Parses captions for PM Trudeau's daily speeches and presents them in a more human readable format
Reporter:
[ voice of interpreter ]. good morning, Mr. Trudeau, todayyou are thanking all the farmersand food producers, but the canadian federation of agriculture was asking you for $2.6 billion in assistance because the crisis is really hitting them hard. You’re nowhere near that amount. What do you say to them?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
Well, this is an initial investment. We know that there will certainly need to be more done as the needs increase, and this is money that we are sending out immediately to help our farmers and agricultural producers, and we will continue to work with them to address other needs.
Follow-up?
Reporter:
I’d like you to comment on the short-term projections of health Canada. Once again the number of deaths is higher than what health Canada had expected for now. Why is Canada too optimistic about its results?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
The modelling we have established is there to guide our decisions and help us to prepare for any eventuality. This has never been a prediction of what would happen but rather a general idea of what could happen, and therefore we have been able to adjust as things went on. We saw an adjustment in the curve, but as you say, there is still reason for concern and we will continue to adjust our projections and respond as the reality changes. [ end of interpretation ]. modelling has always been there, not as a crystal ball to tell uswhat was going to happen but to tell us the range of things thatmight happen, depending on our behaviours, depending on measures brought in. That’s why we’ve been constantlyupdating it, constantly moving forward with new measures to make sure we’re doing everythingwe can to make Canadians safe, and we will continue to do just that.
Operator:
Next question, Stephanie Levitt, the Canadian press. Line open.
Reporter:
Good morning, Prime Minister. When you briefed Canadians about the helicopter crash last week, did you know there were eyewitnesss, and why did it take12 hours to confirm that the helicopter had crashed?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
The military has very important protocols in place when there ISS tragic incident like this around informing the next of kin, of talking to the families as quickly as possible before sharing information with the general public. All those protocols were followed.
Follow-up question?
Reporter:
Yeah, as a follow-up, in your remarks you made a point of thanking Minister bibeau with regards to her work on agriculture. There’s been a lot of frustration coming out of that community, that the relatively delayed response to their demands as it compares to, let’ssay more urban concerns, is a direct reflection of the lack ofsupport for your government in the prairie provinces. Can you address that?
We moved forward initially with supports for workers in all industries across the country. With the Canada emergency response benefit, with the wage subsidy, with measures to support small businesses, these are the kinds of things that have had an impact in urban and rural areas. Furthermore, we’ve continued to work with farmers and food producers right across the country to respond to their needs. We have a large and varied country in terms of the challenges being faced in different regions, and we’ve been very diligent about responding to agricultural industry right across the country, including with a significant announcement today that’s going to help people right across the country.
Thank you. Operator, next question.
Operator:
Thank you. Merci. Next question, Steve Scheer, Reuters, line open.
Reporter:
Thank you, Prime Minister, for taking My question. The Canadian federation of agriculture had asked for support for all farms. The announcement today seems targeted to specific sectors. What do you say to producers [indiscernible] vegetable industry, the grain industry, that are also facing [indiscernible].
Prime Minister Trudeau:
Every step of the way in this crisis we’ve been responding in targeted ways to the industries that need our support in as rapid a fashion as we can. The first things we did was put out broad-based support to workers in industries right across the country that could continue to pay the rent, pay their groceries as quickly as possible with the CERB, with nowthe wage subsidy, with other measures to support small businesses, and we’re continuingto do just that. There are certain sectors that are more pressing in their needsfor supports, but like I said, this is only an initial amount of support. We will continue to work with farmers, with stakeholders and industry representatives, with provinces and territories to ensure that food – our food capacity in this country and those people who work so incredibly hard every single dayto feed Canadians get the support that they need through this crisis and beyond.
As a follow-up?
Reporter:
and you say this is an initial amount of funding, but the initial ask from the Canadian federation of agriculture was $2.6 billion. Spring seeding is starting now. Do you have a timeline for when the additional funding you’re saying could come is going to show up?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
We’reresponding to pressing needs in terms of processors, in terms of predictability and support for farmers and for producers. We know that there is more to do, and we will keep working with them to determine exactly how we can best help. We will be there for agricultural producers because they are so important to all Canadians. The hard work they do and the support they give us all needs to be respected, reflected on and sustain ably supported. [ no interpretation ]
Reporter:
[ voice of interpreter ]. yes, good morning, Mr. Trudeau. Many fruit and vegetable producers are worried about the situation because of the lack offoreign temporary workers. Will you provide specific help to them?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
Well, I can say that starting now or up until now we have received almost 90% of foreign temporary workers that we would normally be bringing in at this time of the year. We also recognize that during the harvesting season there will be a need for additional foreign temporary workers and we are currently working with the industry to ensure that we can meet those needs.
