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Dec/8/21 7:10:49 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. I agree, it is absolutely critical. I will take this opportunity to come back to the urgent need to pass this bill. Earlier today, debate was shut down on the pretext that it was urgent to pass the bill. However, someone pointed out earlier that the 10 days of paid leave were proposed a long time ago. The COVID‑19 crisis began a long time ago, so why did the government not act sooner? I would like to remind the House that Quebec did not wait for Canada to act. In Quebec, we have already passed legislation and introduced very severe fines. Quebec is often ahead of the game when it comes to legislation. Rather than judging it—

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès)

Dec/8/21 7:11:24 p.m.
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Order. Resuming debate. The hon. member for Kenora.

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Mr. Eric Melillo (Kenora, CPC)

Dec/8/21 7:11:36 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to join the debate on Bill C-3. Although this is not my first opportunity to rise in the 44th Parliament to give a speech, this is my first opportunity, not just in this Parliament, but since I was elected in 2019, to deliver a speech with my fiancée, Danaka, watching live. I wanted to acknowledge that and acknowledge Danaka for her continued love and support, especially through the turbulent times of election season. I have to say that going through two elections in two years is more than enough for an MP, but it is also important that we recognize the impact it has on our loved ones, so I thank Danaka for her continued support. There are two very important aspects of the bill. It really is two bills in one, with amendments to the Criminal Code and to the Labour Code. It is very important that we talk about both of these things separately, considering how different they are. I will, time permitting, have the opportunity to touch on both of those aspects, but I also want to acknowledge the tremendous work of our shadow ministers on this file. The member for Fundy Royal has done a great job representing our position and working with our colleagues to move forward on this. As well, the member for Parry Sound—Muskoka on the labour side ensured that our party was well represented. When it comes to the Criminal Code, of course Bill C-3 would make it an offence to intimidate health care providers or impede individuals from obtaining health services, and this is something I do not think anyone in this chamber would take issue with. I think we would all support that and the idea behind that. We know health care workers face incredible hardships at the best of times, especially in northwestern Ontario, where they have limited staff, limited resources and policies that do not adequately account for our unique needs in rural and remote northern Ontario. These are challenges I have heard of first-hand from constituents across the riding. Of course, this has all been exacerbated by COVID-19 and the pandemic we are continuing to fight through. Hopefully we are at the tail end of. We have seen more clearly than ever before how important our frontline workers are. They are our doctors, our nurses and those who went to work every day, risking their own safety, to ensure that all Canadians would remain safe and have the service they need. That is why so many people in the Kenora riding, across northern Ontario and across this great country were outraged by the news when they saw these protests and the harassment of health care workers throughout the course of the pandemic. I wish I could sit here and name everybody, but there are a couple of health care workers in particular I would like to make note of, one of whom is Dr. Sean Moore at the Lake of the Woods District Hospital in Kenora. Dr. Moore has been a champion for our region throughout the course of the pandemic. He helped organize and arrange all of the COVID protocols and the COVID response at the Lake of the Woods District Hospital. With many concerns around the availability of beds and shortages of PPE, he remained steadfast in his commitment to ensuring everyone had the support they needed. He continued to also keep me up to date on what was happening on the ground and offered advice to me to pass on to the government and my colleagues on how to best move forward through the pandemic. I would say as well that his consistent public advocacy for best practices in ways to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe has just been incredibly beneficial for everyone across our region, which is something he continues to do. I want to make a quick mention of a health care provider who is very important to me, my mother Charlene. My mother is a nurse at the Lake of the Woods District Hospital and I know first-hand from her the challenges during the best of times at the hospital in delivering health care services in the Kenora riding. Having to deal with the additional protocols and challenges that COVID-19 brought on was difficult for her and her colleagues. Not once did any of the health care workers in my riding, or across the country, hesitate. They were always there to continue to serve and work for everyone's safety. I am happy to share that today. There is another side to this. It is not just the health care providers. It is not just the doctors and nurses. It has also been a very difficult time to be a patient. I know many people who have had to bring their children to a hospital and only parent has been able to be with them or their loved ones. It has been incredibly difficult for families to deal with challenges to their health given the COVID restrictions. I know the thought of any of these individuals being harassed or targeted in a protest that could be happening outside of a hospital would not sit well with anybody in the chamber. We need to look at that important aspect of the legislation as well. As I said, apart from the Criminal Code side, there is also the labour side of the bill, which is very important as well, with the proposed 10-day medical leave in federally regulated sectors. Frankly, many companies are already going above and beyond that, as many members of the House have noted. I believe the Minister of Labour has noted that the change he believes the bill would make would be minimal. It is important to note that, in many ways, this could be seen symbolically, but it is an important floor to work toward. However, we cannot take away from the great work that so many companies are undertaking already. Although it is viewed as a minimal change, I do not think we should accept that without proper scrutiny. We all know there are huge labour shortages across the country. We see that in my riding at the Lake of the Woods Brewing Company, for example. It has not been able to stay open all days of the week. Many restaurants have been forced to close or are only open for short periods because they cannot find staff. When we are talking about changes to the Labour Code, it is also very important that we have a wholesome examination of it, so we can understand all the potential impacts the legislation could have. That is why I want to see the bill get to committee. I want to see both sections of it get to appropriate committees, because they are quite different, the Criminal Code side versus the Labour Code side. I hope we will see that from the government, that these sections will be examined separately and thoroughly. That is part of the concern I have with the time allocation motion. We have two very important sections in the legislation that need to be discussed and examined, and the government has unfortunately decided that it would rather not have those discussions. I look forward to any question or comments my colleagues may have, but I appreciate the opportunity to share some thoughts on Bill C-3 this evening. I want to reiterate that there are two very important sections to the legislation. We need to examine them. Let us get them to committee.

