44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 10, 2022 10:00AM
- Feb/10/22 6:14:21 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, we need to have a really serious conversation about health care in this country, because in the last six years things have not improved whatsoever. We all, as a group here, from all parties, should be working together. Instead of politicizing this pandemic, we should have been finding ways to improve things in this country.
What we are asking for is just a plan. Give us some metrics. Give us something. The Prime Minister stood up in question period today, and he keeps talking about vaccines. We are already at 90%. Tell us what the threshold is. When does this end? When can Canadians have back the confidence in the House that has been broken by the Liberal government?
Give us some metrics so we can at least give hope to Canadians—
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- Feb/10/22 6:15:14 p.m.
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The hon. member for Vancouver Kingsway.
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- Feb/10/22 6:15:18 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, there has been a legion of policy reversals from the federal government since the beginning of the pandemic. I will itemize a few.
In January, 2020, Dr. Tam told the House of Commons health committee that asymptomatic transmission was a rare event, and that epidemics are not driven by that kind of transmission.
In February, 2020, the then health minister claimed that closing the border was not effective at all in controlling the spread of disease.
In March, 2020, Dr. Tam advised against universal masking practices. Canada has been among the slowest countries to acknowledge and act upon evidence showing airborne aerosols as a primary means of transmitting COVID-19.
In January, 2021, the Prime Minister said he was opposed to the idea of mandating vaccine passports, saying it would have divisive impacts on the community.
Finally, in May, 2021, Dr. Tam suggested that if 75% of Canadians had at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and 20% had two doses, provinces could begin safely easing restrictions.
With that degree of change and flux in policy, does my hon. colleague think that we can come up with a plan, given the variability of omicron and the developments in this disease?
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- Feb/10/22 6:16:30 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, what my colleague is highlighting is what I have been talking about in my speech, about trust. I think Canadians lost a lot of trust because of all the failed policies and back and forth that they kept seeing from the Liberal government. This is the same government that the Prime Minister said last year would not call an election. We passed a motion in the House, and he turned on that—
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- Feb/10/22 6:16:58 p.m.
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The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement.
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- Feb/10/22 6:17:09 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I very much appreciate the opportunity to speak today to my constituents and to Canadians on this issue and to share my thoughts. This is an important issue and worthy of serious, substantive debate. There has been far too much partisanship on this issue, including today, on all sides.
Like most issues before us, this is a grey issue. It is not black and it is not white. There are Canadians who feel very strongly that all mandates and all restrictions should be dropped, and there are many other Canadians who completely disagree with that premise.
I had the opportunity to speak in the emergency debate, and while a lot has been said today about the protests and the blockades, I want to say this. Peaceful assembly is a constitutional right. Blockades disrupting trade, businesses and people's lives are not. To those blockading, please go home. I call on all levels of government to provide police the support and resources needed to immediately end these illegal blockades. The rule of law still needs to exist in Canada.
With respect to the issue before us today, a pandemic is an unusual situation. This is the first one we have seen in our entire lifetime. Governments have done their best over the last two years. When I say “governments”, I mean all governments: international ones, the federal government and the provincial governments. They have to listen to science and then make decisions. The virus has evolved and things have changed. Governments always need to adapt and communicate. They do their best, even though we do not always agree with their decisions.
One of the reasons that Canada has a much lower death rate than the United States is we have a slightly different conception of freedom. We know that freedom and liberty are important, but they also come with responsibility. When one's freedom clashes with someone else's, it sometimes needs to be limited. Someone absolutely has the right to remain unvaccinated if that is what they choose, but do they retain the right to work with the frail and elderly? These decisions are not easy ones to make. It is up to elected governments to make them.
Canadians throughout this pandemic have at various times been unhappy with measures taken by their federal and provincial governments. I, myself, at the beginning of this pandemic, protested outside a long-term care centre in Quebec when the Quebec government declared that caregivers and family members were no longer able to visit their frail, elderly relatives. I knew that my dad, in that long-term care facility, would not be adequately cared for, no matter how hard the staff tried, if his family, wife and sons, his caregivers, could not be with him. The policy was a harsh one. When I finally saw my dad months later, he had not been taken out of bed for months. Before the pandemic he could walk. He could walk the length of the floor, from one side to the other. After the pandemic he could not walk.