Follow-up?
Reporter:
Yes. The facilities like meat packers are areas of major outbreak. Do you intend to shut them down if the situation does not improve?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
The measures that we are announcing today will improve the situation in slaughterhouses and meat packing facilities by further protecting the employees. We know it’s important to protect the employees and ensure that the food supply chain remains in tact, and that’s exactly what we’re doing. [ end of interpretation ].
Reporter:
These companies that run these meat packing plants, they are big multinational organizations, so why is it up to the federal government to make sure that they keep their workers safe?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
We are, of course, supporting the provinces on their initiatives to keep the workers safe. This is something the federal govern met is happy to help with, indeed the responsibility is shared from the owners and operators of the plants to the provincial government, but the federal government is happy to be part of creating solutions in this situation where we’re in an unprecedented crisis. We need to keep people safe, but we also need to ensure a supply of food for Canadians.
Reporter:
and a lot of the workers that work in these plants, they are not just working in cramped conditions, they are living in cramped conditions. is any of this money or is there anything more the government can do to help them – to keep them from spreading workplace but also at home?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
Part of the money that we’re sending to help this industry and these areas is to look at the different ways they can keep their employees and these workers safe. These are things that provinces will have to look at very closely, but the federal government, as always, will be there to support and to make sure that Canadians’ food supply is safe while we keep people safe from COVID-19. [ voice of interpreter ]of course there are shared responsibilities between the owners and operators of these facilities in the province, and the provinces that have control over what happens there as well. But the federal government will certainly be there to help because this is a concern for all of us in terms of ensuring the integrity of the food supplyin Canada, and also ensuring thesafety of the workers and avoiding seeing any progress in the disease.
Reporter:
Can you tell us exactly when that money will be in the pockets of farmers and processors? because we’re hearing that some of those measures are not ready to be implemented, particularly those for dairy producers.
Prime Minister Trudeau:
First of all, I’d like to point out that Minister bi beau has been working very hard on these issues, and she will be at the press conference later on to take specific questions on that. Regarding support for dairy producers, we will be increasing their credit line. This is one that they’ve had for some time, but in order to do that, we will have to pass legislation in the house of commons, so we will be working with all the parties in the house to help our dairy producers.
Reporter:
Now one of the impacts of the crisis would be on the cost of groceries in Canada, and I guess that will be seen in the coming weeks and months. Have you included something to deal with that? is there something the federal government can do to help Canadians and families who may have trouble absorbing those extra costs?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
From the very outset, this government has been there to help Canadians, whether it’s through the Canada emergency response benefit or the wage subsidy or specific measures for communities and charities. We will always respond to the needs of Canadians. We need to keep people safe and healthy. and from the beginning of the crisis, the government has been there and will continue to be. [ end of interpretation ].
Referee:
–
Reporter:
You talked about food waste. Do you have any idea how much food Canadian farmers were forced to throw out and is this announcement already too late when we think about what’s been lost?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
We know we are in a an Prut crisis and we heaved to unprecedented crisis and we have had to respond very quickly. Farmers have had to dispose of surplus production, but at the same time this is a new program we are bringing in around surplus food that will invest $50 million in buying much of that surplus and ensuring that it doesn’t go to waste, it goes to communities and families who actually need support in terms of food security. It is not a perfect situation by any stretch, but we are doing what we can to try and make sure that people are rewarded for their hard work and that others aren’t going hungry. [ voice of interpreter ]from the very beginning we’ve been trying to respond to this unprecedented situation, and we have seen some producers having to destroy some of their products. Now we don’t want to see this kind of waste happening, so we have created a $50 million program which will allow us to pay the producers for their workwhile ensuring the food securityof all people in Canada, including the most vulnerable. [ end of interpretation ]. – food exporters in the world. How bad is our backlog to get the food out and what is the help from the federal governmentcoming to help the farmers plan accordingly?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
We have seen significant disruptions in global supply chains. We are working very hard to continue to maintain supply chains to our major markets, particularly the United States, but also others around the world, because food security is a preoccupation for everyone, and Canada is an important part of the solution. We need to make sure we’re doing the best we can. We also need to make sure we have enough food for Canadians as well, but we are confident that our extraordinary, hard-working farmers and producers in the agricultural industry will be up to the task, and we will be there to support them every step of the way.
