44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 8, 2021 02:00PM
- Dec/8/21 2:11:55 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, members of Sherbrooke's arts and culture industry, including Suzanne‑Marie Landry of Théâtre Granada and Mario Trépanier of the Centre culturel de l'Université de Sherbrooke, have tapped into their enthusiasm and creativity to successfully renew themselves and serve up an impressive cultural lineup.
For the first time ever, Théâtre Granada will host the Grand Réveillon de Sherbrooke on December 30 and 31. A number of well-known artists are on the roster, such as Bleu Jeans Bleu, Les Trois Accords, Loud and Sherbrooke's own Qualité Motel. They are sure to wow the crowds with standout performances.
I recently had the privilege of announcing nearly $100,000 in financial support to help organizers offer this event free of charge.
I therefore invite Sherbrooke residents to come one, come all to the Sherbrooke Station Market and celebrate the new year together, with the hope it will bring happiness and joy.
166 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/8/21 11:02:24 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Chair, I am pleased to participate in tonight's debate on the supplementary estimates (B).
Tonight's debate comes at a key moment for Canada and its recovery. Bit by bit, businesses are safely reopening. Employment has recovered to prerecession levels.
All of the 3 million jobs lost when the crisis was at its peak were recovered faster than in any previous recession. Canada's economic recovery is on the right path, and the pandemic's impact on our economy is fading away.
This has been possible because our government was there to support Canadians and Canadian businesses through the worst of this pandemic. Programs such as the Canada emergency response benefit, the Canada emergency wage subsidy, the Canada emergency rent subsidy, lockdown supports and the Canada emergency business account kept businesses from closing their doors and kept Canadians from losing their jobs.
At its height in the spring of 2020, the Canada emergency wage subsidy supported 27.6% of all employees. Our performance was better than almost every other country's.
Thanks to our solid policy and support, we recovered all the jobs. We recovered the 3 million jobs lost during the crisis. Just last week, we got great news: 154,000 jobs were created in November.
According to the OECD, Canada was one of the first countries to recover all of its hours worked by March 2021.
As good as all this news has been, we know there is more work to be done. We know that not all sectors have fully recovered, and we know that risks remain from new variants of this disease.
Before the House are two key matters to help get us through the end of this pandemic. The first is tonight's supplementary estimates and the second is Bill C-2.
Through the supplementary estimates, the government is seeking parliamentary approval for $8.7 billion in new voted spending. Approximately $1.2 billion of the proposed voted spending in the supplementary estimates (B) is for the government's ongoing response to the COVID‑19 pandemic.
This is so we can continue the work we have been doing since the start of the pandemic.
Federal support also included significant financing for the provinces and territories through top-ups to the Canada health transfer as well as through the safe restart agreement, the safe return to class fund and the essential workers support fund. All told, more than eight dollars of every $10 spent to fight COVID‑19 and support Canadians has come from the federal government.
As outlined by the Minister of Health last night, in the supplementary estimates (B), the Public Health Agency of Canada is transferring $12.4 million to the Canada Border Services Agency for the ongoing development of the ArriveCAN app. This service helps travellers crossing the border comply with COVID‑19 public health measures before, during or after crossing the border by storing proof of vaccination, for example.
In addition, the Public Health Agency of Canada is transferring $7 million to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research so it can support additional research to better understand the nature of immunity after an infection and a COVID‑19 vaccine.
Finally, for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, there is approximately $23.7 million in voted items and $495,000 in statutory credits in the supplementary estimates (B).
As I pointed out earlier, the economic recovery is uneven, and public health measures, although essential to our health and safety, continue to restrict some economic activities.
In budget 2021, the government promised that if additional flexibility was required based on public health considerations later in the year, it would continue to do whatever it takes to be there for Canadians. That is why in October we announced the Canada worker lockdown benefit, which I would like to spend some time on in my remarks.
This proposed new measure was first announced on October 21 and is part of the legislation we are debating today. To ensure that workers continue to have support and that no one is left behind, this benefit will provide $300 a week in income support to eligible workers should they be unable to work due to a regional lockdown until May 7, 2022, with retroactive application to October 24, 2021 if required. It will continue to offer support to those who still need it if the pandemic requires further public health lockdowns in any part of the country, including workers who are both eligible and ineligible for employment insurance.
Assistance would be available in all regions of Canada designated by the government for the duration of the lockdown. This measure could be obtained quickly to support affected workers in the event of a lockdown in the region where they work.
Temporary lockdowns are still a possibility in the months to come. While the government hopes it will not be needed, the Canada worker lockdown benefit offers peace of mind and some economic certainty in these uncertain times.
With children aged 5 to 11 now eligible to get vaccinated, we know that this increased immunization coverage brings us one step closer to a situation where restrictions and closures will no longer be necessary.
Further down the road, we are also looking forward to loosened restrictions on hospitality, travel and tourism, and arts and culture. This new measure and the other targeted supports, such as the tourism and hospitality recovery program and the hardest-hit business recovery program proposed in the bill we debated today, will help bridge Canadians to full recovery in hard-hit sectors.
Canada is now well on its way to economic recovery. Thanks to one of the most successful vaccination campaigns in the world, many businesses are safely reopening. Employment in November was higher than it was in February 2020, prior to COVID-19.
In the coming months, Canada's economic recovery will continue, because our vaccine successes and the safe reopening will allow Canadians to return to what they have been missing most for almost two years.
However, we must remain vigilant, especially with the arrival of the omicron variant, which we continue to monitor.
I am therefore asking everyone to help the government in this fight. Canadians across the country expect no less.
I would now like to ask a question.
Prescription drugs are not always affordable for Canadian families, especially those affected by rare diseases. Can the Minister of Health inform the House of the work that is being done to help these families and their loved ones?
1093 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/8/21 11:12:10 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Chair, I thank the minister for his answer.
Our frontline workers and first responders are the real heroes in this crisis. While they help Canadians stay healthy or regain their health, what is our government doing to ensure that these health workers are getting the help they need when they need it?
53 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/8/21 11:13:26 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Chair, this past year, the awful reality of the systemic racism that still pervades our institutions was brought to light.
As we know, tragedies such as the experience of Joyce Echaquan are not isolated incidents. Indigenous people across the country are fearful and reluctant to seek health services because they are afraid of encountering discrimination that can sometimes turn deadly.
The minister was frank about the need for change. Could he tell us more about the work that the government is doing to address systemic racism in health care? How is the government ensuring that indigenous people, in particular indigenous women, have equitable access to health care?
108 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/8/21 11:15:24 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Chair, while COVID-19 was raging, another pandemic was occurring across Canada. Although it was somewhat overshadowed, it was just as significant. The opioid crisis has affected the entire country, especially the province of British Columbia.
What is our government doing to help key organizations that are working on the ground during this crisis that is occurring at the same time as COVID-19?
65 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
