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false | I would now like to invite hon. member Jenica Atwin to speak. | QMSum_84 |
false | Thank you, Madam Chair. Seniors living alone are most at risk of economic insecurity, particularly single senior women, as gender inequality in the job market has translated all too often into inadequate retirement income. Madam Chair, can the minister commit to implementing a poverty reduction plan that addresses the unique challenges faced by older women? | QMSum_84 |
false | Madam Chair, I want to assure the member that we are quite aware that this pandemic has typically affected single seniors, and many of those, given that they live longer, are single senior women. I want to assure her that we are working on this issue, and we have provided some supports already through measures such as the GST supplementary payment. That is on average almost $400 for single seniors. There's more work to do. We know that, so stay tuned. | QMSum_84 |
false | Madam Chair, older women represent a high proportion of residents in long-term care facilities. Having spent their lives caring for parents, children and often their partners, they find themselves needing care in nursing homes. Multiple outbreaks of COVID-19 in long-term care homes in Canada have highlighted systemic gaps that senior and elderly women may face in such facilities, as well as the working conditions of the female-dominated ranks of nurses and personal support workers. Madam Chair, can the minister commit to implementing a federal strategy for long-term care homes that recognizes quality of life for residents and working conditions for the employees, ideally one that goes hand in hand with a poverty reduction plan and enhanced home and community care investments across the country? | QMSum_84 |
false | Madam Chair, I do want to thank the hon. member for her question. It's an important one. We are obviously deeply saddened by the outbreaks that have been going on in long-term care facilities and those who have lost their lives. We do recognize that the administration of long-term care and palliative care is the responsibility of provinces and territories; however, we have been taking a team Canada approach, and as you already know, we've been doing tremendous work with them to try to ensure that those who live in those facilities can be well cared for and safe. We are doing that with guidelines | QMSum_84 |
false | Ms. Atwin has the floor. | QMSum_84 |
false | Madam Chair, from May 4 to May 10, we are observing Mental Health Week. We know that our essential workers right now are experiencing unprecedented levels of stress and anxiety, on top of putting their own physical safety and health on the line. Most of these workers work in precarious jobs with no access to paid sick leave or vacation, and without any benefits to access mental health services. Apart from the very welcome investments in online resources, can the minister explain how the government will support these workers now and once the crisis is behind us? | QMSum_84 |
false | Madam Chair, thank you very much to the member for the question. I'm so glad that she's raising the issue of mental health and in particular how poor mental health is oftentimes connected to our socio-economic status. I appreciate the nuance in that question. She's right. We do have new resources that are available to all Canadians free of charge through the Wellness Together portal, but there is more to do. I think the announcement of top-up wages, for example, which the Prime Minister spoke about today, is another example of how we're taking the health and wellness of all low-income Canadians very seriously. We know that mental health is not divorced from socio-economic status, and I look forward to working with her more on other measures that we can take together. | QMSum_84 |
false | Madam Chair, we're all very aware of the importance of temporary foreign workers and their role in ensuring our food sovereignty across this country. The pandemic has highlighted how we depend on their work. How are we protecting them? Madam Chair, will the government take action to strengthen legislation and ensure Canadians have access to the food they need while the workers who help bring it to our tables have safe working conditions, regardless of where they are working in this country? | QMSum_84 |
false | Thank you, Madam Chair. We are very concerned, as are countries around the world, that we support and create the environment for the health and safety of our temporary foreign workers and we value their contribution to our food supply chain here in Canada. We have issued guidelines to employers and are working very closely with local public health authorities in the provinces and territories to make sure workers are protected, that physical distancing and other recommendations are adhered to and that there are severe consequences if employers don't take care of their workers. | QMSum_84 |
false | We are now going to Mr. MacGregor. | QMSum_84 |
false | Thank you, Madam Chair. My first question is this: Will the Liberal government prevent federal bailout funds from going to companies that use tax havens and avoid paying their fair share here in Canada, yes or no? | QMSum_84 |
false | We are working to make sure that anyone who tries to circumvent the rules faces serious consequences. We are asking businesses to designate a representative to attest their claims. Any employer receiving the subsidy who is deemed ineligible will have to repay the full amount. Anyone who abuses the program could face fines of up to 225% of the subsidy amount as well as five years in prison. | QMSum_84 |
false | Madam Chair, I didn't really hear a yes to that question, so I'll repeat it. Does the government really think it's appropriate for tax-avoiding corporations to receive funding provided for by taxpayers? | QMSum_84 |