Reporter:
Prime Minister, earlier you said that your government was working with farmers and stakeholders to findlong-term solutions for labour shortages for fruit and vegetable producers. I’m wondering if you can just elaborate on what options you’relooking at to address those labour shortages.
Prime Minister Trudeau:
We recognize that there is a need for extra help when it comes to harvesting fruits and vegetables in the coming months. That’s why Minister bibeau, who will be at the press conference at noon, will be able to answer your questions on what exactly we’re looking at in terms of ensuring that producers have the support they need.
Reporter:
If I could switch gears a little bit, you’re announcing money today for the agricultural sector. The airline industry is saying they will not be able to get through the financial challenges of COVID-19 without some sort of government assistance, and I’m wondering when there is an announcement expected on this and if it will come with any conditions.
Prime Minister Trudeau:
First of all, I want to highlight how pleased we are that a number of airlines have taken on the wage subsidy, the ability to rehire hard-working Canadians who haven’t been able to work because flights have been so massively reduced is a good thing for their families, good thing for their communities and a good thing for the industry as well, to ensure that people who work in the airline industry will continue to be connected tothose jobs that will come back once this pandemic is through. At the same time, as I said yesterday, we are looking at more specific sectoral supports for industries in areas that areparticularly hard hit because ofcovid-19. I think of the tourism sector. We think of the energy sector. We think of the airline industry. We are working very closely withexperts and industry representatives to see what kindof supports we can do to ensure that the systems and the economythat we had that was flourishingbefore this pandemic will continue to do well for all Canadians for the coming years. [ voice of interpreter ]first of all, we’re very pleased that the airline industry has chosen to take advantage of the wage subsidy because that will allow people that work in that industry to keep their jobs and get back to work quickly once the crisis has ended. At the same time, we recognize that certain industries will need additional support. We are now working with experts and with industry to see exactly how we can support them so that our economy that was very healthy before this crisis will also return to its former state of health, perhaps with the same structures or even better structures as before. [ no interpretation ][ end of interpretation ].
THANK YOU. I IMAGINE THAT I’M ON THE RIGHT CHANNEL. MY APOLOGIES, MR. CHAIRMAN, AND MY APOLOGIES ALSO FOR NOT WEARING THE APPROPRIATE HEADSET. I WAS TRAVELLING AND I DID NOT HAVE IT WITH ME. FOR SEVERAL DAYS NOW THERE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN PEOPLE OF THE BLOC QUÉBÉCOIS AND THE GOVERNMENT TO FIND A WAY THROUGHCOLLABORATION TO HELP SENIORS INQUEBEC AND CANADA. THE TRUST OF OUR PROPOSALS HAVE BEEN – THRUST OF OUR PROPOSALS HAVE BEEN TO TEMPORARILY INCREASE OLD AGE SECURITY, AND IHATE THE TITLE OF THAT, BUT I THINK IT SHOULD HAVE THE WORD “SENIORS” IN IT, BUT REGARDLESS, WE’D LIKE IT INCREASED BY ABOUT $25 A WEEK. THAT’S $100 A MONTH, AND WE’VE BEEN HAVING THESE DISCUSSIONS FOR A WHILE. IT WAS A PROPOSAL THAT WE PUT FORWARD VERY EARLY ON, AND WE’D LIKE THIS TO BE APPROVED. NOW PARLIAMENT STOPPED SITTING IN MARCH. HERE WE ARE IN MAY, AND SENIORS STILL HAVE NOTHING. THEY THEMSELVES ARE GETTING IMPATIENT, AND WE’VE SPENT A GOOD PART OF OUR DAYS RESPONDINGTO THEIR CONCERNS, AND YOU KNOW, WHAT I’VE BEEN THINKING IS IT’S NOT UP TO ME TO ANSWER TO SENIORS. IT’S UP TO THE PRIME MINISTER, AND THE QUESTION TO THE PRIME MINISTER IS THIS:
What are you doing in terms of a solution that will help seniors’ buying power in Quebec and in Canada in the short term?