I have heard from Canadians who have kids with mental health issues because the schools were closed. I have friends who own gyms and have a friend who owns a basketball league. Sports are so important to the mental and physical health of Canadians. How do I justify to them why these are closed when other businesses that are comparable are open? How do we explain to our churches and synagogues why they need to close when other things can remain open?
Most of these are provincial restrictions; they are not federal. However, there are federal restrictions that have greatly impacted people. People could not have their loved ones come visit them in Canada for over a year, and people have to be tested multiple times, even though they are vaccinated, when they want to cross the border.
I want everybody to understand that I really heard what demonstrators and other people have said. I understand there are people who are deeply upset, especially after living through this for a couple of years. However, I have also heard from health care workers who have been working heroically with almost no break over the last two years. We had more people in hospitals in January 2022 with COVID than we did throughout the entire course of the pandemic. They are warning us that without any restrictions to slow down transmission, our health care system could break. I also hear from many vulnerable seniors who would be afraid to go to indoor spaces if everyone is not masked and vaccinated.
I say this because it is hard. Governments at all levels need to balance the freedom of individuals with caring for the vulnerable and nurturing our health care system. They must balance physical health versus mental health. We need to follow the science, but we also need to use our own judgment, listening to Canadians to determine what level of public health measures best balance those factors.
I personally agree that the Government of Canada, the same as various provincial governments, needs to come forward and explain when and under what circumstances some restrictions will be lifted. Measures such as this are exceptional, and we need to make sure that Canadians understand why they are in place and when they will be lifted.
In my view, the very first restrictions that need to be revisited are the ones that impact vaccinated Canadians. When will the travel advisory recommending against international travel be lifted? Do we really need testing at airports for vaccinated travellers who already had a COVID test before departure? I hope that we soon hear what the plans are with respect to these types of restrictions.
However, I also do not agree that each and every mandate and restriction now needs to be lifted. Vaccinations are key to getting us out of this pandemic. People who are vaccinated are less likely to infect others, and less likely to paralyze our hospitals, because there is less chance that they will get very sick, have to go to ICUs or die. There are vaccine mandates, which remain important, and there are requirements to wear masks in indoor spaces, which are important because we know that the virus is usually transmitted in poorly ventilated indoor spaces.
To simply call for ending all restrictions and all mandates all at once is not following the science. I agree that we need to move forward with easing restrictions, but we also have to understand that if there is a highly transmissible and deadly variant that emerges, measures may need to be reinstated.
What I do agree with is that every level of government needs to effectively communicate with the population what its plans are with respect to all restrictions, and needs to explain why they are there and at what point they will be removed. That is the important thing that all levels of government need to do.
I want to conclude my speech with one additional point that is important and that has been raised by many of my colleagues today, and that is surge capacity in our hospitals. One of the reasons why we have had to resort so many times to measures, such as the curfew in Quebec, that were highly unpopular and highly disruptive to the population is because we do not have the surge capacity that other jurisdictions do. Our hospitals are overwhelmed when they reach a certain number of patients, both in the regular wards and in the ICUs.
The federal government needs to show leadership. The member for Calgary Nose Hill gave a very good member's statement last week. I concur with her that the federal government needs to work with the provinces, in the same way we did to create national standards on long-term care, to create standards on surge capacity. The federal government needs to help fund the provinces to do that, because only when surge capacity increases in our health care institutions will we not have to worry about imposing so many restrictions.
I appreciate the opportunity to speak tonight.
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- Feb/10/22 6:26:19 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, in his compassionate speech, it sounds like my colleague for Mount Royal might actually be supporting our motion on this issue. I appreciate that very much.
Recently, the member for Louis-Hébert revealed that the Liberal leadership made the decision before the last election to wedge, to divide and to stigmatize Canadians. That was for political gain, no matter what the cost. A poll taken just after the election showed that 77% of Canadians felt the country was more fractured than ever. Make no mistake: That will be the legacy of this Prime Minister and of his government.