false | We will keep going after companies that engage in tax evasion. I want to be clear. We will target those who are responsible, not innocent workers. An employee is an employee, regardless of who they work for. The wage subsidy program does not hand a blank cheque over to employers. It is meant to help Canadians pay their bills, keep their jobs and get through the crisis. | QMSum_84 |
false | Madam Chair, the agriculture funding announced by the government earlier this week amounts to less than 10% of what the Canadian Federation of Agriculture estimates will be required to help farmers weather this crisis. Why has the Minister of Agriculture shortchanged our farmers? | QMSum_84 |
false | Madam Chair, this is one more step. This was one more step. We have already committed significant support to our farmers through different programs, and we will do more. I have to remind my colleague that we have put in $5 billion through FCC, $50 million for the temporary foreign workers, two times $50 million for pork and beef producers this week, and $77 million for food processing. This is only the beginning, and we should not forget that the business risk management programs are still there to offer support. | QMSum_84 |
false | Yes, Madam Chair, but we're nearly two months into this pandemic and this announcement only came this week. Farmers need certainty. When can farmers expect further updates on funding, and how much will the government be providing? | QMSum_84 |
false | Madam Chair, we are working closely with the farmers and their representatives to identify where the gaps are, but once again, we have made improvements to the AgriStability program. They can get, depending on the province, either 50% or 75% in advance payments, and they can also, right now, access their AgriInvest program. There is more than $2 billion ready to access today, if they have | QMSum_84 |
false | Mr. MacGregor. | QMSum_84 |
false | Madam Chair, federal disability recipients and seniors on fixed incomes have been hardest hit by cost of living increases from COVID-19. If we acknowledge that $2,000 per month is the minimum needed to get through this time, why are they being asked to survive on far less? When can they expect assistance, and how much will they receive? | QMSum_84 |
false | Madam Chair, I want to make sure people realize that we have provided some assistance through the GST supplementary benefit. We are also providing support to those who are still working, and we have done that by allowing them to access the CERB. There is more work to be done, so you'll be hearing more in the near future. | QMSum_84 |
false | Madam Chair, as I think we've heard through today's question period, there are countless example of this government designing programs to exclude many small businesses that desperately need help. Whether it's the payroll requirements or other eligibility, we still, to this day, almost two months into the pandemic, have too many small businesses falling through the cracks. Madam Chair, why has the government taken this approach and when can we finally expect fixes to the whole system? | QMSum_84 |
false | Madam Chair, right from the get-go, we have been committed to making sure that Canadians are helped through this crisis, and that small businesses get the support that they need, so that we are saving businesses and jobs in this country. That is what we have done with many of our programs. You're seeing that we are also listening, so that we can modify them as we need. I want to assure the member that the work is not done. We continue to do this. | QMSum_84 |
false | Thank you. It is now over to Mr.Perron. Mr.Perron, you may go ahead. | QMSum_84 |
false | Thank you, Mr.Chair. My question will come as no surprise, since it has to do with agriculture. I hear the questions my fellow members are asking, and to be frank, I don't find the answers satisfactory. It is well and good to talk about existing programs, but they aren't working, so enough with that refrain. That's what people are telling us. It's not just members of the opposition saying it. This morning, both farmers and processors came together for a press conference at the Union des producteurs agricoles's head office in Longueuil. Six stakeholders from different sectors sounded the alarm. Can the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food therefore tell us when she will announce significant supports for the industry? | QMSum_84 |
false | We have already announced significant amounts of support, and more is on the way. I'd like to correct my fellow member. It's not that the programs aren't working; it's that they aren't generous enough in farmers' eyes. That's why I'm working with my provincial counterparts to make improvements to programming, including AgriStability. Here's an example. After using the online AgriStability benefit estimator, a pork producer found out that he would get $11 per head, as they say in the industry. Pork producers are calling for $20 per head, so it's a good start, even though it's not enough and it isn't what they are asking for. We want to keep working together, but farmers have to access the money available to them through AgriStability. | QMSum_84 |
false | Now it's my turn to correct the minister. Even before the crisis, we were hearing from people in the industry that the programs were neither suitable nor sufficient. We are in a crisis, and this is an exceptional situation. In the case of mad cow disease, farmers received direct assistance. That's the kind of assistance we are calling for. We don't want to hear about growing levels of debt. Of course, this is a first step, but farms are already deep in debt. A few days ago, the government announced $50million in funding for pork producers, even though they are asking for $20per hog for 27million hogs. The government's support covers just 2.5million hogs. When I call the measure insufficient, I mean it is grossly insufficient. It's high time the government put forth more support. It has to stop saying that it's working hard and examining the situation. The government has to listen to the people in the industry. Again, this morning, they had some interesting proposals. When is the government going to announce a whole lot more in funding support? What's been announced so far is only 10% of what farmers are asking for. | QMSum_84 |
