Senator Gold: To ensure that I give you the right response, I will add this question to the ones you asked me and I will come back to you with the answers as soon as possible.

Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos, P.C., M.P., Minister of Health: I believe I already answered that question earlier, but I can sum up my response again.

First, the commitment was made, and that was the right thing to do.

Second, we are working together with the provinces and territories to do this in the most appropriate way possible.

Third, I don’t set the parliamentary agenda. Parliamentarians do. However, my responsibility is to ensure that all of this is done efficiently and quickly, and I will be there to do that.

(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.