44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 26, 2021 10:00AM
- Nov/26/21 11:31:31 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, while the government is serving up a tasteless, colourless and sterile throne speech, businesses in my riding and in Quebec are at the end of their rope. Why? Because they cannot find anyone to fill their vacant positions. No one. There are 280,000 job openings in the province right now. Yesterday, the Government of Quebec announced $3.4 billion to address the labour shortage. Here, there is absolutely no mention at all of the labour shortage in the throne speech. The Liberal government is dragging its feet on this issue.
Why is the government turning its back on businesses?
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- Nov/26/21 11:32:12 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, before I begin, let me say that it is nice to see a fellow Bluenoser in the chair today.
I would point out that Canada has now recovered more than 100% of the jobs lost during the peak of the pandemic, but we still suffer from the same labour shortages that are affecting competitive economies right across the world. In order to address the labour shortage, we have a number of facets to our plan, including investing in child care so that hundreds of thousands of Canadian parents can join the workforce, including boosting economic immigration levels so we can find workers to support Canadian businesses, including investing in skilled training and including supporting businesses that are hardest hit by the pandemic.
All these measures have one thing in common: The Conservatives routinely voted against them.
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- Nov/26/21 11:32:58 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will help the government understand how serious the labour shortage is by giving the example of Rotobec, a business in Sainte-Justine in my riding that manufactures material handling equipment. It does business in 40 countries and is currently trying to fill 30 positions. As a result, the company's growth is limited, it has to turn down contracts, and its employees are running out of steam.
What is the Prime Minister waiting for? When will it help Cathy Roberge, the head of human resources at Rotobec? What does the Prime Minister have to say to her today?
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- Nov/26/21 11:33:32 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, since we are talking about jobs, it is important to point out one of our country's biggest successes. When COVID hit Canada, we lost three million jobs. Now, Canada has recovered all of the jobs that were lost during COVID. We recovered 101% of the jobs, while the United States recovered only 81%.
We will continue to work closely with Quebec on the labour shortage. We can resolve this situation with immigration. Our work on day care will help too, obviously.
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- Nov/26/21 11:34:20 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, The Globe and Mail has reported that job vacancies have soared to unprecedented numbers, with more than one million unfilled positions. Vacancies jumped by 16.4% in September alone.
When will the minister admit the government's plan for the labour shortage is just not working, take responsibility and fix this problem?
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- Nov/26/21 11:34:46 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what the Conservatives seem unwilling to recognize is that there is a global phenomenon caused by interruptions to the supply chain, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that have caused labour shortages in economies right across the world. Thankfully, as the Minister of Finance just shared in our other official language, more than 100% of the job losses from the peak of this pandemic have now been recovered.
In order to help solve the labour shortages that we are seeing in Canada, we intend to invest in immigration to bring more workers here, we intend to invest in child care to open up the workforce to more parents and we will invest in skills training. I hope the Conservatives will finally see the light of day and start supporting these essential measures.
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- Nov/26/21 11:35:28 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, The Globe and Mail indicated that a fifth of all vacancies were in hospitality, including restaurants and hotels. Despite a hectic tourist season in Alberta, restaurant owner Stéphane Prévost had to close his restaurants for as many as two days a week this summer because there simply were not enough workers.
Why is the government always too little too late when it comes to helping employers and Canadians?
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- Nov/26/21 11:35:55 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in western Canada alone, more than $775 million went to our region under the relief and recovery fund. That helped more than 40,000 jobs in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and supported 9,000 businesses.
Our government will always be there to support businesses in western Canada. Whether it is through supports, through investments, through child care or through immigration, we will be there for workers and for businesses.
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- Nov/26/21 11:36:28 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, even though the government will not acknowledge it or try to solve it, we are in a labour crisis.
Apple and cherry growers left fruit in their orchards this summer. We have restaurants that are reducing their hours. Construction companies are turning down business, and there are “help wanted” signs everywhere. This is occurring in my community of Kelowna—Lake Country and also across the entire country.
Does the government plan to stand with small businesses and small farming families and address this labour crisis, or will it continue to sit by and go forward without any kind of a plan that it can show us?
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- Nov/26/21 11:37:13 a.m.
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- Re: Bill C-2
Mr. Speaker, we are absolutely focused on supporting Canadian small businesses and Canadian workers. It is worth reminding everyone in the House of the success of Canadian businesses and Canadian workers in recovering those three million jobs that were lost during the COVID recession. A 101% recovery is great news for Canadians.