false | We are going step by step. The programs are already in place. We are trying to make them better, and we are committed to doing that. These programs are cost-shared with the provinces. However, I would point out to the member that, when it comes to AgriRecovery, we made an exception to the rule. We are moving forward in every province to help pork and beef producers. That's two funding envelopes of $50million each to help cover the additional costs from the decrease in plant processing capacity. That's new money that was not yet available, money we introduced this week. As the Prime Minister said, we are going to do more, and we are moving forward step by step. | QMSum_84 |
false | What we concluded in committee this week is that the $125million is not new money. It was already earmarked for the programs. The government can't say that programs already exist and, at the same time, claim that they are new programs. Something doesn't add up there. What's more, there are different ways to make money available. I'd like to talk compensation. Everyone knows that the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement came into force a month earlier than planned, despite the promises that had been made. That resulted in additional losses, once again. An easy way to make money available without committing new spending is to provide compensation and announce programs for supply-managed sectors that got nothing. It seems to me that a time of crisis is a time for the government to practise some judo and announce measures. I am reaching out to the government, as I always do, but it has to come forward with announcements. Can we expect the government to announce measures in the coming days? | QMSum_84 |
false | Our commitment to farmers in supply-managed sectorsmeaning, egg, poultry and dairy farmersis as strong as it always was. I repeat, our commitment is clear. Dairy producers received their first payment at the end of last year or the beginning of this year. Support for poultry and egg farmers is in the form of investment programs, which aligns well with the recovery. At this time, we are focusing on emergency programs to help farmers hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. When it comes to the dairy sector, I hope I can count on your support. As you know, legislative changes are needed to grant the Canadian Dairy Commission's request and increase its borrowing limit by $200million so it can buy more butter and cheese. | QMSum_84 |
false | Our next question will go to Mr. Lake. | QMSum_84 |
false | Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, we're all inundated, as we've heard during this entire question period, with Canadians' concerns about the economic restrictions and the social restrictions that they're under. Over the last couple of months, the WHO has given one very consistent message in terms of coming out of those economic and social restrictions. On March 16, Dr. Tedros said in his briefing, We have a simple message for all countries: test, test, test. On March 25, 44 days ago, he said, Aggressive measures to find, isolate, test, treat and trace are not only the best and fastest way out of extreme social and economic restrictionstheyre also the best way to prevent them. Does the minister agree with the WHO that relentless testing and tracing are critical to a successful economic and social relaunch strategy in Canada? | QMSum_84 |
false | Thanks to the member for the very astute observation and question. Absolutely, we agree that testing and contact tracing will form an important part of our response to living with COVID. We've been investing heavily in ensuring that we have the lab capacity, the collaboration across provinces and territories, and the variety of testing options to help us increase our capacity to test. We are aiming right now for a high volume of tests, but I will also say that in Canada we have one of the highest testing rates in the world. Although we're doing well, I can assure him that I am with him and I believe we need to do more. | QMSum_84 |
false | I have some really quick questions for follow-up. First, what is Canada's current testing capability? | QMSum_84 |
false | Mr. Chair, as I mentioned to his colleagues yesterday, we have currently the capacity to do approximately 60,000 tests per day across the country. | QMSum_84 |
false | How many tests were conducted each day on average in Canada last week? | QMSum_84 |
false | Mr. Chair, it's hard for me to get that exact number, but I will get back to him with the exact number. | QMSum_84 |
false | I'll save you the time. The exact number was 28,851, on average, every day last week. That's a gap of 30,000 from what your stated testing capability is. I'll give another quote from Dr. Tam, back on April 22, 15 days ago. She said, As a first tranche, roughly close to 60,000 is where the provinces can potentially expand to as a target already. Does the minister happen to know, ballpark, what the average number of daily tests in Canada has been since that statement? | QMSum_84 |
