44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 5, 2022 10:00AM
- May/5/22 2:55:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the recognition that this is Mental Health Week, as we increase awareness coast to coast to coast.
As members know, in 2017 we dedicated $5 billion to this over the next 10 years. We have added $45 million to develop the national standards that would become the strategy. That would then become the transfer. We have to build this bottom up with those who have lived and living experiences.
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- May/5/22 2:56:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the pandemic has affected all of us, and all Canadians, in one way or another. The stress and uncertainty have had a devastating impact on Canadians' mental health. In the spirit of Mental Health Week, the time is long overdue to take action to address the impact the pandemic has had on all Canadians and ensure adequate mental health care for everyone. However, there is absolutely nothing in the budget for this. It is not a small zero or a medium zero, but a big, fat zero. Why is that?
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- May/5/22 2:56:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question. Mental health is an integral part of overall health, and it is a priority for our government. Since 2015, we have made historic investments to support the mental health of Canadians, including $5 billion for the provinces and territories to increase access to mental health services, $598 million for a distinctions-based mental health strategy for indigenous peoples, and $270 million for the Wellness Together portal.
We must do better.
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- May/5/22 2:57:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, just months ago during the election, the Liberal platform made a firm commitment of $4.5 billion over five years for a Canada mental health transfer, very specifically including $250 million in 2021-22 and $625 million in 2022-23. This promise was clearly broken in the budget.
What happened between the election and the budget? It was, of course, the NDP-Liberal agreement to cling to power. As part of that agreement, did the NDP demand that the Liberals break their commitment on mental health in order to fund other NDP priorities?
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- May/5/22 2:58:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his ongoing advocacy, but I think he has it a bit wrong. The effect of the NDP coalition—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- May/5/22 2:58:21 p.m.
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We were doing really well there. Let us have a respectful answer.
The hon. Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.
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- May/5/22 2:58:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the word was “collaboration”.
I want to say that on mental health, we think there is collaboration across the whole of the House, as we go forward with investing the $5 billion that was in the 2017 budget and move forward to the federal transfer eventually, once we have a strategy.
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- May/5/22 2:59:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today we are talking about the 2022 budget, and several things are very clear. During the election, many parties made substantial commitments on mental health. The cornerstone of the Liberal commitment was the Canada mental health transfer, beginning with $250 million for 2021-22. The Liberals made an agreement with the NDP, and many elements of that agreement remain highly secret. Subsequently, the Canada mental health transfer has been shelved.
Canadians deserve to know this: What other Liberal platform commitments have been negotiated away in the deal with the NDP?
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- May/5/22 2:59:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I usually respect the questions from the member, but I find this quite annoying. Everything in mental health and addiction is being built up; there is nothing being traded away. This is a high priority in our government, and I really think that was a despicable question.
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- May/5/22 3:00:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are very concerned by what the The Globe and Mail has revealed about the Canada Revenue Agency. Half the employees of a division responsible for making multinational companies pay their fair share of taxes stated they were victims of bullying last year. The employees felt they were under inappropriate pressure to approve what they saw as a multi-million dollar sweetheart deal for one company.
Bullying in the workplace is always unacceptable. That said, does the minister not see anything wrong with her own employees being bullied to recover less money, rather than more?
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- May/5/22 3:01:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, having been a social worker who worked with victims of violence and bullying, I can say that I strongly condemn any form of bullying. I want to reassure my colleague that all matters have been verified by an independent third party and everything is in order. The Minister of National Revenue cannot interfere in the administration of the CRA.
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- May/5/22 3:01:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know that the minister never gives an answer.
I do not want to call the third-party review into question today, but the agreement was at the very least somewhat contentious. Half the employees said they were victims of bullying. The Canada Revenue Agency is supposed to be the taxpayers' watchdog, but in this case, the dog has turned on the family and is trying to bite.
Is it standard practice at the Canada Revenue Agency to bully companies into approving such controversial requests?
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- May/5/22 3:02:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there should be no problems as I am a good watchdog.
What I can say is that the Bloc Québécois will never serve as the opposition. It should at least try to be well informed, because that is its only job.
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- May/5/22 3:02:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the government's failure to plan has prevented Canadians from being able to access basic government services. People cannot get through by phone or in person to Service Canada. In fact, the delays in passport processing have effectively ground Service Canada locations all across the country to a halt. It has become so dire that some people are charging upwards of $15 an hour to stand in line for people desperate to get an in-person appointment.
The Harper government introduced a 10-year passport. Has the Liberal government decided to introduce a 10-year wait-list?
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- May/5/22 3:03:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I said before in the House, there is unprecedented demand when it comes to accessing passports. We have put a number of initiatives in place to help deal with this. We have a simplified process to replace expired passports. We have opened more client counters in passport offices. We have operated extended hours and used overtime in passport offices and processing and call centres. We have created three additional application processing centres, expanded passport intake in 303 Service Canada centres, hired 500 additional staff, continue to hire and train more and opened 12 offices over the weekend in the busiest centres around the country. We will continue to work really hard to ensure we are serving Canadians.
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- May/5/22 3:04:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, despite all that, the horrors of the out-of-service Service Canada office in Saskatoon continue.
Margaret is 86 years old and the nicest lady you can find. She was struggling to get through on the phone, so she went to the Saskatoon office in person. The staff refused to meet with her for not having booked an online appointment. Our seniors, and indeed all Canadians, deserve better than this.
Does the minister even have an ounce of compassion for Margaret and all the people being mistreated in Saskatoon because of the minister's lack of planning?
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- May/5/22 3:04:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, of course I have compassion for everyone across the country, because there is an unprecedented demand in accessing these services. I was in Saskatoon on Friday, in fact, and visited the Service Canada centre there. I spoke with the employees, who are working around the clock to address this unprecedented demand. They are working evenings, they are working weekends and they are doing everything they can to serve Canadians, but right now there are more Canadians than at any time ever before looking to renew their passports because they want to travel. We are going to do everything we can to serve them as best as possible.
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- May/5/22 3:05:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, a constituent of mine from Kelowna—Lake Country did the right thing. She applied for a passport renewal in person at a passport office and was told by Service Canada staff that doing so two months before travelling was plenty of time. The passports never arrived and she will likely have to cancel her family trip at great cost and disappointment.
Service Canada told MPs that it expects lengthy passport delays. This is another mess from the government.
When will the minister provide clarity to my constituent and Canadians on passport processing?
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- May/5/22 3:06:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I understand that this is a frustrating process for many Canadians, but over the past two years many passports have expired, and with the lifting of restrictions many Canadians want to travel at the same time.
We are doing everything we can, and Service Canada employees are helping them. If there is an urgent request, they should make that known when they arrive at a Service Canada centre. They are ensuring that transfers happen. If there is an issue, they can call the call centre. Of course, MPs have access to a special regional inquiries unit that they can call, and Service Canada will assist as best as possible.
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- May/5/22 3:06:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, early 2022 was fraught with uncertainty for many farmers and they have faced many challenges in planning their operations.
Some of those challenges include increased drought and flooding, as well as outbreaks of livestock diseases, such as the avian flu.
Can the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food tell the House what is being done to help farmers manage these major risks?
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