Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, of course Canadians want to get back to normal after two years of a pandemic. We understand that. However, we have to kick-start all parts of the Government of Canada. We are adding more staff and extending working hours to ensure that we are meeting this increased demand. We understand that Canadians are frustrated. We will be there for them and make the changes required to ensure th…
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Mr. Speaker, we appreciate the Bloc Québécois's interest in Canadian passports. I understand that Canadians across the country are frustrated about the wait times for getting their passports. We understand that Canadians want to travel again, after following guidelines and staying home for two years. Demand is very high, and we are responding. We have already hired 600 additional people and are hi…
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Mr. Speaker, we understand that there is an unprecedented demand to travel after these two years of the pandemic. We are retooling and redoing processes so that we can absolutely serve Canadians as necessary. However, what we are not doing on this side of the House is pretending that there was no pandemic, pretending that it did not have an impact on a whole wide range of industries. We are taking…
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Mr. Speaker, this government is putting Canadians first, and we are always putting Canadians first. In fact, in that member's province of Manitoba, we signed an early learning and child care agreement whereby families, on average, are going to save $2,600 a year. That is real money in the pockets of families, and that is in addition to the Canada child benefit, which could provide families with ch…
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, I take issue with the member's question, because let us be clear that when people are working from home they are still working. The first point is that the numbers she is quoting are for the entire 29,000-person Service Canada workforce. When it comes to people who are in-person and in-office Service Canada passport officers, almost 90% of them are back in the office. Th…
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Mr. Speaker, I feel the Conservatives need to understand that throughout the pandemic people in the private sector and the public sector worked from home, and they were working. The vast majority of Canadians who were working from home were working very hard, and Conservatives owe those employees an apology. When it comes to the fees, those should be waived. That has been the directive. I will rei…
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Mr. Speaker, I understand Canadians' frustration, but the Conservatives misunderstand. They are not talking about the same people. Service Canada has nearly 30,000 employees nationwide and provides various services. The people meeting the needs with respect to passports, including the need for in‑person service at Service Canada, are already back at work. It is a question of volume. We can process…
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Mr. Speaker, as I have mentioned several times in the House, there is an unprecedented number of passport applications. People can go to a passport office 45 days before travelling. I am checking with Service Canada to see how it is responding to this directive on the ground. We will reassure Canadians and ensure that the right information is posted on the website. We will continue to ensure that …
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Mr. Speaker, I understand that this is a frustrating situation for Canadians in Quebec and across the country. We are responding to it. We know that after two years of restrictions, Canadians want to travel. We have hired more than 600 people and we are in the process of hiring 600 more. Service Canada employees are working days, evenings and weekends. We will try to do our best because Canadians …
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Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is committed to giving families more money to help with the high cost of raising their kids and to making a real difference in the lives of our children. That is why, in 2016, the government introduced the Canada child benefit to provide increased support for low- to middle-income families with children. The Canada child benefit is tax-free and based on income…
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Mr. Speaker, as I have explained to this House before, we are experiencing unprecedented volumes when it comes to passports. It is important for us to share this information with Canadians so that they can plan accordingly. We know that this is frustrating and that this is stressful for them, but ensuring that we provide transparent information is important. When it comes to international comparis…
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Mr. Speaker, an agreement could not be reached under the provisions of Standing Order 78(1) or 78(2) with respect to the report stage and third reading stage of Bill C-5, an act to amend the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Under the provisions of Standing Order 78(3), I give notice that a minister of the Crown will propose at the next sitting a motion to allot a specific…
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Mr. Speaker, let me start by thanking the member for Whitby, who is the hardest-working member in this House when it comes to social finance. Social purpose organizations like charities and non-profits play a key role in addressing complex social and environmental issues. They are more important than ever, as many of these issues have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. That is why we launc…
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Madam Speaker, I listened carefully to the member's speech and I found it quite concerning that he was disparaging a Canada-wide early learning and child care agreement that the Alberta government signed on to, with $4 billion going to Alberta families. Those in registered child care have actually seen a 50% reduction in fees since January. He talked about the importance of building new spaces and…
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Mr. Speaker, as I have said in the House before, we are seeing an unprecedented increase in the number of passport applications. Nevertheless, people should not have to pay to have their application processed more quickly if it occurs outside normal service hours. Also, a dozen offices are open almost every Saturday to ensure that we can respond to urgent requests.