The right honourable the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Trudeau:
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Obviously seniors need our support and they need access to services throughout this pandemic. We have taken steps for income replacement, for those workers, essential workers who have lost their jobs, but we are also looking at several measures, including measures for seniors. The most vulnerable seniors will be seeing the gist refunded, for example. We have also reduced by 20% the minimum amount that they can withdraw from their rrifs, and we have also provided $9 million to help the most vulnerable seniors, but I do acknowledge that there is much more that can be done, and that is why we are working with other MPs, including the members of the bloc quÉbÉcois, to respond to those concerns and to find the best ways to help seniors, yes, in the short term, because seniors are facing issues regarding their physical safety, their health due to the pandemic, and also due to their financial security. We will have more to say in the coming days.
Mr. Blanchet.
The Prime Minister has said over the past few hours that he may require the collaboration of other parties, including the bloc quÉbÉcois, on another issue, and we are open to all discussions. However, when we ask for something, we want to see that same openness on their side. Now the cost of groceries has increased for everyone, and it has increased for seniors above 65 years old, and their old age security is much less than, for example, what students are getting. It’s much less than the – than CERB, and so what I AM seeing is seniors in My riding, seniors throughout the country, who want to know why they are not gettinganything. They want to know when they’ll receive something, and I want to be able to answer their questions. What would the Prime Minister suggest I say?
The right honourable the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Trudeau:
We will be making announcements in the coming days to help seniors, especially those who are most vulnerable. We acknowledge that groceries are increasing in cost for everyone, and that’s why we need to do more for seniors. We acknowledge that whether it be in the long-term care centresor whether it be other seniors throughout the country, that seniors have been dealing with horrific circumstances. There are isolated seniors. There are seniors who are worried, worried about getting sick, without being able to see their grandchildren or their children. and so we must be there for them. They are a generation that fought for us, fought for us in the second world war, and now wemust fight for them, fight for them in their homes, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. [ end of interpretation ].
We’ll go on to the next question. Ms. Collins.
Hello, Mr. Speaker. Every day I hear from people who are struggling to pay their bills, to keep a roof over theirhead, and instead of making sure that Canadians get the help that they need, this government has created complicated programs that are still letting people fall through the cracks. If the Prime Minister won’t commit to a universal benefit, will he at least commit to removing the restrictive eligibility criteria that is leaving the most vulnerable people behind?
The honourable Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Trudeau:
We knew when this pandemic hit that we needed to help Canadians who were suffering from coast to coast to coast, particularly the most vulnerable. That is why we moved forward rapidly with the Canada emergency response benefit that has helped over 7 million individual Canadians, has made huge difference. We had to move very quickly to get this money out to people, and that is exactly what we did. We also recognized that there were – there was going to be –need to be more to do, and that’s why since that moment we have continually worked on –
Mr. Speaker –
Prime Minister Trudeau:
– reaching out to the most vulnerable and –
Mr. Speaker, the government keeps –
Prime Minister Trudeau:
– targeted approaches was what wasneeded.
Mr. Speaker, the government –
Ms. Collins?
Mr. Speaker, the government continues to leave people behind, and I spoke to a woman in My riding who she was homeless last year, she recently found a job and a place the live, but because she didn’t make $5, 000 last year, when the pandemic hit, she doesn’t qualify for any benefits, and she doesn’t qualify, but she is one of the people who needs it the most. and I’m wondering why the Prime Minister doesn’t think she deserves our support.
The right honourable Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Trudeau:
Our focus throughout this crisis has been on helping the most vulnerable, on targeted measures that will lift Canadians out of poverty, that will support them. Over the past five years we’ve lifted over a million people out of poverty in this country, and we’ve continued to put the most vulnerable at the heart of everything we’re doing. We will continue to. We’ve put significant investments forward to charitable organizations and foundations that are helping the most vulnerable. At the same time, we will continue to look for more ways to help even more than the 7 million Canadians who will receive the CERB. We recognize there’s more to do, and we will continue trying to do everything we can in this unprecedented situation.
Ms. Collins.
Mr. Speaker, this government is weirdly committed to eligibility criteria that results in regular people not getting the support that they need. But not so committed to criteria for corporations and billionaires who get our help. So if a company is cheating the public using offshore tax havens to not pay their fair share, they should not be eligible for government bailouts or benefits. Other countries, like Poland anddenmark and France, have made this commitment, and if they can do it, so can we. The Prime Minister said one thing one day and another the next. So will he commit now that if the company has money in offshore tax havens that they will not receive public funds?
