setting the levels for the wage and rent subsidies, we have tried to strike a balance. We are striking a balance with, on the one hand, the fact that business owners are telling us, as I am sure they are telling everyone in the House, that they want certainty and stability and they want to be able to plan. However, on the other side of the balance is the reality that the situation with coronavirus, the situation with the global economy and, frankly, the situation with the North American economy is very unpredictable and very volatile. Therefore, we are trying to offer certainty while at the same time having flexibility for the future.
I would point out, as the member is very well aware, we have assured business owners that these two programs will be in place until June—
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, I am sorry. It is because of the sound. What was the first part of the question? I know it was how many companies in tax havens and stuff, but companies doing what?
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, I would like to really apologize to the NDP finance critic. I just did not hear, maybe because of the transmission, exactly the first part of the question. It is business owners turned down for which program?
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, as the hon. member for the NDP knows, so far for the LEEFF program we only have two businesses we have qualified. Other businesses are currently being reviewed and the LEEFF program absolutely has very tough criteria around environmental performance, around executive compensation, around being sure that these are companies that are paying their taxes in Canada and around foreign ownership assets, so we are being very, very careful in that program. The LEEFF program is one which is very bespoke and there is a tiger team that goes through the financials of each company very carefully.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, I think in my answer around the retroactivity of the rent subsidy, I have been pointing to some limits that our government is imposing. We are thoughtful about targeting our support where—
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, the member opposite should be careful with words. I did not claim in my speech last week anything of the sort that he is suggesting. What I said was that there are—
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, I use my words very carefully and I said that I would have more to say about the restraints we would impose on ourselves in the fiscal update we will offer later this year.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, I chose my words very carefully in my speech. I would be happy to read it to the members gathered here tonight. I was very careful in saying, yes there are limits, and that I would have more to say about them later this year, not tonight.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, that is a very fair quote and I meant what I said. I also said I would have more to say later this year in my fall fiscal update. It is not coming tonight.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, I think our time is actually limited tonight. As I said, I would be happy to read my speech again. I wrote it myself; I am proud of it.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, actually, in my speech I was quite clear that I would have more to say about the limits we would impose upon ourselves in the fall economic update, and I am going to stick to those words and that commitment.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, I think the member opposite should be very careful not to ask the finance minister questions better addressed to the Bank of Canada. I am aware of the—
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, I want to be very serious for a moment. The independence of the Bank of Canada is one of the central pillars of the Canadian economy, and I am not going to be frivolous about that or make frivolous comments.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, I think it is really important to be clear that one of the central principles of how the Canadian economy works is that we have an independent Bank of Canada, something, by the way, that the member opposite has raised questionable questions about. I will not play—
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, I really want to make clear tonight that an independent Bank of Canada is key to how the Canadian economy works. I think this is something that all members of the House—
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, it represents a profound misunderstanding of how the Canadian economy or any other economy works to suggest that there is some kind of questionable relationship between our government and the Bank of Canada.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, I am not hiding anything. What I am doing is two things. One, I am being very clear. This is important for markets, it is important for Canadians and it is important for our Bank of Canada. I will stand here all night long defending the independence, the propriety and the fine judgment of the people in the Bank of—
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, it is profoundly irresponsible of the member opposite to suggest that a finance minister defending the independence of the Bank of Canada is “covering up” something. That is not how we do things in Canada.
I am happy for members here to ask questions about our programs. I am happy for members here to ask questions about our—
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, let me say a couple of numerical and mathematical things for the member opposite.
The first is that the debt service charges, as a share of GDP, that Canada is paying today are the lowest in 100 years. Notwithstanding the very considerable support we have given the economy so far, the debt service charges are the lowest in 100 years. That is a very—
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, let me share another very important number with the member opposite. Seventy-six per cent of COVID-19 job losses recovered in Canada—
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, I am not afraid of much, and I would like the member opposite to come clean with Canadians. The Conservatives need to decide if they are the party of austerity or they believe in supporting Canadians through this crisis.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, let me share one motto I had during the NAFTA negotiations. It is a motto that has served us very well. I believe that engaging in hypothetical speculation is never appropriate for a minister of the Crown.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, as I said in my speech last week, and as I have said a number of times this evening, we will be sharing detailed fiscal projections in the fall economic statement. That is not for tonight.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, it is highly inappropriate to put words in the mouth of any minister, especially the finance minister, suggesting that there is any form of coercion over our independent central bank.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, as I said, it is highly inappropriate that the member said, not insinuated, that our government would in some way coerce the—
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, the more important, relevant figure is labour force participation. Ours is higher than that of the U.S., Japan, South Korea and Germany. The Economist has a piece this week about Canada's—
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, again, I am sorry to have to teach economics to the member opposite, but the really relevant figure is the debt-to-GDP ratio and Canada today has the lowest debt to GDP ratio in the G7.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, let me ask a respectful question in turn of the member opposite. Is there one country in the G20 that has done a better job than Canada in protecting its workers and its businesses?
