44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 31, 2022 10:00AM
- May/31/22 2:50:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my office has been inundated with emails from constituents feeling frustrated by passport delays. Now we are hearing countless stories about missed trips, extra costs and hour-long wait times. Passport Canada’s website still says that it only takes two weeks to process an application, but we know countless numbers of people who applied back in March who are still being told not to book summer travel. The system is failing.
What is the minister doing to fix these unacceptable delays?
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- May/31/22 2:50:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let me just clarify it for the member. When one reads the website, it is 10-day processing for in-person services at a specialized passport office, and 96% of applicants are getting their passports within less than 10 days when they go to a specialized passport office.
The challenge is in the mail system. As I have explained to this House before, prepandemic 80% of applications happened in person. Now it is the reverse. We are working hard to address this issue, and we will continue to do everything we can to make this process as smooth as possible.
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- May/31/22 2:51:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is quite out of touch for the minister to suggest that people should just wait in line in these overnight lines to get their passports.
I spoke to Janna in my riding, who has two children under five. She cannot bring them with her to wait overnight in line. She applied in March, and her credit card was charged on April 20. She had to cancel a trip that was supposed to take place on June 13, and she still has not received her passport. She has re-booked for the end of June and she is still waiting. She cannot get a response.
What is the minister prepared to do to help Janna and those like her get their passports and not have to cancel their trips a second time?
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- May/31/22 2:52:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would encourage the member of Parliament to reach out to my office. For everyone who has done that, we have been able to ensure their passport is received in time. We are experiencing challenges, but we will continue to do everything we can to address these challenges.
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- May/31/22 2:52:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the wait times for passports are absolutely ludicrous. The situation is out of control. Last week, people went to passport offices with their lawn chairs.
People do not want to vacation at passport offices. They want to go on vacation somewhere in Canada or somewhere else in the world. The solution is very simple. All we need to do is get staff into the passport offices.
What is the government waiting for to get people working in the passport offices again?
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- May/31/22 2:53:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I know it is frustrating for Canadians who, over the past two years, have heeded the government's instructions and stayed home. They want to travel. Around the world, countries like Canada, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden and France, are seeing wait times of 9 to 11 weeks. That kind of thing is happening everywhere.
We are increasing our resources to deal with the situation, but it will go on for some time because of the sheer volume.
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- May/31/22 2:54:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today's Auditor General's report confirms Canadian veterans are still waiting months or even years to access disability benefits and says better data is desperately needed. This has been an issue since 2014, but the government continues to fail Canadian veterans. It is completely unacceptable that veterans are forced to do without the supports and services they need because the government has not fixed the problems. It has been eight years.
What will it take for the minister to finally get Canadian veterans the help they deserve?
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- May/31/22 2:54:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the Auditor General for her work and welcome her four recommendations. Our investment of $340 million has allowed us to hire hundreds of staff and speed up processes. With that, we have reduced the backlog by 50%, from 23,000 down to just over 10,600. We are on the right path and we will continue on that path to make sure veterans receive their appropriate remuneration.
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- May/31/22 2:55:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, veterans need the government to get down that path a lot sooner.
Today, the Auditor General also said that Canadians in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis are not able to access the supports Liberals say are available to them, and made it clear that for these vulnerable Canadians the government does not even have a plan to help. A plan would look like supporting a motion to make profitable oil and gas companies pay their fair share, instead of voting against it. A plan would look like raising the GST rebate and declaring a low-income CERB repayment amnesty, instead of trying to collect debt from the poor.
When will we see a real plan from the government that includes the relief people need to feed their families and keep a roof over their head?
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- May/31/22 2:55:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we welcome and accept the report from the Auditor General today. We have an initiative called “Reaching All Canadians” to try to ensure that Canadians have access to the benefits they are eligible for. We have been working with third party organizations to ensure that those who are eligible for benefits like the Canada child benefit, old age security and the guaranteed income supplement know that they can access them and that they have support in applying.
We will continue to do more, as we know that we want to reach every single Canadian who is eligible. We will keep doing that work.