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Dec/8/21 7:21:26 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, the feedback I have received on the legislation has been very encouraging, such as health care stakeholders recognizing that Ottawa parliamentarians see and understand what they have had to go through with the protests. During the debate, I found out that the Province of British Columbia was also bringing forward paid sick leave. I believe it is for five days. The federal legislation covers a much smaller percentage of the workforce. Would the member agree that by the national government providing action on sick leave, we could see provincial jurisdictions following suit and, to that end, workers across Canada would benefit? Could he just provide his thoughts on the leadership role that Ottawa can play on progressive legislation such as this?

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Mr. Eric Melillo

Dec/8/21 7:22:39 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, we all appreciate the thoughtfulness and willingness of the member for Winnipeg North to engage so often in this chamber and share his thoughts on a number of topics. He definitely has a great respect for this institution. That is a good question, but it is a bit hypothetical. I suppose the quick answer would be yes. It definitely could be something that the provinces could look to and be encouraged by it. The point is that many sectors are already above and beyond this. From a federal point of view, the 10 sick days could be looked at as a floor rather than a ceiling.

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Ms. Louise Chabot (Thérèse-De Blainville, BQ)

Dec/8/21 7:23:38 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, what I appreciated about the speech by the colleague who just spoke is the great compassion and empathy he expressed for health care professionals and social services workers. In the name of wanting to protect them, all of a sudden it is urgent that Criminal Code be amended. If we are looking to support and protect health care workers, does the member not agree that it would be more urgent to provide federal health transfers to Quebec and the provinces so that they can organize their health care systems in such a way as to ensure that they have workers, that they are able to offer good working conditions and that workers do not experience burnout?

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Mr. Eric Melillo

Dec/8/21 7:24:35 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, absolutely, we called for and continue to call for increased health transfers to the provinces. Again, as I mentioned, in northern Ontario. and I am sure in northern and rural Quebec it is a similar situation, there is underfunding. There are not the appropriate resources considering the distances that people have to travel and considering the unique situations that northern and rural regions have. Having more supports available to the provinces will certainly help fix that situation.

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The Deputy Speaker

Dec/8/21 7:25:11 p.m.
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Order, please. It being 7:25 p.m., pursuant to order made earlier today, it is my duty to interrupt the proceedings and put forthwith every question necessary to dispose of the second reading stage of the bill now before the House. The question is on the motion. If a member of a recognized party present in the House wishes to request a recorded division or that the motion be adopted on division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair. The hon. member for Winnipeg North.

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux

Dec/8/21 7:26:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would request a recorded division.

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The Deputy Speaker

Dec/8/21 7:26:38 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Pursuant to order made on Thursday, November 25, the recorded division stands deferred until Thursday, December 9, 2021, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions.

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Ms. Elizabeth May

Dec/8/21 7:27:12 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I may have been misinformed about there being an opportunity for a speaking slot at this point for me, on behalf of the Green Party, to speak to Bill C-3.

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The Deputy Speaker

Dec/8/21 7:27:16 p.m.
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We ran out of time on Bill C-3, and I interrupted so we could move on to the next order of business.