The right honourable Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Trudeau:
The measures we put forward are focused on helping workers who lose their jobs, regardless of the companies they work for. It is a shame to hear the NDP that used to be the party of workers choosing to judge workers by which multinational they work for. We have moved forward with a wage subsidy that the employers are obliged to pass every single penny on to the workers. That is not help for the companies. That is help for the workers, and that has been our focus all the way through. Ordinary Canadians who need support because they are unable to work because of COVID-19. That has been our priority, that is what Canadians need right now.
Mr. Speaker, I have one last question. I take that as a no.
Prime Minister Trudeau:
– fight against tax avoidance and tax evasion. We –
Mr. Speaker, could I ask My last question?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
We will continue to do that.
Point of order.
I’m just going to pause the time for a moment, and I want to remind the honourable members that we’re trying to stay within committee rules, which state that the length of the question and the length of an answer should be approximately the same amount of time, and I just want to remind our members of that. I’ll just move on to – I go back to ms. Collins. She has about 45 seconds left, and hopefully that’s about half and half for the question and the answer. Ms. Collins.
Thanks so much, Mr. Speaker. My last question is about housing and homelessness, and my community was facing a crisis long before the pandemic hit, and now people who are living on the streets or in parks don’t have the luxury of following public health advice and just staying home. and in Victoria, the province, and the municipality have stepped up with solutions to house people, at least for the short term in local hotels. Will the federal government respond to this immediate crisis and provide the needed investments in long-term stable housing?
The right honourable Prime Minister, in 25 seconds or less, please.
Prime Minister Trudeau:
Yes, Mr. Speaker, we have moved forward with a historic national housing strategy that puts $40 billion towards housing, working with partners we have reduced poverty by over a million people in this country, but there is more to do. We are reducing homelessness by half with historic investments, and we recognize that during this pandemic there’s even more to do for vulnerable Canadians, and we are partnering with orders of government to make sure that happens. [ voice of interpreter ]
Point of privilege or point of order.
Yes.
I’m afraid I don’t hear the french interpretation of the Prime Minister.
I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear what you said.
I would just like this to be checked because I wasn’t able to hear the french interpretation of the Prime Minister when he was speaking English.
All right, I’ll ask for that to be checked.
Merci. [ end of interpretation ].
I’m sorry?
Prime Minister Trudeau:
I can try speaking English. I believe I was on the English tab, as is important. Are you hearing the translation now?
That is exactly what the issue was. I just want to point that out to all the members. I’m speaking English right now and I’m on the English button orenglish toggle at the bottom of the screen. It does create a bit of a disjointed when we’re speaking, but it’s the way to get around so that we do have interpretation that actually works for everyone. The next question will go to the leader of the opposition, Mr. Scheer.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and as this is our first opportunity to meet in anyform, I wanted to take this opportunity to express My condolences to the family of the brave men and women who lost their lives in the helicopter crash. I know I speak for all parliamentarians when I extend our sympathies to their families, loved ones. Mr. Speaker, I want to raise with the Prime Minister an issue that I raised several times before, and that is a gap in the wage subsidy program. There is a company in My riding that employs thousands of people across the country. Last year they acquired another company. Both companies separately would qualify for the wage subsidy, but because the rules the government designed, together they do not. So even though collectively they have experienced a massive drop in revenue and would otherwise be eligible, so far they have been able to get confirmation that they will be able to access the program. and as a result, thousands of jobs are threatened. Will the Prime Minister be able to deliver some good news to the people who work for Brant tractor all across the country?
The right honourable Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Trudeau:
I thank the honourable member for his question and his advocacy for both his community and businesses in his riding. As I told him when we spoke directly, finance officials have been directly in contact with the company in his riding. We recognize there are particular elements in regard to this company that are challenging around applications for the wage subsidy. But I know finance officials are working very hard to try and make sure that everyone who needs the subsidy gets it so that the workers in his community can get the support they need.
Mr. Scheer.
The Prime Minister knows there are many companies across the country that fall into this category as well, so we’re hoping for some good news. Despite the time and date, it is well into may now, and important decisions have to be made in the very short order. There are other aspects of the government’s plans to help get people through this crisis that are also causing people to fall through the cracks. The plan to help businesses with rents only applies after a business has lost 70% of their revenue. As provinces start to open up, many companies are going to be faced with the very difficult decision of operating at, perhaps, 35%, 45% of regular revenues, so they will not be able to access these programs, and in many cases there’s going to be a disincentive to reopen and put people back to work. So will the Prime Minister amend these programs to provide for more flexibility so that more and more Canadians can start to return to work in the weeks ahead?
