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Results: 701 - 742 of 742
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, I agree that the second wave has started and I agree that our country needs to work together to fight this pandemic. That is why we gave the provinces $19 billion for a safe restart, another $2 billion in support for a safe return to school, $500 million at the beginning of the pandemic and, of course, $40 billion every year for health care.
That is real support.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, as we said in the Speech from the Throne, we are going to find additional ways to tax extreme wealth inequality, including by limiting the stock option deduction for wealthy individuals at large corporations, and addressing corporate tax avoidance by digital giants. We all need to pay our fair share, especially in times of crisis.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, that is a great question.
I would like to say to Caroline that I agree with her wholeheartedly. One of the great strengths and prides of Canada is that we have universal access to our health care system. Everyone is treated the same.
When it comes to testing, let me say how delighted I am that today Canada has approved its first antigen test, the Abbott Panbio. We have an advance purchase agreement for 20.5 million of these tests. That is in addition to the ID Now tests, which were announced last week.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his excellent question.
The Bloc member is well aware that we promised to help SMEs with fixed costs in the throne speech. That is absolutely necessary, and it is even more necessary now because of the second wave.
Our government agrees. This is an essential program. We are working with businesses and the provinces and territories to set up a program.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, once again, I agree with the Bloc member that the program does need to be adjusted to help SMEs. We are currently discussing the matter with the provinces, including Quebec.
I spoke with the Quebec finance minister about this very topic yesterday and I can assure the member that Canada will always be there for Quebec and for Quebeckers. For instance, nearly one in four Quebeckers have received the CERB.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, let me repeat what I said when the Leader of the Opposition asked about our support for the energy workers of Newfoundland and Labrador. I pointed out that our government was very proud, thanks very much to the hard work of our Minister of Natural Resources, to have supported Newfoundland and Labrador with $320 million. When it comes to Alberta and our energy sector, let me just point out that it was our government that bought TMX and our government will get it built.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, every day, Canada is working hard to get the economy going and to keep Canadians across the country healthy.
With regard to the economic recovery, I would like to quote TD Economics, which said that Canada is ahead of the United States in the race to recover the jobs that were lost because of the pandemic. Canada has recovered approximately two-thirds of the lost jobs, compared to 55% in the United States, so clearly we are doing our job.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, let me begin by congratulating the member opposite on his election as leader of the official opposition and by saying how pleased I was by his and his wife's recovery from COVID-19.
I share the member opposite's view that rapid testing is absolutely essential to our health. It is absolutely essential to our economic recovery. That is why I am pleased that we bought 7.9 million rapid tests last week.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me say the health minister is a cherished colleague who is doing a fantastic job.
When it comes to provinces and the fight against the coronavirus, this is an effort that we must undertake together. That is why over the summer we agreed, in the safe restart agreement, to $19 billion to the provinces to support their fight against coronavirus and another $2 billion for the safe restart of schools.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, I agree with the opposition leader concerning the measures that the Province of Quebec has taken. I support these strong measures. That is very important, and we must work with Quebec.
Concerning rapid tests, we bought 7.9 million of them last week. The tests will be in Canada next week.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. The Prime Minister and, indeed, I believe all members of the House take the health of Canadians extremely seriously.
When it comes to rapid testing, I was very pleased that last week we were able to announce the procurement of 7.9 million rapid tests. Those tests will be in Canada next week, and we will have more to announce about rapid tests very soon.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, allow me to make one small correction: Quebeckers are Canadians.
With respect to borders, I have to say that I am very proud of our government's policy, especially regarding the U.S. border. We were able to restrict non-essential travel while allowing trade, which is so vital to our economy, to continue. That is what we will keep doing.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, I absolutely agree that the second wave in Quebec and Ontario is very serious. We are taking it seriously. That is why we signed the safe restart agreement, which includes close to $3 billion for Quebec to support a safe restart.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, we are well aware of how serious the health care situation is in Quebec. That is why we gave Quebec nearly $3 billion for the economic recovery and health measures. We also helped seniors in Quebec through our Canadian Armed Forces. We were there when Quebec needed us and we will always be there for Quebeckers.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, the plan is to continue working closely with the provinces, territories and municipalities.
We purchased 7.9 million rapid tests last week, and we will have more news this week.