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Mr. Speaker, as I said, those fees should not apply if the passport is not delivered within the normal 20-day period. I will raise the matter with Service Canada again. I know Service Canada employees are working extremely hard, including evenings and weekends, to serve Canadians. They are there, and we will do everything in our power to make sure Canadians receive their passports before travellin…
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Mr. Speaker, it is really reassuring to hear the Bloc talk about Canadian passports. We are in the process of hiring more employees. Since January, 600 employees have been hired. We are now hiring another 600, and 600 Service Canada employees are being redeployed to ensure that we can better respond to Canadians' needs. We will continue to change the process because we know that it is important fo…
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Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that in his province of New Brunswick, we have now reduced child care fees by 50%. In fact, that leaves hundreds of dollars each month in the pockets of the mothers he is talking about. When it comes to the Canada child benefit, for a single mom, that could mean almost $7,000 a year. That is real money for families that need it when it comes to the high cost…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for the question. As we know, this is an unprecedented time, when many Canadians want to travel at the same time. Many passports expired over the past two years, and we are in the process of ensuring that Canadians can travel because we know that is what they want to do. As I have already mentioned in the House, many offices across the country are open in the…
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Mr. Speaker, when it comes to kids and families, our government has been there every step of the way. In 2015, we introduced the Canada child benefit, lifting 300,000 Canadians families out of poverty. In fact, in the member's riding of Brantford—Brant, families that have children in child care will soon be receiving a 25% reduction in fees, and by the end of this year, that fee will be reduced by…
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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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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 happen…
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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 suppleme…
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Mr. Speaker, we have acknowledged from the beginning that this is a challenge. These volumes are unprecedented. There are passports that are up for renewal this year, as well as from the past two years, plus additional passports for people who have never requested them before. Unlike the Conservatives, if constituents have a challenge and need support for an urgent passport, they should please con…
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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 th…
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Mr. Speaker, around the world people are looking to travel after being home for two years. This is something that is not just happening in Canada. In fact, when we look at passport-processing times in other countries, we see that in the United States, for example, it is nine to 11 weeks. When we look at the U.K., it is a minimum of 10 weeks. When we look at Sweden, it is actually 27.5 weeks before…
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Madam Speaker, as I said, we recognize that Canadians are experiencing frustration right now with the incredible surge in demand when it comes to passports. We are experiencing unprecedented demand, the likes of which we have not seen since 2006, because over the past two years Canadians followed public health advice. They stayed home and did their part to keep themselves and their loved ones safe…
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Madam Speaker, as I said last week, that is correct. No Canadian should be paying extra fees if they have submitted all the correct documents and everything is in order with their application, and if their application is not processed within the processing times. If that is in fact the case, there is a refund process. I would be happy to follow up with the member opposite to share with him how he …
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question. We understand Canadians' frustrations at this time. We have been receiving an unprecedented number of passport applications, and we are responding. We are in a transition period. We are hoping to emerge from the pandemic. We understand that we must put in place the resources required to meet demand, and we will keep these measures…
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Madam Speaker, for in-person passport services, we are meeting standards about 98% of the time. These are within 10 days. It is the mail-in option that is experiencing delays. We continue to work around the clock. Previous to the pandemic, the majority of passports were processed in person as opposed to the mail-in option. This has now shifted, so we are adjusting and shifting resources as necessa…
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Madam Speaker, there is a huge demand for passports at this point in time. I understand the situation that Kristie is in. I would invite the member opposite, and any members opposite if they also have urgent cases, to please get in touch with my office. We are happy to help them ensure that Canadians get their passports on time. As I have explained recently, prepandemic the majority of passport de…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge that after two years of staying home and making sure that they are doing everything they can to protect themselves and their loved ones, Canadians now want to travel. We understand that there is a huge demand. There are unprecedented volumes, in fact volumes we have not seen since 2006, when the United States asked Canadians to have a passport to travel there. We…
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Mr. Speaker, as we know, we were in a pandemic for two years. We are now in a period of transition. Canadians followed the rules. They did everything they could to keep themselves and their friends safe. We thank Canadians. The Government of Canada will be there to help them. We are putting measures in place to ensure that Canadians receive the services they need.
