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Results: 16 - 30 of 147
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-06-17 17:37 [p.2514]
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Mr. Speaker, the money is being spent to communicate clearly with Canadians the extraordinary measures we all need to be safe and to stay safe and well—
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-06-17 18:18 [p.2521]
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Madam Chair, we are in talks with Quebec and the provinces to decide what we must do together to prepare for a second wave and to ensure a safe and healthy recovery for all Canadians and Quebeckers.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-29 15:01 [p.2246]
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Mr. Speaker, the COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented crisis. Our government knows that Canadians and businesses are going through very trying times. That is why we acted so fast. We have implemented programs to support all Canadians affected by the pandemic.
This unprecedented crisis demands an unprecedented response. Canada's COVID-19 economic response plan is among the largest in the G7. We have introduced measures for workers, parents, students and for businesses, large and small. We are making sure that no one is left behind. Let me provide a few examples.
The Canada emergency response benefit is a major part of the government's COVID-19 economic response plan. It is meant to help stabilize the economy by supporting Canadians as they pay for essentials, like housing and groceries, and will help businesses across the country to pay their bills and keep their doors open. The emergency response benefit provides $2,000 a month for up to four months for workers who have lost their incomes because of COVID-19. More than seven million Canadians have already received money through this essential benefit.
We are also boosting the Canada child benefit by $300 per child for over three million Canadian families. That is an extra $550 per family on average. We are supplementing the GST credit with a special payment for low- and modest-income families, averaging about $400 for single people and $600 for couples. Many people have already received their money.
We are also continuing to work with the provinces and territories to share the cost of a temporary wage top-up for low-income workers deemed essential in the fight against COVID-19. That includes Quebec and British Columbia, where the provincial governments have already implemented direct wage support for those workers.
We are also helping Canadian employers and employees deal with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the Canada emergency wage subsidy, the government hopes to prevent further job losses and encourage employers to rehire workers previously laid off because of COVID-19. The idea is to ensure that Canadian businesses are well positioned to fully resume their operations after the crisis. The emergency wage subsidy covers 75% of employees' earnings, up to $847 a week, for employers who suffer a drop in gross revenues of at least 15% in March, or 30% in April or May.
In addition, the Canada emergency business account provides up to $40,000 in interest-free loans to small businesses, including non-profit organizations. Since the second week of April, small business owners have been able to apply for assistance through the Canada emergency business account at their bank or credit union. Businesses can access this account through their primary lender, with which they already have a business relationship.
Small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of our economy and, really, of our society. They give our communities their character, provide good jobs and support families across the country. That is why I am pleased to report that the Canada emergency commercial rent assistance will give eligible small businesses affected by COVID-19 another break. It will lower their rent by 75%. We are able to offer this support thanks to an agreement in principle that our government reached with all provinces and territories last week. That is team Canada at work.
The Government of Canada is taking strong, immediate and effective action to protect Canadians and Canadian businesses from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The measures I have outlined today will help Canadian employers retain or rehire their employees, as many have done already. This is the key to our response plan. By being able to hold on to their workers, Canadian companies will be in a better position to bounce back quickly after the crisis and many more Canadians will have the security of knowing that they still have a job.
Another aspect of our response that is really important is that we have not and will not hesitate to make adjustments to enhance our programs. We want to make sure that everyone is protected and we are working to ensure that people and businesses do not fall through the cracks. Our response has been guided by the principle that speed trumps perfection and that making useful modifications as we go along is a feature and not a bug.
That is why we are offering assistance to students and recent graduates affected by COVID-19. A few weeks ago, hundreds of thousands of students across the country were getting ready to start a summer job. For some of these young Canadians, this would be their first opportunity to take on challenges and succeed in the workplace. For others, this job would be a bridge to their career.
Today, these same students are having a hard time finding meaningful employment. Many are worried, and they are wondering how they can pay their rent and save for school.
In March, the number of post-secondary students who were employed dropped by 28% compared to February 2020. Some of these students are eligible for the Canada emergency response benefit. These young people are at a pivotal time in their lives, and we must do what we can to give them a promising future. The government intends to do something about that.
We are proposing the new Canada emergency student benefit as part of Canada's COVID-19 economic response plan. This benefit would provide eligible Canadian students with $1,250 a month from May to August. Eligible students with dependants or disabilities will receive a higher amount.
The government also intends to launch the Canada student service grant to encourage students to volunteer. This service grant will provide up to $5,000 to support recipients' post-secondary education costs in the fall.
We also need to look beyond this summer and improve existing financial assistance programs available to students. That is what we intend to do. Our plan includes doubling Canada student grants for all eligible students in 2020-21 to $6,000 for full-time students and up to $3,600 for those studying part time.
The government recognizes that many families will have a tough time setting money aside in 2020 to help their children go to school, and we want to support the next generation of Canadian leaders. We plan to enhance Canada student loan programs by increasing the maximum weekly amount available from $210 to $350.
Overall, the measures I have just described represent nearly $9 billion for post-secondary students and recent graduates.
During these unprecedented times, we will continue to carefully monitor all COVID-19-related developments. Protecting Canadians' health and meeting their immediate needs remain our priorities. Once this crisis is over, we will be ready to work with Canadians and kick-start the economy in order to build an even stronger country.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-29 15:12 [p.2248]
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.
