(Response to question raised by the Honourable Donald Neil Plett on November 24, 2021)

Producers have access to a suite of business risk management (BRM) programs to help them manage significant risks that threaten the viability of their farms and are beyond their capacity to manage. AgriStability, AgriInsurance, and AgriInvest are designed to assist producers deal with their immediate financial needs.

In addition to the BRM suite, the AgriRecovery framework is able to cover the extraordinary costs related to those activities necessary to resume business operations as quickly as possible, or those actions associated with short-term actions necessary to minimize/contain the impacts of the disaster on producers.

British Columbia requested an assessment under the AgriRecovery Framework on November 19, 2021. A federal and provincial task team is assessing the impacts of the flood against the AgriRecovery criteria. This assessment will provide a better understanding of the scope of the disaster, the type and level of extraordinary expenses, and the ultimate impact on producers to ensure producers have the support they require to manage this disaster event.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Leo Housakos on December 1, 2021)

The CRA is committed to ensuring that individuals receive only the benefits to which they are entitled, while protecting the integrity of the COVID-19 support program. In terms of suspicious and ineligible benefit claims, the analysis and review work is still ongoing. Therefore, the CRA is not able to provide the number of suspicious claims related to Canada Emergency Response Benefit or the amounts associated with them.

Dealing with complex suspected cases may require several months of review and verification. In some cases, the CRA asks taxpayers to provide documents and information that will need to be authenticated before it can continue with audits. In other cases, the CRA will identify suspicious transactions and take other preventive measures.

To ensure effective coordination of identity theft prevention, detection and response activities, the CRA works with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center and local police to investigate suspicious incidents.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Dennis Glen Patterson on December 7, 2021)

Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) remains committed to supporting Indigenous communities and organizations with their needs to keep their community members safe during the pandemic. To minimize the burden on Indigenous communities, the Indigenous Community Support Fund has flowed a significant amount of funding via direct allocations. For 2021-22, funding was allocated in two direct allocation payments, on June 2, 2021, and on October 4, 2021, respectively. This funding was flowed directly to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. Urban Indigenous service providers were also provided with critical pandemic supports.

The department is aware that many recipients continue to have COVID-19-related needs and that unspent funding may need to be carried forward into the next fiscal year. In order to enable carry forwards into next fiscal year, ISC confirmed that an extension of the time-limited COVID-19 measures within the Urban Programming for Indigenous Peoples’ authorities, which are currently set to expire on March 31, 2022, would be required. To ensure Indigenous communities can continue to keep their community members safe, particularly as the Omicron variant continues to circulate, ISC is working with central agencies to enable carry forwards into the next fiscal year. We are working to expedite this process.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Colin Deacon on December 8, 2021)

A priority for the Government is to implement a common and secure digital identity platform to support Canadians in many facets of their lives including streamlined access to government services.

The Government has been working with provincial and territorial partners on the pan-Canadian approach to digital identity to accept trusted digital identities issued by other jurisdictions. This cross-jurisdictional effort requires the involvement of many stakeholders and as such this work will include the determination of any required adaptations to legislation, and a formal consultation with Canadian citizens and businesses to drive user-centric design.

In 2019, we updated the policy framework, and in mid-2021 we successfully accepted trusted digital identities issued by British Columbia and Alberta. Now, Albertans and British Columbians, using their provincial trusted digital identity, have immediate and secure access to My Service Canada Account and My CRA Account for Individuals. While progress has been slower given COVID priorities, this project is included in the mandate letter for the President of the Treasury Board, and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat is in the process of developing a work plan to accelerate digital identity and commits to communicating progress on milestones.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Percy Mockler on December 17, 2021)

NRCan is working closely with all provinces and territories to establish cost-shared partnerships, including with the provinces of Atlantic Canada. These partnerships are vital to the success of the 2 Billion Trees program and will lead to long-lasting and positive outcomes. As of December 17, 2021, there are three projects by private organizations, and one grant with a First Nation organization within Atlantic Canada. Many stakeholders, communities and Indigenous organizations within Atlantic Canada have also expressed interest in the 2 Billion Trees program. Additionally, on December 16, 2021, NRCan launched a new Call for Proposals with two streams, a cost-shared tree‑planting stream and a capacity-building stream. NRCan will continue discussions with provinces and territories to establish long-term tree planting agreements to meet shared objectives.