Does my colleague for Mount Royal agree with his Quebec colleague, that the legacy of the government will be one of division and fracture?
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- Feb/10/22 6:27:07 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, no, I was trying to make a point in my speech that we should not be partisan but substantive on this issue. That was, unfortunately, a very partisan question.
Attacking the Prime Minister and making allegations about the Prime Minister seeking to divide the country and Liberal caucus is equally as egregious as what the hon. member claims to have occurred. There is no basis to believe that there is anybody in this place who wants to harm Canadians. Everybody wants to bring Canadians together. Everybody wants to do their best for this country. We have different views on how to do that.
I respect my colleague for Louis-Hébert very much, but I am not here to talk about what my colleague for Louis-Hébert said. I made a speech for 10 minutes, and the member can ask me about that.
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- Feb/10/22 6:27:54 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I will come back to my colleague’s conclusion that things can change and that the plan could be adjusted.
A well-crafted plan does provide for adjustments and for explanations that are clearly communicated to the public.
What does my colleague think about that?
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- Feb/10/22 6:28:21 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I agree completely with everything my colleague said.
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- Feb/10/22 6:28:26 p.m.
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It being 6:28 p.m., it is my duty to interrupt the proceedings and put forthwith every question necessary to dispose of the business of supply.
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 Mégantic—L'Érable.
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- Feb/10/22 6:29:21 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I request a recorded division.
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- Feb/10/22 6:29:26 p.m.
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Pursuant to an order made on Thursday, November 25, 2021, the division stands deferred until February 14, 2022, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions.
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- Feb/10/22 6:29:46 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I suspect that if you were to canvass the House you would find unanimous consent to call it 6:43 p.m. at this time, so that we can move on to adjournment.
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- Feb/10/22 6:29:57 p.m.
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Does the hon. member have unanimous consent?
Some hon. members: Agreed.
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- Feb/10/22 6:30:32 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, last November, I asked a question in the House about the flooding in British Columbia. As emergency preparedness and climate resiliency critic for the NDP, I wanted to hear from the minister that the federal government would be there to help the communities. In particular, I asked about the hard-wired requirement in federal disaster funding that municipalities have to kick in 20% of any disaster recovery cost.
I used the town of Princeton as an example, a small community of about 2,800 people with an annual taxation budget of about $3 million. Three hundred people in Princeton lost their homes in recent floods when the Tulameen and Similkameen rivers overflowed. Recovery costs for the community was estimated at $10 million, which meant Princeton was responsible for $2 million, almost doubling its entire annual budget. It is clear that this 20% share just does not work for small communities.
I got a fairly positive response to my question. The minister said that the government would be there for the people of British Columbia and a joint committee made up of federal and provincial representatives was being formed that would coordinate and communicate with municipal leaders.
Today, I talked with Spencer Coyne, the mayor of Princeton, to see how things were going three months after the floods. He was, I would say, distressed to say that they were not going well. Those 300 people are still homeless. Funding from the Red Cross that has provided shelter for those affected households is scheduled to run out next week, but it might be extended for another month. It is still winter in Princeton, and a full assessment of the damages will not be possible until the spring thaw later in March. Recent estimates suggest that the $10 million estimate for the recovery may be far too low and the actual figure could be as high as $20 million.
I asked the mayor specifically about communications with the federal government, and he said that he was given a phone number to contact the Prime Minister's Office. He called that number and was basically told to call the province. However, the province is already providing its share of the recovery effort, pitching in with all the necessary emergency repairs and other supports.
Mr. Coyne went on to suggest that the federal government could provide emergency funding for those 300 people who are still homeless. He has been told that federal supports are still in negotiation and asked me to plead that this be fast-tracked so that funds could be released as soon as possible. He felt that the government was asking for all the details of all the damages up front when those details and the total figure would not be known for many months. I will add that the nearby community of Merritt is in a similar position with 800 residents still homeless.