I would like to start by sharing a personal experience. As the daughter of a farmer, I worked on the family farm during the summer. Obviously, I worked without pay, because it was the family farm. I am well aware that it is in the interest of farms to hire students, as this benefits both farm owners and students.
We firmly believe, and I think all members would agree, that Canadian students want to work. The problem is that many students will have a hard time finding work because of COVID-19.
That is why this program is so important. We also need to make sure that it does not act as a deterrent to students. We will keep a close eye on that.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-29 15:14 [p.2248]
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his excellent question and observation.
The answer is obviously yes. The government analyzed the structure and the short-term impact of the CESB on students to ensure that the measure meets its objectives while still encouraging students to work. Students are encouraged to work so that they can earn an income, and adjustments will be considered as required.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-20 14:31 [p.2188]
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Mr. Speaker, the coronavirus is a global pandemic and, as such, poses a profound security threat to Canada. For that reason, Canada's intelligence community has been deeply engaged in informing the government's actions. That is why in January the incident response group was convened by the Prime Minister, where briefings were shared and discussed.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-20 14:50 [p.2192]
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Mr. Speaker, I agree with the member opposite about how important our forestry sector is. The crisis today reminds us of how essential products of that industry are.
The pulp that is produced by Harmac on Vancouver Island is an essential input into many of the medical goods which are saving lives today. Over the past week, I have had many discussions with leaders in our forestry sector and with the provinces about what we can do to support the industry today.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-20 14:52 [p.2193]
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Mr. Speaker, our government is far from indifferent to Canada's oil and gas sector. We know how essential the energy sector is to our country and how the energy sector is the source of hundreds of thousands of well-paying, middle-class jobs.
That is why last week our government announced unprecedented support for workers in the energy sector in the form of support for orphan wells. This work is long overdue, and let me point out to the member opposite that it was welcomed by the Premier of Alberta.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-20 14:57 [p.2193]
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Mr. Speaker, this is a global pandemic. That is why international co-operation and information sharing are absolutely essential. We can all help each other and save lives by gathering and sharing the most accurate information possible. Having said that, decisions about Canada are made by Canadians based on the advice of Canada's world-renowned experts.
Finally, I think everyone in this House appreciates that democracies are transparent in a way authoritarian regimes can never be.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-20 16:48 [p.2209]
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Madam Chair, as the member knows, this is the largest and most complex repatriation effort that Canada has undertaken in recent history. To date, working with all members of the House, because all of us have constituents who have been touched by this, we have facilitated the repatriation of over 19,000 Canadians, on 144 flights, from 72 countries. We continue to work with our international partners to get as many Canadians home as we can.
I want to emphasize one thing to all those Canadians who are able to come home, which is that everyone is subject to a mandatory quarantine order for 14 days upon the return home. We want those Canadians to come home. As Canadians, we all have a right to return to our country, but we have to be very careful that those returns do not compromise the health of Canadians.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-20 16:50 [p.2209]
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Madam Chair, I am not going to offer precise numbers of how many people will come back from India. As the member opposite knows, it is a very difficult situation in that country. It is difficult for Canadians; it is difficult for Indians. We are very aware of the situation of Canadians there and are working to safely return the people we can. I want to emphasize how important it is that anyone who comes back must obey quarantine orders.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-20 17:04 [p.2212]
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Madam Chair, let me start by pointing out that the coronavirus is a global pandemic which knows no ideology and in order to best fight that pandemic and best protect Canadians, it is essential to work with and share information with all countries where that pandemic exists. Having said that, it is also very important for all of us as members of the international community to share as much information, and information which is as accurate as possible, in order to protect our own people and also in order to protect the rest of the world.
I hope that all members of this House would agree with my next statement. I believe very firmly that it is in the DNA of democracies to be far more transparent than any authoritarian regime can ever be. That is one of the reasons I believe so strongly in democracy, and I think that is why we are here in this House this afternoon.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-20 17:10 [p.2213]
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Madam Chair, the long-awaited announcement of $1.7 billion for an active well cleanup and $750 million for methane reduction are very positive steps for the energy sector for Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C. They do not need to take my word for it. I am going to quote Premier Jason Kenney, who said, “Thank you to the Prime Minister...for announcing $1.7 billion to accelerate cleanup of orphaned and abandoned wells in Canada's energy sector. This is critical to getting thousands of people in the energy sector back to work immediately.”
The premier is right, and we are glad to be contributing to that.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-20 17:17 [p.2214]
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Madam Chair, the member opposite is quite right. In our conversations with the premiers of Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, the need for support for small northern airlines has absolutely been emphasized.
As the member opposite knows, some of these communities are fly-in, fly-out communities and are dependent on airlines for their food. Some of the business operations of those airlines are compromised because of travel restrictions, including the very tight and, I would say, very admirable restrictions these northern communities have introduced to protect themselves. For that reason, last week we announced a significant support package for the north, in part specifically to support airlines.
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View Chrystia Freeland Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Chrystia Freeland Profile
2020-04-20 17:18 [p.2214]
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Madam Chair, those duties are indeed a real issue for the softwood lumber industry, which is going through a very difficult time. The member is right to point out how much we need that industry for its raw materials for PPE and toilet paper. It is great that Canada produces it.
We are in what I would say is very regular discussion with the U.S. about our trade dispute, and we continue to win cases.
We are also talking with leaders in the industry about ways we can support the industry.
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