The right honourable Prime Minister.
Prime Minister Trudeau:
Mr. Speaker, we are in an unprecedented crisis, and we had to move quickly to support workers, to support families across the country, and that’s exactly what we did, and we’re going to continue to work to try and respond to the reality that people and businesses are facing right across the country. I AM eager to be faced with the challenge of how to ease off in these measures so that people can get back to work. We are getting closer to that point, but we are not there yet. We are still focused very much on giving the support to worker sand to families that are so necessary in this time of crisis, and as different provinces move forward towards reopening, as we look at different paths forward, I know I would be able to count on all members in this house and indeedcanadians from coast to coast to coast to figure out together what the best way to move forward on keeping us safe and restoring economic activity in the right way will be, and that will be good to work on together once we get there.
We have about a minute left, maybe 30 second question and 30 second answer. Mr. Scheer?
Mr. Speaker, no one is disputing the need to move quickly. We are now in May, though, and these programs have been announced for weeks Canadians have been accessing them, and the problems with them have been flagged for the government for weeks as well. We’re also going to see an additional challenge for people who are receiving the emergency response benefit who may have the option to go back to work and work some hours. They are faced with a hard cap of $1, 000 a month before they lose the CERB. Conservatives are proposing a progressive system, a more flexible system, where people will be able to earn more without losing their benefits as businesses ramp up but before normal working hours are restored. So again, will the Prime Minister put in, build in some flexibility to lift the restrictive ceiling on what people can earn before losing the benefits so that it always pays more to work?
I believe the timer is telling all of us that it’s not – the time is um – up, but I’ll give the prime minister about 30 seconds to answer that, please.
Prime Minister Trudeau:
Thankyou. Our government is giving support to Canadians right across the country with many measures. That has been our priority, and that is what we have worked on. I hear the concerns that the conservative party has around disincentives. We are going to work with communities and with industry as we look to reopen to make sure that people have opportunities to work and are not penalized for it. But our overarching priority was allowing Canadians to be confident in their ability to stay home and care for their loved ones and buy groceries and pay their rent so we could keep safe during this pandemic. That’s exactly what we did.
We will move on to ms. Glad now.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, seniors in My riding are struggling, and we’veheard the Prime Minister admit that their fixed incomes, some of them are down and rent is increasing and the price of groceries is increasing. He’s been saying for weeks that in the coming days something would be announced for seniors, and the fact is they ran on an election promise to increase the old age security. and so which of the days in the coming weeks will they keep their promise to seniors?
The honourable Minister. The honourable Minister may have their mute on. Please check.
Oh, I double clicked. My apologies. So let’s start again. Sorry about that. After a lifetime of hard work, of course, Canadians deserve peace of mind when it comes to their retirement security. COVID-19 is definitely having a disproportionate impact on seniors. They have a greater need for services and supports. Happily, their pensions and their benefits are still flowing, unlike so many of those that have lost their jobs, but it’s still tough. We have introduced measures in the beginning of April people received a gist credit, supplementary payment that was $400 on average for single seniors and $600 for couples. So that was a significant help.
Point of order, Mr. Speaker.
We have a point of order coming from ms. Gladu.
Yes, I think, Mr. Speaker, that you had reminded us as members that the amount of time for the answer should be similar for the amount of time for the question, so I would just ask the Minister to keep to that, and if I could go on to My second question.
We’ll go on to the second question, and that is something I want to remind all the honourable members, to keep their answers as concise as possible – or their answers, as well as their questions, as concise as possible. Ms. Gladu.
Very good. My riding is on the border of Canada and the United States, and we see a number of inconsistencies in what is considered essential travel in the United States and the interpretation of different cbsaagents. So while we have americaning coming over to buy cheaper prescription medications and to fish, we have individuals in My riding who are trying to get auditors over so that they can be approved for export businesses being declined. We have people who have purchased masks from Canadian producers for their boats that are being disallowed. People trying to sell plasma into the United States being denied. and so My question for the Minister is when will they clarify the rules to the CBS agents so that essential travel and trade and commerce, including individual commerce, is understood?
The honourable Minister.