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, it is important for the answers to be accurate. Let me just point out that Germany today has 238 new cases of COVID per million. Canada has 73 new cases of COVID per million. It is too high in Canada, but I want to be clear with Canadians. Right now, in the G7, we are doing a pretty good job. When it comes to employment we have a higher labour force participation rate than Germany and Japan. Germany is 55.9% and Japan is 62.2%. We are at 65%.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, let me be really clear. There has been no cover-up by our government. In fact, the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister's chief of staff testified at length before committee and took questions, as did the Clerk of the Privy Council. This matter has been thoroughly aired before Canadians. The questions have been asked and answered. What I would say for the member opposite and all members in the House is that Canadians really want us to focus on them and to get through COVID together.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, I agree with the member opposite that the CRA is highly competent and, in fact, I would like to take the opportunity now to say how grateful I am to all the hard-working people there.
That is why the new rent support program, like the wage subsidy, will be administered through the CRA. We know it can do it. We have a platform now with which businesses are familiar. That is why we are choosing that path going forward.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, as the member opposite knows very well, and as members in the House do, because I think we will be supporting these programs together, we have changed, significantly, the architecture of the rent support program. Now it goes directly to the tenants. Provinces and landlords are not involved.
Our new program is an improvement. Better is always possible. Members—
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, I am glad we are debating this important bill now and I am glad we have been able to include some really innovative measures, particularly the lockdown support. This is a new program. I have not seen one like it anywhere in the world. It will provide targeted support to businesses subject to local lockdowns. It is going to get us through the winter.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, the member opposite said that we, the government, believe this has to be passed by Friday. I would like to respectfully say I do not think that is some kind of peculiar conviction of ours. All Canadian businesses, all Canadian provinces and territories need this legislation.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, businesses do need this support and that is why we are debating this legislation late into tonight. I would like to remind members, as I know they well know, that the support will be retroactive to September 27, so people will be covered for October. This is support our businesses need and support I hope together we can get for them.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, I am a little puzzled by the contradictions embedded in that question. On the one hand, the member opposite is quite rightly pointing out that businesses need support now. I could not agree more. On the other hand, the member opposite is asking why we want to pass this legislation with alacrity. The first half of the question answers the second half.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
As I said, Mr. Chair, we need to decide what matters most. I am firmly convinced, and I actually believe that in their hearts of hearts everyone in this House shares the conviction, that at the end of the day what matters the most is getting support to our business owners now, and getting support to them with alacrity. That is what we are committed to doing. These programs are good programs that would provide essential support as we fight the second wave of COVID. I hope the members opposite will join us in supporting them.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague for her question.
The Canada emergency wage subsidy is designed to help employers protect the jobs that Canadians depend on and to rehire employees who have already been laid off. The support applies to employers of all sizes in all sectors, including not-for-profit organizations that have been hard hit by COVID-19.
To date, more than 3.8 million employees across the country are being supported by the wage subsidy. It is a good program.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, I obviously agree that we must now provide assistance directly to the businesses to help with fixed costs and rent. That is why are introducing a bill that does exactly that. I am pleased that the hon. member agrees that this is a good step to take. I hope we can do this quickly.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, that is another good and important question.
I will start with the rent subsidy because I want to point out a new component that is really important for Quebec, and that is targeted support for businesses subject to new lockdowns. I am very supportive of the measures that the Province of Quebec has taken to combat the coronavirus, and this additional assistance will help the province make the right decisions. This is an innovative component that I am very pleased with.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, as the member said, I already answered this question, but I will repeat what I said.
The assistance will be retroactive to September 27. This is important because it means that this program will cover October. That is a good question about making this measure even more retroactive, and it is something we will have to consider. However, I believe that we must focus on the future. We must help businesses that are operating now, and we need to help them keep their doors open in the future. I prefer to focus on that.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, let me start by pointing out that the rent subsidy that we are debating tonight does go back to September 27.
With regard to going back further, let me just say this. The objective of our program is to support the vulnerable but viable businesses across our country and to help create a bridge for them to get through—
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, let me point out the help that will be available if we can pass this legislation.
Starting from September 27, up to 65% of wages would be paid, up to 65% of the rent would be paid, and if one is subject to a local lockdown restriction, 90% of the rent would be paid. That is real support and our—
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, I think it is entirely appropriate for us to listen to the businesses in our ridings. I also think it is appropriate for the government to focus on businesses in the future, viability in the future.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, the key issue here is a question of focus. My focus is on tomorrow, not on yesterday. My focus is on helping businesses get through the second wave.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair, businesses have had help since the beginning of the pandemic. They have had loans, including a significant forgivable portion through CEBA. They have had access to the wage subsidy. Going forward, they will have an additional expansion of CEBA.
Results: 401 - 500 of 742 | Page: 5 of 8

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