As for our approach, the safe restart agreement we reached this summer will provide the provinces and territories with $19 billion in support.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, I must agree with the leader of the NDP about one thing: We truly are at a crossroads when it comes to COVID-19. The second wave is here right now, particularly acute in Quebec and Ontario, and each one of us has a responsibility to do everything we can to flatten the curve.
When it comes to fighting the coronavirus, we are committed to continuing to work in close collaboration with the provinces, territories and municipalities. It is the Canadian way and we are going to keep on doing it.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question, which is truly important.
In the Speech from the Throne, we promised we would help SMEs pay their fixed costs. This assistance is more important than ever since we are in the second wave and the provinces, including Quebec, have taken strong measures to combat this second wave. We must truly be there for them and we will be.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, the answer is yes. I discussed this issue with Quebec's finance minister, Éric Girard, yesterday evening. He and I are going to be talking again this evening.
I have a question for the Bloc. Once we have completed the technical work, I hope the Bloc will vote with us.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, personally, I love the small businesses of Edmonton Strathcona, in particular.
In the Speech from the Throne, we committed to extending CEBA to support small businesses across the country and to support small businesses with their fixed costs, including rent. That is something that we are working on right now with the provinces and municipalities. Small businesses need our continued support and we are going to be there for them.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, perhaps the Conservatives do not want to admit it, but our economic policy works for workers.
Members do not need to take my word for it. We are told that Canada is ahead of the United States in the race to recover the jobs that were lost because of the pandemic. In August, Canada had recovered approximately two-thirds of the lost jobs, compared to 55% in the United States.
I believe the United States is a G7 country.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, I would just like to remind the member for Carleton that going into this crisis, Canada had the lowest unemployment rate we have had in 40 years, and I believe that there were a few Conservative governments during that period. They did not hit our record.
When it comes to international comparison, the better metric is labour force participation. Canada is at 78.5%, Australia is only at 77.5%, the U.S. is at 73% and South Korea is at 62.1%. We are higher than all of those countries.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, we absolutely believe that everyone in Canada needs to pay their fair share, all the more so as we are fighting together against a global pandemic. That is why in the throne speech we committed to working to identify additional ways to tax extreme wealth inequality, including by concluding our work to limit the stock option deduction for wealthy individuals at large established corporations, and of course taxing the global digital giants.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, I would never be condescending to any member in the House, particularly to members talking about our small businesses.
I absolutely agree with the member opposite that now, at the time of the coronavirus crisis, they need our support. We committed in the throne speech to enhancing CEBA, and we are very hard at work on that. We will have more to say very soon.
We also committed to further support on fixed costs and to targeted support for businesses facing new lockdown measures. All of that will happen.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, contrary to the Conservatives' partisan spin, our economic policy is working. In fact, just last week, DBRS Morningstar reaffirmed Canada's AAA credit rating, saying:
[We view] the overall fiscal response positively, as the stimulus has been timely in delivery, temporary in design, and sufficient in size given the scale of the shock.
That is an independent ratings agency reaffirming our AAA. That is who to trust.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, it is simply absurd to suggest that a credit ratings agency is somehow financially benefiting from our government's policies. I mean come on.
If the member for Carleton does not like hearing quotes from external experts, let me quote someone the member may prefer listening to: himself. I would like to remind people that in March, he said, “You might want to address [COVID-19] with big, fat government programs. We're Conservatives, so we don't believe in that.” Let me say to the nine million Canadians who benefited from the CERB, that is what—
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, our government is very aware of the urgent need for rapid testing. We know that rapid tests can save lives and help keep our economy strong, but it is also very important for all of us to appreciate how valuable it is to live in a country where the independence of our health regulatory authorities is respected. Our lives quite literally depend on that.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, our government is absolutely aware of the gravity of the global pandemic that we are fighting together. That is why, in the throne speech last week, we were very clear that we will do whatever it takes to support Canadians in the fight against this virus, to acquire essential vaccines, and to work closely with provinces, territories and municipalities on stepped-up testing and tracing efforts.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, I do not know about the members opposite, but speaking for the members on this side of the House, I can say that we have all been very hard at work over the past six weeks. We put together the safe restart agreement at the beginning of the summer because we knew that a second wave would be coming. That is why we knew we needed to give the provinces $19 billion to help us get ready together. Then, just a few weeks ago, we knew it was a priority to get kids safely back to school, which was another $2 billion.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, we have made significant investments in health care, and we will continue to make significant investments in this area, whether in Quebec or elsewhere in Canada.
