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Results: 796 - 810 of 889
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-11 14:12 [p.2120]
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Mr. Chair, we are very aware of the importance of canola exports to the Canadian economy and I think all of us are more aware than ever of the importance of farmers to Canada.
We continue to work on getting Canadian canola accepted around the world. That includes working with China.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-11 14:21 [p.2122]
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Mr. Chair, it is absolutely essential that, first and foremost, we do everything we can to protect the health and lives of Canadians as we fight this first wave of the coronavirus. What that means is that we must practise physical distancing and we have to stay at home. We are well aware, of course, of the economic impact. That is why we are here in the House bringing in today's economic measures. Of course, we need to work on an exit plan, but we can only do that once we know that we have hit and moved past our peak.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-11 14:22 [p.2122]
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Mr. Chair, we are definitely working on such a plan, as would any prudent government. I will mention some of the things that are going to be necessary as Canada thinks about how we move past the current stage.
We are going to have to work on serological testing. We are going to need to know who has antibodies against this virus and who does not. We are going to need to be aware and realize, as the Prime Minister and our public health officials said in their presentation this week, that it is quite likely there will be one, two or even three additional waves. We are going to need to have a very sophisticated approach.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-11 14:41 [p.2125]
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Mr. Chair, we are very aware that there are communities of particularly vulnerable Canadians who need particular support during this crisis. That, of course, includes our veterans, many of whom are also older people and so fall into a category doubly at risk. We are very much focused on them.
I want to take this opportunity to thank all of the individual Canadians who are making such efforts to reach out to fellow Canadians who are suffering from the necessary isolation.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-11 14:42 [p.2125]
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Mr. Chair, that, I am sad to say, is an excellent question.
One of the prices we are all seeing right now through this period of physical distancing is that more Canadians are suffering from mental health problems. We are very much focused on it. Health Canada is definitely putting forward some measures to be sure to help people at this time.
I also want to encourage individual Canadians to keep doing what they have been doing, which is to help their neighbours, friends and family.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-11 14:43 [p.2126]
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Mr. Chair, when it comes to our land borders, we have taken unprecedented action to restrict travel between Canada and the United States. We have done this with great care. It has been important to restrict non-essential travel even as we have taken steps to ensure that essential travel, the travel which is necessary for trade, the travel which is necessary to keep food in our grocery stores, the travel which is essential to get medical devices across the borders, continues to happen. That is work that is being done in close collaboration with the United States. It is being done by CBSA, and CBSA works closely with the provinces and with Health Canada.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-11 14:44 [p.2126]
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Mr. Chair, our government, working closely with the Province of Alberta, has been very engaged in efforts at the G20, in efforts led by the NAFTA energy ministers to ensure that this unacceptable international manipulation of the price of oil comes to an end. The G20 energy ministers meeting yesterday did bring some positive results, and we will continue to be very engaged in this important issue.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-11 14:51 [p.2127]
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Mr. Chair, our agricultural sector has never been more important for Canada and Canadians than it is today. It is quite appropriate for us, at a time of a global pandemic and at a time when borders are facing greater questions and restrictions than ever before, to really be concerned about food security here at home. That is why we are very focused on supporting agricultural workers, supporting farmers and definitely supporting the food processing sector.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-11 14:53 [p.2127]
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Mr. Chair, our government absolutely believes in science. We believe that information and knowledge is power and we believe that sharing what we know with Canadians helps all of us respond effectively to the threat posed by the coronavirus. We have a daily press conference by the Prime Minister and daily briefings by health authorities and ministers. In all of those formats, we share information and we will continue to do so.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-11 15:01 [p.2129]
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Mr. Chair, I thank my colleague for that very important question.
Last week, the Minister of Indigenous Services and I had a conversation with leaders from across the country and from first nations.
Our government recognizes that people in first nations, Inuit and Métis communities are among the most vulnerable Canadians. We have provided immediate support through the community support fund to address public health issues, which includes providing PPE, testing and health care personnel. That is just a first step. We know that further support is absolutely required.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-11 15:03 [p.2129]
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Mr. Chair, that is a very important question. Our government absolutely recognizes that indigenous people in first nations, Inuit and Métis communities are among the most vulnerable Canadians and need particular support when it comes to the challenges posed by COVID-19.
Last week, together with the Minister of Indigenous Services, we had a call with Chief Bellegarde and all the regional chiefs from the Assembly of First Nations. We are providing immediate support through the community support fund to address public health issues. This includes providing PPE, testing and health care personnel.
We know this is just the beginning, and we are prepared to provide, and are working on providing, further support.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-11 15:05 [p.2129]
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Mr. Chair, that is another important question. Certainly for indigenous communities, and indeed for all Canadians, the combination of flood season and forest-fire season with COVID-19 is going to pose a particular set of challenges. The Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness is very seized with this issue and has been working on it in close collaboration with provincial partners, indigenous partners and communities, the Minister of Indigenous Services and the Minister of Northern Affairs. We know we will have to pay particular attention to how we work on these issues.
As for the on-the-land program, if that is a way that indigenous communities wish to address the issue, of course they will have our support, but that cannot be the only answer.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-11 15:16 [p.2131]
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Mr. Chair, our government was focused on the threat posed by the novel coronavirus from the end of last year. We have been very aware of it and have been following it closely, both through our own officials and in close collaboration with our friends and allies around the world.
When it comes to specific intelligence to which I or other ministers have been privy, of course we cannot share that.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-11 15:16 [p.2131]
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Mr. Chair, absolutely, but I do want to clarify one assumption embedded in the hon. member's question, and that is this notion that there will be an immediate and visible end to the pandemic.
We will be fully safe and fully past this only once either a vaccine has been developed or we have a very high level of herd immunity within Canada. Prior to that, what experts are saying is likely to happen, and as was shown in our data forecast on Friday, is that there will be a peak, and we will get past that peak, and then we need to prepare for some wavelets coming after. We need to have a calibration of social distancing efforts that go on and off, allowing our economy to restart to some extent.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-11 15:26 [p.2133]
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Mr. Chair, I hope the member can tolerate an answer from the Deputy Prime Minister.
It is a very important question. It is an issue that we are very focused on. The Minister of Fisheries is very aware of this. This is an area where the global economic slowdown caused by the response to the coronavirus has had a particularly sharp and striking effect. The Minister of Fisheries is very seized with the issue and is working on it.
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