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Mr. Speaker, I have good news for that member, because British Columbia has signed on to the $10-a-day child care agreement. That single dad is going to receive up to $6,000 a year in child care reductions if his child is in day care. There is also the Canada child benefit, so for him, as a single parent, he could be earning up to $6,000 a year to support his children. We are there for families ev…
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Mr. Speaker, I find it hard to understand the Conservatives. They tell us to do things to help Canadians and when we do just that, they tell us to stop. We are investing in child care. This is real money going back into the pockets of Canadians. We are funding education for Canadians. These are real supports for Canadians. We are here to help them. That is exactly what we are going to do in Quebec…
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Mr. Speaker, as we have said several times in the House, we certainly understand the feelings of Canadians right now who, for the past two years, have done their part and followed public health advice and now are looking to travel again. Of course, over the past two years there have been many passports that have expired. While Service Canada is fully operational, every kiosk is open, and employees…
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Mr. Speaker, as I just said to the previous member through you, we are experiencing an unprecedented demand. We recognize that Canadians want to travel. That is why, back in December, we started hiring 500 additional employees to meet this rise in demand. It is why Service Canada employees are working on evenings and weekends. In fact, for the past three weekends, almost a dozen Service Canada pas…
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Mr. Speaker, again, as I have mentioned several times in the House, and as I will repeat for the benefit of that member and all members, we are experiencing an unprecedented volume, the likes of which we have not seen since 2006, when the United States required a passport for Canadians. We have already taken additional measures, and we will continue to keep these measures in place as we recognize …
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Mr. Speaker, I have said this several times, but I will say it again. We know that demand is extremely high right now. As I have already explained to the House several times, we have taken many measures to try to meet that unprecedented growth in demand for Canadians. Our measures will remain in place to meet that demand, to meet Canadians' needs.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for that important question. We are aware that there has been an increase in the number of cases of employment insurance fraud. We are working with members of the Bloc Québécois to make sure that everyone gets their benefits. We will continue to do that. It is important to ensure that every Canadian gets the EI benefits to which they are entitle…
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Mr. Speaker, once again, I would like to thank my colleague for raising this important issue. We are continuing to work with members of the Bloc Québécois when we identify victims of fraud. Fraud is on the rise, and it is important that the Government of Canada ensure that it addresses and combats fraud so there are no further victims of fraud involving Government of Canada benefits. That being sa…
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to begin by welcoming Victoria and her family to Canada. I am glad they found refuge here from what is a very awful situation that is happening in Ukraine. As I have explained to this House before, we are experiencing an unprecedented time when Canadians who have had their passports expire over the past two years, because they were not travelling, are now wa…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to say to my colleague that that is exactly why passport officers are working around the clock. They are working late hours. We have hired additional officers. We have opened up more Service Canada centres to meet this rising demand to renew passports. We are ensuring that passport officers are working through the weekend. We have an incredible surge in demand, unlike anything …
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Mr. Speaker, in just under a year, we have signed child care agreements with every single province and territory. Right here in Ontario, that means that families will see, by the end of this calendar year, savings of up to $6,000 per child in licensed child care. That is incredible savings for a family. It also means that we are going to increase the number of spaces in Ontario by 86,000, because …
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are travelling again, and a significant increase in demand for passports has resulted in long lineups and wait times for in-person service. We understand that this is difficult and stressful. We have, in fact, hired an additional 500 passport officers to help process this. We have made Service Canada available to ensure that individuals who need to travel on a non-urgent bas…
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Mr. Speaker, we understand that after two years, Canadians are interested in travelling. Many people had their passports expire during this time. Unfortunately, we have a huge surge in demand. We have hired 500 additional passport officers to help process this. We have a simplified process to replace expired passports of up to five years. We have opened more client counters in passport offices. We…
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Mr. Speaker, in contrast to what the member opposite said, it was actually this government that helped millions of Canadians. In fact, when we brought in the Canada child benefit, it helped nine out of 10 Canadian families. They have seen hundreds or thousands of dollars each year to support putting food on the table. That is real money for real Canadians, and they know this government, whether be…
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Mr. Speaker, what I can share with the member opposite is a real plan to grow our economy. In every province and territory across this country, families now have access to reduced child care fees. In fact, if women across Canada choose to enter the workforce at the same rate as women in Quebec did 25 years ago, that is 240,000 workers in this country able to join the economy and able to grow the e…
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Mr. Speaker, what the opposition clearly does not understand is that it is important for us to support Canadians when they need that help. In fact, in 2015 we brought in the Canada child benefit, and the Conservative Party voted against it. We have also brought in universal, affordable and accessible quality child care across the country, and what did that opposition party say? It said that it wou…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to start by acknowledging my colleague and the several members in the House who have been advocating for a national school food policy. I am looking forward to working with them to deliver this for children across the country. We share with them the concern that no child in this country should go to school hungry. We know these programs improve learning outcomes, and we…
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