Once again, my colleague is trying to start a fight between Quebec City and Ottawa. We do not want that. We want to work together. That is what we are doing now, and that is what we will do in the future.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, I too have a great deal of respect for my hon. colleague.
However, I cannot agree with his comments that everyone should just look after their own affairs. We are in the midst of a global crisis, the biggest crisis since the Second World War. This is a time for all members and all provincial, territorial, municipal and federal leaders to work together in close collaboration. That is our approach.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, we are not blackmailing anyone. We are co-operating and collaborating. That is why we made significant investments in health in Quebec and in all the provinces and territories.
In the safe restart agreement, $13 billion of the allotted $19 billion will go directly to health and the fight against COVID-19. That is true collaboration.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, we agree with all members of the House and Quebec leaders that we are facing a very serious crisis with COVID-19. We must all work together. That is our government's approach.
That is why, for example, as part of the safe restart agreement, we gave more than $3 billion directly to Quebec to help it fight COVID-19. We will continue to do that.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, we are not looking to divide our country. We want to work together, because this is a global crisis, a national crisis. That said, as we stated in the throne speech, we agree that people who are in a position to do so must do their part for Canada. This is why we mentioned taxes in the throne speech.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, I want to start by saying I really believe strongly that today, at a time when we are confronting a global pandemic and our deepest economic crisis since the Second World War, is a time for all of us to bear a deep responsibility for uniting and not dividing Canadians. We also believe, of course, that we all have to pay our fair share. That is why in the Speech from the Throne we talked about taxing Internet giants and we talked about taxing stock options, and we are going to do that.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by pointing out just how much our government is doing for workers across Canada. Our government supported nearly nine million Canadians through the CERB; our government helped 3.5 million Canadians keep their jobs through the wage subsidy program; and our government helped 750 small businesses pay their rent. Clearly, we are here for Canadians, and we will continue to be here for them.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question.
Our economic recovery plan is working. Members do not need to take my word for it. I want to read a quote from Lucy Iacovelli, Canadian managing partner of KPMG's national tax practice. She said, “Our clients have told us that the federal wage subsidy program is helping them not only to retain their employees, but also to cope with pandemic-related costs and rehire workers who have been laid off”.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the important question.
Right now, as our country is facing a global pandemic, it is important for us to unite rather than divide. It is more important than ever. Having said that, it is also really important for everyone in Canada to pay their fair share. That is why in the Speech from the Throne we committed to taxing Internet giants, to taxing stock options paid to executives at mature companies and to being sure that we have an inclusive society and an inclusive economy.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, the economic support we have been providing to Canadians during the pandemic has not only prevented a great deal of human misery. It is also driving our economic recovery, and the member does not need to take my word for it. TD Bank economist Ksenia Bushmeneva said that the “...federal government income support programs...have so far been paramount for averting a delinquency tsunami” and protecting the economy.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, let me remind the member for Carleton and all Canadians of what he said on March 8 when asked about what support the government should offer to those very Canadians hurt by the pandemic. He said: “...You might want to address [COVID-19] with big, fat government programs. We're Conservatives, so we don't believe in that.”
Our government chose to support Canadians, and we are proud of it. I hate to imagine what the Conservatives would have done had they been elected in 2019.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, what the hon. member maybe does not understand is that, in fighting this pandemic, we have asked Canadians to make a really big sacrifice: We have asked Canadians to stay home. We are still asking Canadians to practise social distancing, because the best economic policy is to crush the coronavirus. To make it possible for Canadians to do that, our government is there for them, and we will continue to be.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, our government is absolutely committed to supporting Canadians and Canadian businesses throughout this crisis. The mortgage deferrals from our banks have indeed been very helpful to many Canadian families. This is an issue that we are going to continue to be working on.
I also want to point out that the extensive support we have provided to individual Canadians and to Canadian small businesses has helped Canadians get through so far. As we said in the throne speech, we are committed to continuing to be there for Canadians as we fight, as the member opposite points out quite rightly, the second wave.
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question.
As the Prime Minister said yesterday, Canada now knows how to deal with the second wave of COVID-19.
Our priority in terms of both the economy and health is to combat the second wave. That is the responsibility of all members of the House. I would like to point out to Canadians that is also the responsibility of each and every Canadian. We can succeed, but we all have to try to work together.
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