When it comes to supporting small businesses, I would like to take this opportunity to urge all members of the House to support Bill C-2. Small businesses in B.C., in Alberta and across the country need that support.
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- Nov/26/21 11:38:00 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, with the important holiday shopping season beginning, our small businesses were looking for more than empty words from the throne speech when it comes to addressing the supply chain crisis. In Canada, this crisis started well before the COVID-19 pandemic and is further exacerbated now with the devastating floods and landslides in British Columbia.
The lack of a plan is especially deafening. When will the Liberals finally address the supply chain delays that are hurting Canadian small businesses on the road to recovery and growth?
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- Nov/26/21 11:38:38 a.m.
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- Re: Bill C-2
Mr. Speaker, that was a bit of a kitchen-sink question with lots of elements thrown in, but let me try to take them in turn.
When it comes to the flooding in B.C., we are there working with the Province of British Columbia. The Prime Minister will be there today.
When it comes to supply chain issues, we are monitoring that very, very closely. Let me point out that this is a global phenomenon. All Canadians appreciate that.
Finally, on small businesses, one way we can all help them right now is to vote for Bill C-2.
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- Nov/26/21 11:39:20 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, higher softwood lumber duties are bad enough for Canada, but they are even worse for Quebec. Our very own Resolute seems to be the Americans' primary target.
It is senseless. Quebec's forestry industry adheres to the highest standards in Canada. We set our stumpage fees based on an auction just like the Americans, and that is precisely in response to their concerns.
Is it possible that nobody in Washington is aware of that? How is this possible? Why is nobody in the federal government willing to stand up for Quebec against the Americans?
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- Nov/26/21 11:40:00 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes that the forestry and softwood lumber industry is important to Quebec. We will continue to stand up for resilience and innovation within the Quebec forestry industry, which exports $10 million worth of forestry products annually and creates jobs for more than 60,000 workers in the province.
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- Nov/26/21 11:40:32 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the worst part is that the Prime Minister met with President Biden just last week. Apparently they talked about softwood lumber. Even worse than the Prime Minister's failure to convince Mr. Biden to eliminate the duty is the fact that Biden doubled it, and his first target is Quebec's forestry industry.
Not only is the duty hike a threat to Quebec jobs, it will also increase the cost of lumber at a time when demand is still very high in North America. We saw the consequences of that last year.
What is the government going to do? What will it take for the Prime Minister to stand up for Quebec?
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- Nov/26/21 11:41:09 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our government will always stand up for the forestry sector, and we will always stand up for its workers. We presented challenges before CUSMA at the WTO, where it has been ruled that Canada is a fair trading partner.
We absolutely denounce these tariffs. They are unfair, they are unjustified and they hurt workers and businesses on both sides of the border. I have been speaking to Quebec industry and workers on this very matter, and I will continue to stand up for their interests.
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- Nov/26/21 11:41:47 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, with the announcement of softwood lumber tariffs doubling, we see again how this government is failing indigenous people. NorSask Forest Products, a 100% first nations-owned company in my riding, has millions of dollars held in tariffs. The government's failure to negotiate a softwood lumber agreement is costing the nine ownership nations the ability to invest in their communities.
I have been asking this question for two years, but I will ask again: Can the minister tell the leaders of these nations when they will get their money back and when these punitive softwood lumber tariffs will finally end?
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- Nov/26/21 11:42:32 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have been speaking to the industry, including the industry represented and advocated by the indigenous softwood lumber members. The Conservatives can shout talking points all they like, but it is the Canadian softwood lumber industry, including the indigenous softwood lumber industry, that will give me and this government a negotiating mandate on this issue.
I will work closely with the industry, as I always have, and we will continue to pursue their interests.
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- Nov/26/21 11:43:10 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last week the Prime Minister visited Washington to meet with President Biden, and this week the U.S. has announced plans to double tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber, threatening jobs in northern Ontario and across the country. It is either the Prime Minister does not care to stand up for Canadian workers or he is incapable of delivering results.
The government has said that it has raised this issue with the U.S. administration. Why is the President no taking him seriously?
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- Nov/26/21 11:43:45 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this issue is a priority for our government. It is why we are pursuing litigation under chapter 10 of CUSMA—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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