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- May/31/22 2:56:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know that the skilled trades are at the centre of Canada's economic recovery. That is why this government is investing nearly $1 billion annually to support apprentices. I think of smart investments like the union training and innovation program, which helps kick-start lucrative careers in well-respected trades, including for Canadians from under-represented groups.
Yesterday, I was privileged to have witnessed the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion announce the launch of the new federal apprenticeship service in Halifax. Can the minister please share with the House and all Canadians the importance of this initiative?
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- May/31/22 2:57:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that is an important question. Skilled trade workers are essential to Canada's economy and infrastructure and to our everyday life. To ensure Canadians can seize the opportunities in the trades, we are helping create 25,000 new apprenticeships across Canada. We are investing $247 million to help small and medium-sized businesses hire mechanics, electricians and other apprentices. We are also doubling incentives for employers who hire persons with disabilities, indigenous people and other marginalized Canadians.
We will keep working with unions and business to build a strong, skilled workforce for the future.
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- May/31/22 2:57:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our country's housing crisis is at a critical point. This impacts everyone, including our soldiers. Recently, a senior B.C. officer told soldiers that they should go to Habitat for Humanity for assistance. These are people who are prepared to lay down their lives for our freedom and they are told to go to charity. It is shameful.
When will the government provide adequate housing for our soldiers who are prepared to lay down their lives for our freedoms?
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- May/31/22 2:58:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, military members and their families are our top priority and we are investing $445 million over the coming years to tackle this very important issue that the hon. member raised. In February 2021, we increased military members' rates of pay to ensure alignment with increases received by the federal public service. We also implemented an interim relocation policy to enable remote work options and to facilitate flexibility for members. We have more work to do. We will continue to seek ways to support our members and their families.
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- May/31/22 2:59:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Top Gun: Maverick came out this week, but Canadian military families are not feeling the need for speed when it comes to getting military housing. They have lost that loving feeling. Families of four are being made to sleep in single PMQs. The hard deck for building homes is 6,000 homes needed for military families given the great ball of fire that is also the housing crisis, which is on a highway to the danger zone.
When will the government be a wingman and build homes for Canadian military families?
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- May/31/22 2:59:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in all seriousness, we will continue to support our Canadian Armed Forces personnel posted across the country and their families. For example, the post living differential allowance is intended to help reduce financial burdens for Canadian Armed Forces personnel and their families. To ensure that the PLD allowance effectively supports CAF members and their families and addresses affordability concerns, the Department of National Defence is reviewing the policy as we speak. We will always seek to support the people who serve our country with robust compensation and with a benefits framework that works for everyone.
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- May/31/22 3:00:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the minister needs to look up from her talking points. These are people, men and women, who we have asked to serve our country, at home and abroad, and unbelievably they are being asked to go to Habitat for Humanity for accommodations. The Liberals have failed to provide our troops with equipment that they need. They have failed to protect our troops from sexual misconduct, and now they have failed to ensure our troops have places to live.
This is an absolute disgrace, and the minister needs to answer for it.
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- May/31/22 3:01:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to say that I have military members and their families as my top priority. From day one, as stated in my mandate letter, I have continued to commit to ensuring that our members have the support and resources that they need. That is why we are increasing our defence spending by 70% over a nine-year period beginning in 2017. That is why we committed another $8 billion in defence spending. That is why $6.1 billion of that will go to the needs of the military, and we will keep working on this issue.
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- May/31/22 3:01:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, military personnel sacrifice to serve our country. They knew they would be moved, but they did not expect that they would not be able to afford to live because the government would let them down. There should be some expectation of a similar cost of living when military personnel are posted from base to base. However, that is not the case with the rates of military housing varying widely across the country. The rates at Bagotville are almost double those in Cold Lake. Both are air force bases that are home to our CF-18s.
When will the minister address this housing inequity?
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- May/31/22 3:02:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to put forward a few facts. After significant cuts made by the previous Conservative government, we actually are delivering results for our Canadian Armed Forces members and their families. Tax-free income for members—
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