Senator Gold: Thank you for the question. That is correct. I was informed that the matter of provincial and municipal taxes has been of great concern to the Province of Saskatchewan for some time.

Senator Ringuette: I understand that the Province of Saskatchewan is concerned about this, but as a Canadian citizen, I am also concerned about the corporate taxes paid to the federal government.

Canadian Pacific has been paying taxes in Saskatchewan, despite the exemption. Can you tell us whether it has been paying corporate taxes at the federal level as well? If not, why?

The Hon. the Speaker: Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, it is now 3:00 p.m. and pursuant to order adopted for this sitting for Question Period, we will take a short pause while the minister enters the chamber. I will remind honourable senators that debate on this motion will resume at the next sitting of the Senate.

(1500)

The Hon. the Speaker: Is leave granted, honourable senators?

Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos, P.C., M.P., Minister of Health: Senator Galvez, I will get back to you about the more specific and relevant aspects regarding Bill C-28.

However, I can tell you that I very much appreciate your question. It is an excellent one. I appreciate the link you made between people’s physical and mental health, the health of the physical environment, meaning the natural environment that nourishes us and sustains us, the health of the economy — we now know how connected people’s health is to the health of the economy — and the health of our society. The health of our society includes reducing inequality, poverty, vulnerability and marginalization. All this goes hand in hand in a society like Canada, which is always striving to be better. So I commend you, and I thank you for making this important link between all these aspects of health. I promise to get back to you later on Bill C-28.

Hon. Rosa Galvez: Minister Duclos, exposure to toxic substances is a public health issue and an environmental justice issue.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment welcomed Bill C-28, which was introduced last year, but it is calling on the government to do more.

A bill was introduced in the Senate today, Bill S-5, An Act to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, to make related amendments to the Food and Drugs Act and to repeal the Perfluorooctane Sulfonate Virtual Elimination Act. Have you held any further consultations since Bill C-28 was introduced? What improvements can we expect in the new bill? As Minister of Health, what are you doing to address the environmental injustice that disproportionately affects the health of Indigenous peoples and racialized people?

Senator Mégie: Thank you.

[English]

Senator Gold: I’m not sure what stage the dispute is at. I will refer back to my text to be more precise. More recently, Canadian Pacific filed a lawsuit against the relevant governments to reassert its exemption. I don’t have the details of the exact timing of the filing or the steps in this lawsuit.

The Hon. the Speaker: Honourable senators, when shall this bill be read the second time?

(On motion of Senator Jaffer, bill placed on the Orders of the Day for second reading two days hence.)

Hon. Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu: Welcome, minister. I appreciated working with you on reviewing the assistance program for parents of murdered or missing children when you were in another department.

That said, I listened carefully to the answer you gave Senator Plett, and I don’t think you listened closely to the eloquent remarks made by MP Lightbound yesterday or the similar remarks made today by another one of your colleagues, MP Robillard. Two MPs in two days makes for a powerful message to your government.

I’d like to quote something MP Lightbound said that rang true for me: “There are experts, professors, who are saying that it’s time to stop with this approach —”

Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos, P.C., M.P., Minister of Health: Thank you, senator, for this question. Yes, there are indeed important commitments to be made to ensure that the relatively recent legislation around MAID is appropriately brought forward and implemented in the right way. As you have mentioned, there is further parliamentary and expert work needed to pave the way forward, and in respect to the parliamentary committee’s freedom and agenda, I look forward to benefiting from the committee’s work by doing precisely that.

There have been significant advances on that in the last few years, but there is much more to be done in the next few weeks, months and, probably, years for everybody not only to age but also to die in dignity.

Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos, P.C., M.P., Minister of Health: Thank you very much for this excellent question, Senator Gignac. I will give you a three-part answer.

First, as you mentioned, it is important to remember that the provinces and territories and the Government of Canada were working together very closely over the past few months. As a result, Canada came through COVID-19 in much better shape than other countries. Canada’s mortality rate is much lower than that of all other G7 countries, except for Japan. Our economy is bouncing back more quickly than many other economies. The OECD is forecasting that, of the G7 countries, Canada will have the most significant growth by 2023.

That said, there is much work to be done to fix the health care system. We must fix the damage done by the COVID-19 pandemic, the significant delays and cancellations of diagnostic tests, treatments and surgeries. We also have to fix it because we have to keep fighting COVID-19. There will be other variants. COVID-19 is not going away. No legislation or wishful thinking will stop COVID-19 anywhere on the planet over the next few months or even the next few years. We must get our health system ready to fight future waves and future variants. That is why all the work that has been done to this point and that will continue to be done, not to mention all the money, is so important.