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux

Dec/8/21 7:27:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I suspect that if you were to canvass the House, you would find unanimous consent to see the clock at 7:40 p.m. so we can begin committee of the whole.

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The Deputy Speaker

Dec/8/21 7:27:50 p.m.
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Is that agreed? Some hon. members: Agreed. The Deputy Speaker: Pursuant to order made Thursday, November 25, the House will now resolve itself into committee of the whole to study all votes in the supplementary estimates (B) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022. I do now leave the chair for the House to go into committee of the whole.

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The Chair

Dec/8/21 7:29:37 p.m.
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Today's debate is a general one on all votes tabled before the House on Friday, November 26. Pursuant to order made Thursday, November 25, the committee will now resume the debate. Pursuant to order made on Thursday, November 25, each member will be allocated 15 minutes at a time, which may be used both for debate and for posing questions. Members wishing to use this time to make a speech have a maximum of 10 minutes, which leaves at least five minutes for questions to the minister. When a member is recognized, he or she should indicate to the Chair how the 15-minute period will be used, meaning how much time will be spent on the speech and how much time will be used for questions and answers. Also, pursuant to order made Tuesday, December 7, members who wish to share their time with another member shall indicate this to the Chair. When the time is to be used for questions and comments, the Chair will expect the minister's response to reflect approximately the time taken by the question, since this time will be counted in the time originally allotted to the members. Pursuant to order made Tuesday, December 7, the time provided for the debate tonight may be extended beyond four hours, as needed, to include a minimum of 16 periods of 15 minutes each, and no quorum calls, dilatory motions or requests for unanimous consent shall be entertained. I also wish to indicate that in committee of the whole, comments should be addressed to the Chair. I ask for everyone's co-operation in upholding all established standards of decorum, parliamentary language and behaviour. We will now begin tonight's session. The House in committee of the whole, pursuant to order made Thursday, November 25, consideration in committee of the whole of all votes in the supplementary estimates (B) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022. The hon. member for Alfred-Pellan.

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Mr. Angelo Iacono (Alfred-Pellan, Lib.)

Dec/8/21 7:31:59 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, today I am pleased to talk about the supplementary estimates (B) for 2021-22. I want to start by saying that I am a big believer in the principle of transparency. Canadians and the parliamentarians who represent them have the right to know how the government intends to spend public funds and to hold the government accountable for its actions. Our government takes that responsibility very seriously. That is why this conversation about the estimates is so important, especially as we are emerging from the COVID‑19 pandemic. Today I am happy to have the opportunity to talk to the committee of the whole about the supplementary estimates (B) for 2021-22. As hon. members know, every year the government tables up to three supplementary estimates detailing proposed spending in addition to the main estimates. On November 26, the President of the Treasury Board of Canada tabled the supplementary estimates (B) in the House of Commons. The budget includes a summary of the government's incremental funding requirements and an overview of the major funding requests and horizontal initiatives. These supplementary estimates seek a total of $8.7 billion in voted budgetary expenditures. For information purposes, these estimates also include $4.7 billion in budgetary statutory expenditures, mainly due to the extension of the Canada recovery benefit and the forecasted requirements for the Canada recovery caregiving benefit and the Canada recovery sickness benefit. That said, I would like to provide my hon. colleagues with a breakdown of some of the more significant expenditures. Over the past year, many Canadians have had to deal with the hard truth of our country's historical treatment of indigenous peoples. This has been a year of listening and soul-searching. It has also been a year in which indigenous voices have been louder than ever, and our government is listening to them. That is why these supplementary estimates (B) provide a total of $1 billion for the Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs and $2.1 billion for the Department of Indigenous Services. This includes $725.2 million for critical infrastructure such as housing, schools, health facilities, water and wastewater. This funding will also support the transfer of infrastructure to indigenous-led organizations and fund the operation and maintenance of indigenous-owned infrastructure. This amount also includes $412.2 million for the specific claims settlement fund. As my colleagues know, these are claims by a first nation against the federal government which relate to the administration of land or other first nation assets and to the fulfillment of historic treaties or other agreements. The settlement fund is used to provide compensation to first nations in accordance with negotiated agreements. Finally, we have allocated $361.3 million for prevention and protection services to support the safety and well-being of first nations children and families living on reserve. The COVID-19 recession is the steepest and fastest economic contraction Canada has seen since the Great Depression, and it has had major repercussions on Canadians across the country. Nevertheless, we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. More than 85% of Canadians age 12 and up are now fully vaccinated. Businesses are reopening and travel has resumed across the country. What is more, we have now started to vaccinate children between the ages of five and 11. Important programs like the Canada emergency response benefit, which helped millions of Canadians during the toughest days of the pandemic, were only possible because of the hard work and dedication of our public servants. The government appreciates its public servants and has the greatest respect for its obligations to them. That is why these supplementary estimates include $1.5 billion for the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat for the salary adjustments included in the recently negotiated collective agreements, as well as for changes to the terms and conditions of employment. Among the other funds set out in these supplementary estimates, I would like to mention the $375 million for the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development for COVID‑19 vaccines, treatments and diagnostic products for developing countries; the $327.7 million for the Department of National Defence to fund the pay increases in the Canadian Armed Forces; and the $253.4 million for the Department of National Defence and the Department of Veterans Affairs for the Heyder and Beattie class action settlements. These estimates reflect our government's continuing commitment to get better results for all Canadians, including those who live in indigenous communities, and to continue to contribute to the global COVID‑19 pandemic response effort. I want to be clear. The estimates process is guided by the principles of transparency, openness and accountability. We have taken several measures to ensure transparency. For example, departments regularly account for their expenditures through quarterly financial reports, and the Department of Finance provides monthly financial updates on the government in the “Fiscal Monitor”. Furthermore, in light of the extraordinary circumstances and the extent of pandemic-related spending, the government provides additional reports. This includes the spending authorities associated with the government's response to the global COVID‑19 pandemic in the supplementary estimates, as well as the spending authorities and expenses for each of the COVID‑19 pandemic measures, through the Government of Canada's InfoBase and open government portal. These reporting tools make it easy for Canadians to see the spending authorized by Parliament and the money spent by the government on its pandemic response. We also release a reconciliation between these two estimates documents to provide greater clarity on the relationship between the figures therein. Hon. colleagues, these supplementary estimates provide for essential investments to build an economy that works for everyone, fight climate change, continue on the road to reconciliation, and ensure that our communities are safe, healthy and inclusive.

