QUESTION PERIOD — Public Safety
Assistance for Victims of Flooding
November 30, 2021
My question is also for the Leader of the Government in the Senate, and it concerns the impact of the catastrophic flooding and landslides in various communities across my home province of B.C. Even before the current emergency began, local businesses in B.C. were dealing with the ramifications of the pandemic on their operations. According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, as of last week, only 37% of small businesses are earning their normal revenue or higher here in B.C. The outlook is now much worse for many businesses in small and remote communities devastated by the flooding. Leader, what is your government doing specifically to support the immediate needs of small businesses affected by catastrophic flooding in British Columbia?
Thank you for your question, senator. The government is working closely with the Government of B.C. to provide assistance. In general terms, initially, as you know, military personnel were sent to help evacuate, and the government will continue to work with the Government of B.C. as it is working with other governments in the Atlantic area who are also suffering from problems related to weather and such.
With regard to your question, disaster financial assistance arrangements — or emergency management, more accurately — is a shared responsibility with the provinces, but the government remains committed and ready to respond to specific requests from the Government of B.C. to provide assistance, whether it’s to businesses whose situation has been affected, as you point out, or in other respects.
I want to just acknowledge the incredible work of the military as well as community leaders and various organizations working on the ground. But I know there will continue to be issues here. The rainfall warnings are here again today. The rain is falling. The gas rationing is extended for two more weeks. The Port of Vancouver remains in distress, according to the premier’s words. CN has decided to proactively close a key portion of its rail network. Leader, you mentioned there is a shared responsibility, but part of the problem with the very first flood we experienced a few weeks ago is there was a lot of finger pointing and the usual blame game by different levels of government. There is the current emergency situation, but in the recovery ahead and planning to ensure there is greater coordination, would you speak to what the government will be doing to ensure there are no gaps and no more finger pointing? We did see that on the ground here.
Thank you again for your question. I can assure this chamber that the government continues to work closely with the B.C. government to not only address the immediate issues and needs but to plan for the future. In that regard, I’m advised that Minister Blair has talked with his counterpart in British Columbia and has made it clear the Government of Canada will provide financial support to the province.