Hon. Elizabeth Marshall: Minister, your Bill C-10 is requesting $2.5 billion for expenses for COVID tests. The bill consists of six lines. That’s it, six lines to justify $2.5 billion. Effectively, you’re asking Parliament to sign a blank cheque for $2.5 billion without providing any of the usual information on how the money will be spent.

When you were the Treasury Board minister, your bills always provided substantial financial information on how the money will be spent. Why doesn’t this bill include the usual appendices and other information detailing how the $2.5 billion will be spent?

Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos, P.C., M.P., Minister of Health: Thank you for your question. There are two angles to be considered: first, the federal role and federal use of those tests, and second, the provincial and territorial responsibility for and operations regarding those rapid tests.

Let me first speak to the federal role. We had indeed procured a very large number of those rapid tests in the last year and in the last few weeks in particular. Some of those tests have been used in federal departments, like Correctional Service Canada, Indigenous Services Canada and the Armed Forces, for a long time — since the fall of 2020.

Provinces and territories have been unequal and perhaps slower in their use of and demand for rapid tests for most of 2020 and 2021. That was until the beginning of December when we had to increase fivefold the number of rapid tests we were delivering to them because they were asking for more. So we multiplied by five, therefore, from 7 million on average — that was their request for most of 2021 — to 35 million in December. Multiply it by four again, to 140 million for January. All of those tests had been received by the end of January. The majority of those tests had already been received by provinces and territories prior to the end of January. My understanding is that all of those tests are being delivered now to provinces and territories as we work toward a longer-term path for the use of rapid tests.

Senator Plett: Minister, yesterday your colleague MP Lightbound said:

. . . it’s time to stop dividing Canadians, to stop pitting one part of the population against another. I can’t help but notice with regret that both tone and the policies of my government changed drastically on the eve and during the last election campaign. From a positive and unifying approach, a decision was made to wedge, to divide and to stigmatize.

Your colleague, minister — your own Liberal colleague — said the Trudeau government’s politicization of the pandemic risks undermining the public’s trust in public health institutions. He said this is not a risk we ought to be taking lightly.

There is a difference between being responsive and being responsible, minister. Will your government — and especially the Prime Minister — be responsible and stop driving wedges between Canadians? Will you work to unite us instead of dividing and demonizing Canadians?

Let me briefly mention that in Canada compared to many other countries in the world — certainly compared to our southern neighbour — we have done much better in terms of economic growth and jobs. We have recuperated and surpassed all of the jobs lost during the pandemic. The United States still has a significant deficit in that respect.

We also understand that there is much fatigue, including among members of Parliament. I myself receive tons of messages every day, as well as calls from people who are tired of the situation. However, we are united. Canadians have never been more united. Now that 91% of adults have been vaccinated; 91% of Canadians have made the right choice, which is to protect themselves and to protect those they love by being vaccinated. We know that vaccination is the key to exiting from this crisis, and that’s why we’re so proud of the work of health care workers. We’re so grateful for that work and so proud of the efforts that Canadians have made going through this crisis in support of each other.

[Translation]

Hon. Renée Dupuis: Welcome to the Senate of Canada, minister.

In the mandate letter you received as Minister of Health on December 16, 2021, the Prime Minister wrote:

As Minister of Health, your immediate priority is to help finish the fight against COVID-19, working in close cooperation with provinces and territories.

What’s more, the mandate letter asks that you:

Continue working with the Minister of Public Safety and the Minister of Transport to protect the health and safety of Canadians through safe, responsible and compassionate management of the border with the United States and other ports of entry into Canada.

In an interview with Radio-Canada on January 25, you talked about caring. Minister, can you clarify what you meant by “caring measures” in that interview?

Hon. Wanda Elaine Thomas Bernard: Minister, thank you for being with us today.

The National Council of Youth in Care Advocates and the Child Welfare League of Canada released a report in 2021, which clearly outlines equitable standards in eight pillars of transition to adulthood for youth exiting care. The pillar on health and well‑being states that every young person should be provided with timely, ongoing services that are offered within a trauma‑informed, non-judgmental and harm-reduction approach.

Minister, what is the government doing to ensure this standard, the pillar of health and well-being, is being met?