Thank you very much for the question. Mr. Speaker, we have implemented very rigorous rules that have been well documented and understood by CBS to stop all non-essential travel, and those measures have been very successful. We have seen a reduction of travel coming into Canada, and at the same time we recognize the importance of maintaining essential supply routes so that goods and services could reach Canada, that we would put groceries on our shelf, and we also recognize the important work that essential workers do on both sides of the border. We have provided cbsa with clarification and their interpretation of those rules has been broadly consistent, andi know that I’ve heard from a number of our colleagues in caucus with concerns about individual cases, and when we receive those inquiries, we follow up immediately, and I want to assure the member we will continue to do that. But the work that we are doing to stop non-essential travel hasbeen important for the health and safety of Canadians, and we’re going to continue with that work.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My next question has to do with full proprietor businesses. We see many of them that are not eligible for any of the benefit packages that have been rolled out, ei, CERB, the wage subsidy, ET cetera, and so what is the government going to do to address full proprietors that are currently following through the cracks?
The honourable Minister.
Well, thank you for the question. and first let me say that we absolutely recognize that there are businesses across the country of all sizes that are finding this to be extremely difficult. The intent of the measures that we put forward is obviously not only to give individuals a bridge but to give businesses a bridge, and we are looking at ways that we can ensure that thecanada emergency business account has the broadest possible application. More than 5, 000 businesses have already been approved for these loans representing over $20 billion, and we are looking at ways that we can consider that eligibility process, recognizes that we need to make sure the program continues to have its desired impact and we’ll have more to say on that. Thank you.
Now the next question will go to Mr. Arnold.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and this is My first appearance on these, so I hope you can hear meokay.
We can hear you fine. Please proceed.
Okay. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s good to see everyone’s faces. Mr. Speaker, on April 3 the fisheries Minister said opening dates would be determined by harvesters. Since then, the Minister overruled the will of harvesters in Prince Edward Island and in the gulf who voted to start their seasons on time. She has allowed harvesters from her own riding to proceed with their seasons as scheduled, giving them access to markets weeks before their competitors. This double standard is severelyunfair, and Atlantic harvesters are furious, as was demonstrated during a protest on the can so causeway yesterday. When will the Minister stop abusing her position and start respecting fish harvesters by opening up lobster fishes areas 23, 24 and 26?
The honourable Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I’d like to thank My honourable colleague for the question. Mr. Speaker, we’re making decisions an when seasons are open. There are a number of factors taken into account. They are complex decisions that take into account what is necessary for processors to be ready for the season, what is necessary for harvesters to be ready for the season as well as socio-economic impacts on the area. We are looking at all of those measures when we make these decisions. We do not make them lightly. They are difficult decisions to make, and the decisions we have made around the gulf, one of themain things we heard from all ofthose areas is it was very important for them to start ant same date. That is why the decision was made to start on may 15. We are looking forward to seeingthe harvesters out on the water. We are looking forward to the product that they bring in, and we will continue to do everything we can to support theindustry. Thank you very much.
Excuse me, madam Minister, no, the honourable Minister had another 15 seconds coming to her. I’d like to remind the honourable members not to interrupt the person while they are speaking. I’ll do My best to try to keep it about level. Maybe what I’ll start doing is muting if it’s necessary, but interrupting is not going to solve anything. Mr. Arnold, I’ll let you continue. You have 3 minutes and 9 secondsleft.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. West coast fishing tourism is a key economic driver in British Columbia, especially in coastal communities. Yet the public fishery gets no respect from this government. Last year the public fishery was weakened by restrictions based on ideology and not science. a year later and the fisheries Minister refuses to discuss viable science-based solutions to conservative British Columbia’s public fisheries. Does the Minister and her government have a will and a plan to support Canada’s west coast fisheries and the communities they sustain?
The honourable Minister, in 30 seconds, please.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the fishery is important in every coastal community. I recognize the value that it has on our economy, as well as what it means to our coastal communities. That’s why we continue to work with those communities and with the fisheries to make sure that we’re doing everything we possibly can to support them. During these extremely difficulttimes, we’re working on measures with the fishery in British Columbia as well as on the Atlantic coast and the eastern Quebec to make sure we’re delivering for them and making sure that all of the issues that they are having are being addressed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Arnold.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Canada’s seniors, especially those on basic incomes, are being hard hit by the COVID-19 crisis. and as they face new rising costs and scarcity of services, seniors require adequate kifr supports, freedom to access their savings. Why has this government failed to recognize the increasing challenges that seniors are facing and will the government support Canada’s senior citizens?
The honourable Minister, in 30 seconds or less, please.