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The Chair

Dec/8/21 7:41:01 p.m.
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Questions and comments, the hon. member for Alfred-Pellan.

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Mr. Angelo Iacono

Dec/8/21 7:41:18 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, it is a privilege to rise today to participate in this committee of the whole. I want to start by thanking the hon. ministers for being here this evening, and for outlining some of steps that our government has taken to protect the health and safety of Canadians as well as to support our critical industries. My questions this evening will be for the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance. I would like to ask him a question about tourism businesses in my riding of Alfred-Pellan. Tourism businesses in my riding, just as in many others, have suffered greatly from the pandemic. Fairs, carnivals, music festivals and community events have all been cancelled due to COVID-19. As we can all agree, COVID-19 has been incredibly difficult for tourism businesses and especially for their workers. Can the minister expand on how our government intends to continue to support the tourism businesses that have been greatly impacted? What is the recovery plan?

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Hon. Randy Boissonnault (Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, Lib.)

Dec/8/21 7:43:47 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, I think we should note that the recovery is under way. It is strong, but, as my colleague from Alfred-Pellan knows, it is uneven. As he mentioned, I am referring specifically to people in the cultural industry: technicians, actors, comedians, camera operators, musicians, directors and all those behind the scenes who reflect the best of who we are as human beings. As a government, we must be there for the workers and businesses in the cultural sector. During the election campaign, we clearly indicated that we would be there for them, and that is exactly what we will do. Just to be clear about the work done and the commitment we have to the cultural sector coming out of this pandemic, we made sure that $200 million was provided to festivals, $300 million was provided in a recovery fund for culture, sports and the arts, another $200 million was provided for large festivals, and a $500 million emergency fund was established for the cultural sector. There is more to come.

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Mr. Angelo Iacono

Dec/8/21 7:43:54 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, the CEWS has supported hundreds of businesses in my riding and in many others. I heard the Minister of Health referring to vaccines. These are of such critical importance to ending the pandemic and allowing the tourism sector to get back to work. I am double vaccinated and I am proud of it. Today, at five o'clock, my eight-year-old son received his first vaccine shot. Hello Gabriel. I carry around my proof of vaccination to show all the businesses in Alfred—Pellan, and here in Ottawa, that I have indeed done my part. I know not everyone in this place is able or willing to do the same, and I will take this moment to say how disappointing that is. I would like to give the minister an opportunity to expand on his point about vaccination, and what our government is doing to help businesses, as well as provincial and territorial partners delivering vaccines. Can he provide Canadians with the assurance that they are safe to visit local attractions?

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