false | Your estimate was slightly higher than what my estimate was going to be, so that's a great piece of news. Listen, I will just say that I think if the premise here is that we could be doing more testing. I would agree, but I will also say that the provinces and territories are working incredibly hard on testing strategies that meet their own specific needs. I'm happy to have a conversation with the member later about that testing strategy. Dr. Tam works with all the chief public health officers across the country to ensure that their testing strategy is going to be applicable and appropriate for their particular jurisdictions. We, as the federal government, provide the capacity for them to conduct those tests. | QMSum_84 |
false | Following up on that, is there a jurisdiction in Canada where relentless testing is not the appropriate strategy as provinces consider relaunching? | QMSum_84 |
false | Each province and territory has its own outbreak and its own epidemic. For example, in British Columbia, where there are relatively fewer cases in general and less disease activity, they may have a different testing strategy than a province like Ontario, which is currently struggling with more outbreaks. | QMSum_84 |
false | Given your comment that our current testing capability is 60,000, and acknowledging that only at one point in the entire history of our COVID response, over several months, has our weekly average been over 30,000it was about 31,000 for one day on a rolling basisMinister, are you satisfied with our current testing amounts right now, given that we're testing 50% of what the public health officer advises would be best? | QMSum_84 |
false | Yeah. | QMSum_53 |
false | Um , so. If we can't , we can't. But uh we 're gonna try to make this an abbreviated meeting cuz the the next next occupants were pushing for it , so. Um. So. Agenda is according to this , is transcription status , DARPA demos XML tools , disks , backups , et cetera and | QMSum_53 |
false | Does anyone have anything to add to the agenda ? | QMSum_53 |
false | OK. Should we just go in order ? Transcription status ? Who 's that 's probably you. | QMSum_53 |
false | I can do that quickly. Um I hired several more transcribers , They 're making great progress. | QMSum_53 |
false | Seven ? | QMSum_53 |
false | Seve - several , several. | QMSum_53 |
false | Oh. | QMSum_53 |
false | And uh and uh , uh I 've been uh finishing up the uh double checking. I hoped to have had that done by today but it 's gonna take one more week. | QMSum_53 |
false | Um | QMSum_53 |
false | I g | QMSum_53 |
false | as a somewhat segue into the next topic , um could I get a hold of uh the data even if it 's not really corrected yet just so I can get the data formats and make sure the information retrieval stuff is working ? | QMSum_53 |
false | Certainly. Yeah I mean , it 's in the same place it 's been. | QMSum_53 |
false | So can you just Oh , it is. | QMSum_53 |
false | Uh - huh. No change. | QMSum_53 |
false | OK. Just So , " transcripts " is the sub - directory ? | QMSum_53 |
false | Uh Yes. Uh - huh. | QMSum_53 |
false | OK. So I 'll I 'll probably just make some copies of those rather than use the ones that are there. | QMSum_53 |
false | OK. | QMSum_53 |
false | Um and then just we 'll have to remember to delete them once the corrections are made. | QMSum_53 |
false | OK. | QMSum_53 |
false | OK , wh | QMSum_53 |
false | I also got anot a short remark to the transcription. I 've uh just processed the first five EDU meetings and they are chunked up so they would they probably can be sent to IBM whenever they want them. | QMSum_53 |
false | Cool. | QMSum_53 |
false | Well the second one of those | QMSum_53 |
false | Yep. It 's already at IBM , | QMSum_53 |
false | is already at IBM. | QMSum_53 |
false | but the other ones | QMSum_53 |
false | That 's the one that we 're waiting to hear from them on. | QMSum_53 |
false | Yeah. Yeah. | QMSum_53 |
false | OK. | QMSum_53 |
false | Yeah. | QMSum_53 |
false | These are separate from the ones that | QMSum_53 |
false | As soon as | QMSum_53 |
false | I mean , these are | QMSum_53 |
false | They 're the IBM set. | QMSum_53 |
false | Yep. | QMSum_53 |
false | It 's this one. | QMSum_53 |
false | Excellent. Good. | QMSum_53 |
false | Yeah. And so as soon as we hear from Brian that this one is OK | QMSum_53 |
false | Is my mike on ? Yeah. | QMSum_53 |
false | and we get the transcript back and we find out that hopefully there are no problems matching up the transcript with what we gave them , then uh we 'll be ready to go and we 'll just send them the next four as a big batch , | QMSum_53 |
false | Excellent. | QMSum_53 |
false | and let them work on that. | QMSum_53 |
false | And so we 're doing those as disjoint from the ones we 're transcribing here ? | QMSum_53 |
false | Yes , exactly. | QMSum_53 |
false | OK , good. | QMSum_53 |
false | We 're sort of doing things in parallel , that way we can get as much done a at once. | QMSum_53 |
false | Yeah , I think that 's the right way to do it , | QMSum_53 |
false | Yeah. | QMSum_53 |
false | especially for the information retrieval stuff. Anything else on transcription status ? | QMSum_53 |
false | Hm - mmm. | QMSum_53 |
false | OK. | QMSum_53 |
false | DARPA demos , we had the submeeting the other day. | QMSum_53 |
true | Right , which uh So I 've been working on using the THISL tools to do information retrieval on meeting data and the THISL tools are there 're two sets , there 's a back - end and a front - end , so the front - end is the user interface and the back - end is the indexing tool and the querying tool. And so I 've written some tools to convert everything into the right for file formats. And the command line version of the indexing and the querying is now working. So at least on the one meeting that I had the transcript for uh conveniently you can now do information retrieval on it , do type in a a string and get back a list of start - end times for the meeting , | QMSum_53 |
false | What what kind of uh what does that look like ? The string that you type in. | QMSum_53 |
false | uh of hits. | QMSum_53 |
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