Thank you. I want to thank My honourable colleague for that question, and just want to assure him that the government has been focused on seniors during this challenging time. We have provided a gist credit supplement of $400 for single seniors and $600 for couples from low and modest-income seniors. We have also ensured that the Canada emergency response benefit is there for seniors that have lost income due to COVID-19. and so we’ve made them eligible –
We’ll go back to Mr. Arnold. Mr. Arnold, you have a minute. Hopefully a 30 second question and a 30 second answer.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On April 23 My colleagues and I called on the government to create a program that would match students seeking employment with employers in Canada’s essential food supply chains. What has the government done to match students and other Canadians seeking employment with employers in the agriculture and agri-food sectors, including those in the fish and seafood sector?
The honourable Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I apologize for the delay. Mr. Speaker, we’re doing all we can to make sure that we create using our existing employment programs, opportunities for students to work and get work experience this summer. We know, though, that this is going to be really tough, especially in areas like agriculture. So we have dedicated streams for agriculture sector employers to access students with help from the government, and a number of different initiatives, includingcanada summer jobs, which I’m really excited to see the results of in the coming days. Thank you.
Now we’ll go on to the next question from ms. Harder.
Point of order, Mr. Chair.
Ms. Remple, you have a point of order?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. With Mr. Arnold, it’s the second time I note you’ve threatened to cut off a conservative microphone. I’m just wondering, given that this isn’t the house of commons and it’s structured as a committee, what standing order would give you the right to cut off a member of parliament using mute button? it seems a little addictorial. I’m just wondering if you could clarify that based on a standingorder.
I don’t think I threatened to use a mute, but thank you for bringing that up. I’m trying to keep the rules where the questions and the answers so there’s no interruptions on either side areequal, and that’s what we’re going to continue. I didn’t use the mute. I did it verbally, and I think that’s a little more civil way of doing it. I hope you approve. I’m not asking you to comment onthat. We’ll go over to ms. Harder. Thank you.
Point of order, Mr. Chair. You actually – to me last week and Mr. Arnold, you actually did suggest that you were going to use the mute button.
I believe if we take the – believe if we take everything out and go over them, bring the papers with the actual verbiage on it where I threatened and we’ll go over it, but I don’t think this is the venue to do that if you want to bring forward a point of order. I’m all in favour –
Well, it is. I AM bringing forward a point oforder.
Very good. We’ll look into it and get back to you.
I’m asking you to clarify –
We’ll go on to ms. Harder. Ms. Harder? your microphone, are you on mute?
Thank you.
There we go.
Canadians have out rightly expressed outrage and disappointment with the government’s initiative to put gun ban in place. I’m wondering if the Minister stands by his comment that these changes would have prevented the tragedy in Nova Scotia.
The honourable Minister, in 15 seconds or less, please.
We have heard from health professionals, women’s rights organizations, victims’ groups, and the police and our unions all very supportive of the government’s measure to ban weapons that have no place in civil society and were designed to kill people.
Ms. Harder?
It’s interesting that the Minister is misleading Canadians in that comment, because the chief of police, the association for the chiefs of police have said that a gun ban will do nothing of the sort, that it actually will not protect Canadians, so I’d be curious, how many criminals will see guns seized because of the changes that have been implemented by the liberal government?
The honourable Minister.
Yeah, let’s actually quote what the police have said. The Ontario association of chiefs of police say they support a prohibition on all military-designed assault rifles. The chief in toronto said takingmilitary assault rifles off streets contributes to public safety, and the canadian association of police chiefs hasdeclared that military assault rifles are produced for the solepurpose of killing people in large numbers, and they urge successive governments to enact the legislation to ban all military assault rifles.
Ms. Harder.
So the answer to that question is zero, absolutely no criminals will see their guns seized based on the liberals’ legislation that’s coming forward. Because it actually goes after those who legally own and use their firearms. Can the Prime Minister please tell us why he decided to go after law-abiding citizens instead of going after criminalswho have gotten their firearms in an illegal manner and then used them to commit crime?
The honourable Minister, in 25 seconds or less, please.
Yes, to be very clear, the order-in-council actually is targeted at weapons, weapons that were designed for military use, and in their design and in their intent, to kill people, they have actually been used in this country, at École polytechnique, in moncton, at a Quebec city mosque, in fredericton, at mayerthorpe, andmost recently in Nova Scotia. These weapons have no place. They are being used and have been used in Canada and around the world to commit mass murder, and in the interest of public safety, that the –
Mr. Chair?
We’ll go on to ms. Harder.
Thank you. Now I understand –