To sum up, small communities such as Princeton and Merritt are suffering, not just from catastrophic floods but from a bureaucracy that is not geared at all to towns of their size, putting a financial burden on their shoulders that they simply cannot bear in this time of great need.
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- Feb/10/22 6:33:44 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate the comments by the hon. member for South Okanagan—West Kootenay.
Our government absolutely recognizes the profound consequences that November's flooding has had on local communities in the member's region. Our thoughts remain with all those who were impacted by this tragic disaster.
Our government is committed to being a strong federal partner in the response and recovery from this event. Since day one, we have been there for British Columbia whenever the province reached out for help. We approved a request for federal assistance from the provincial government on November 17, 2021, the same day that it declared a state of emergency. At the peak of the response, just under 750 Canadian Armed Forces personnel were deployed in British Columbia. The CAF assisted with evacuations, offered logistical support and helped with flood mitigation efforts to protect critical infrastructure and properties.
Our government also announced in the immediate aftermath of this event that we would match every dollar Canadians donated to the Red Cross's British Columbia floods and extreme weather appeal. With provincial support, this meant that every dollar turned into three dollars for the people of British Columbia. Thanks to the generosity of Canadians, by the end of the fundraising period, just under $19 million was raised. I am pleased to inform the member opposite that as of January 17, 2022, the Red Cross has already distributed more than $17 million in evacuation-related emergency financial assistance to more than 7,200 eligible households. Its work will continue in the months ahead.
As communities continue to move toward recovery from this event, our government recognizes that there is significant work to be done to build back in a better, more resilient way. We recognize that there is significant work to do. The Insurance Bureau of Canada has estimated that the insured costs alone from this event are roughly $515 million, the highest of the year.
With the impacts of climate change, extreme weather events in B.C. and across Canada are only going to become more frequent and severe. That is why we have established a joint committee with the Province of British Columbia to move forward on these issues together. Through the committee, our governments will work with indigenous leadership to build back in a way that better protects British Columbians from future climate events, creates cleaner and healthier communities, and supports Canada's efforts in reaching our climate goals.
This committee is chaired by my colleague, the Minister of Emergency Preparedness, and his provincial counterpart, Minister Farnworth. The committee had its first meeting in December, when it laid out some of the key priorities to guide this work going forward. The committee held its second meeting earlier this week, during which members discussed the importance of enhancing capacity and putting more resiliency into our infrastructure and communities. This work will require a collective effort and an integrated approach that will recognize the important work of indigenous partners.
I thank the hon. member again for raising this important issue. Our government remains committed to ensuring the well-being of his constituents and everyone in British Columbia. We will continue to work with all partners as we continue on this path toward recovery.
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- Feb/10/22 6:37:12 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate that response. I would ask the parliamentary secretary, or perhaps his minister, to get in touch with the mayors of Princeton and Merritt to hear their trials and tribulations first-hand.
I would like to broaden the discussion, as the member did, into the future. In my short time as an MP, I have seen serious flooding occur several times in my riding alone. Those floods are happening more often across the country, as he said. Wildfires are happening with increasing frequency and increasing levels of destruction. The heat dome last summer killed hundreds of Canadians.
We have talked in this place about the future cost of climate change and the cost of inaction, but we are living that cost right now. Those costs will not be going down in our lifetime; they will only continue to rise. It is time the government realizes that we must not only fight climate change, but also set aside significant funds for communities large and especially small to protect their—
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- Feb/10/22 6:38:15 p.m.
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The hon. parliamentary secretary.
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- Feb/10/22 6:38:18 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for the important points he is making.
On his first point, I want to assure him that through the disaster financial assistance arrangements, we are working very closely with the Government of British Columbia. We have received an initial assessment from it, and our officials are now reviewing that assessment for supports that would be available.
I agree with the member opposite that climate change is real and that climate change is having a huge impact on our weather patterns. We need to work together, work smarter and work harder to make sure we are building resilient infrastructure. If the member opposite looks at the mandate letter the minister received, he will see there is a very important emphasis being put on the minister by the Prime Minister to build resilient infrastructure so that our communities can sustain these—
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