COVID-19 Emergency Response Bill
Third Reading
March 25, 2020
Honourable senators, when shall this bill be read the third time?
Honourable senators, with leave of the Senate and notwithstanding rule 5-5(b), I move that the bill be read the third time now.
Is leave granted, honourable senators?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
On debate, Senator Harder.
Thank you, honourable senators, for being here today for this unprecedented sitting and allowing me to move third reading of Bill C-13, An Act respecting certain measures in response to COVID-19.
Thank you as well to the senators and staff working from home today. We are especially grateful as well to our Black Rod, our Clerk, table officers and all the support staff for being here and who are seeing to it that we can do our jobs here in the Senate today.
I will be brief because there is little time to waste.
Bill C-13 is designed to provide the means for the government to assist Canadians who have been and will be gravely affected by COVID-19. Circumstances have progressed to the point that tens of thousands are or will soon be in precarious financial circumstances. Protecting their health or paying their bills should not be the choice Canadians face. This is a crisis requiring immediate action and coordination across all levels of government and party lines.
After much negotiation, Bill C-13 was passed with unanimous consent in the other place and now requires our approval in order for Canadians, as business owners, individuals, parents and our Indigenous population to access the much-needed assistance to get us through this global pandemic and all of its repercussions.
The changes made, with the input of all parties, include the requirement to get the concurrence from the Minister of Health and a detailed description of expenses that will be allowed, from added appropriations to limit the type of payments to addressing financially distressed provinces and territories, and the inclusion of a sunset clause of December 30, 2020, to any and all measures related to Bill C-13.
The measures of the Bill C-13 are part of the first phase of the COVID-19 economic response plan. It will provide up to $27 billion in direct support to Canadian workers and businesses, and it will defer $55 billion in tax revenue for businesses and individuals. It represents over $500 billion in credit and liquidity support for people in businesses through the cooperation between financial Crown corporations, the Bank of Canada, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and commercial lenders.
This is a health crisis. As a result, Bill C-13 will provide one‑time funding of $500 million through the Canada Health Transfer for provinces and territories. These funds will be available immediately upon Royal Assent, hopefully this afternoon.
Bill C-13 introduces the Canada emergency care benefit that provides support for up to 16 weeks for those who cannot work because of COVID-19. It is open to everyone, whether or not they qualify for EI.
You will be eligible if you stay home, if you are ill with COVID-19, are quarantined, caring for someone who is sick, laid off or at home without pay to care for your child. Bill C-13 is temporarily waiving the one-week waiting period for those quarantined and those accessing EI sickness benefits.
Further, assistance to individuals and the marginalized includes providing up to $900 biweekly for up to 15 weeks, including self-employment; allocating $5 billion to support workers who are not eligible for Employment Insurance; providing $305 million for distinctions-based Indigenous community support funds to address the immediate needs of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation communities; reducing the minimum withdrawals for 2020 for RRIFs by 25%; providing $157.5 million to support the homeless; providing up to $50 million to women’s shelters and sexual assault centres to help manage or prevent outbreak in facilities; providing a top-up payment through GST of close to $400 to single individuals and close to $600 for couples; increasing the Canada Child Benefit by $300 per month from the May payment; deferring the payment of personal income taxes and corporate income taxes until this fall; and offering a six-month interest-free moratorium on Canada Student Loan payments.
Small- and medium-sized businesses are at the heart of our economy. The measures in Bill C-13 to support business owners include extending the duration of work week agreements from 38 to 76 weeks, providing a subsidy to small- and medium-sized businesses, and reducing remittances of income tax withheld on employees’ remuneration. This includes corporations eligible for the small business deduction, not-for-profit organizations and charities.
The Bank of Canada has taken action to ensure liquidity so that financial institutions can continue to extend credit to households and businesses. OSFI has lowered the domestic stability buffer, allowing Canada’s large banks to inject $300 billion of additional lending into the economy.
One of the biggest expenses for Canadians is the mortgage. Canada’s three mortgage insurers have committed to providing homeowners with solutions to mitigate temporary financial hardships, including permitting lenders to defer up to six monthly mortgage payments without engaging the mortgage insurer.
Bill C-13 will increase CMHC’s legislative limit to guarantee securities and insure mortgages by $150 billion to $750 billion. To support CMHC’s operations, this bill increases CMHC’s authorized capital limit to $10 billion. This provides additional capital and resources to support the mortgage financing market.
The Business Development Bank of Canada and Export Development Canada are cooperating with private sector lenders to coordinate credit solutions for businesses including the oil and gas, air transport and tourism sectors. The near-term credit available to farmers and the agriculture food sector is increased through Farm Credit Canada.
In closing, I want to thank all of our professional public service who now have the enormous task of implementing the measures we hopefully will pass today.
Honourable colleagues, this global pandemic is wreaking havoc on the economy, industries and freedom of movement in the lives of thousands of Canadians. COVID-19 does not discriminate. Every region is at risk. This is not a partisan issue. This is a human issue. I ask all senators to do what we are mandated to do, support our businesses, support our communities, our regions and our most vulnerable by passing this bill before the sun sets today. More and more, our fellow Canadians will be needing this help by the time the sun comes up tomorrow. We have our role to do. Let’s get on with it.
Honourable senators, as has been said so many times recently, we find ourselves today in unprecedented times.
Our thoughts and prayers are with every Canadian affected by COVID-19, especially the family and friends of Canadians who have died. These are indeed difficult times, but they are most difficult for those who have experienced the loss of a loved one.
I want to express my heartfelt thanks to all of those who are on the front lines of this pandemic. There are simply too many to mention but they include, first and foremost, our public health officials and front-line health care staff working around the clock to keep us healthy and safe. We thank you for your selfless service and pray that your strength would be renewed day by day as you courageously put the welfare of others ahead of your own.
To all those who are working hard behind the scenes to do your part in providing goods and services to your fellow Canadians, we thank you. To those who have stepped up to help your neighbours, the elderly and others in need, we thank you. To the businesses who are working hard to retool or increase production in order to help us through this challenge, we thank you.
And to everyone who has been following the advice of the public health authorities to practise social distancing and social isolation, thank you. Your sacrifice and your compliance is protecting not only your family but also the most vulnerable among us.
Few of us could have imagined where we are today, but here we are. We are in this together, and together with God’s help, we will get through it.
Senators, the health and safety of all Canadians is the top priority of every parliamentarian. I know there are many other senators who wanted to be here today, but out of respect for the direction given to all Canadians by the public health authorities, they agreed not to be present. I want to thank them for doing the responsible thing and putting the interests of Canadians ahead of their own.
Honourable colleagues, last week, the Prime Minister announced an $82 billion aid package intended to blunt the impact of this pandemic on both our health and our economy. The package includes $27 billion in direct supports and another $55 billion to help business liquidity through tax deferrals.
Today, we have that legislation before us. As many have noted, the government’s responsibility is to enact measures that will bridge us over to the other side of this crisis. Canadians are in critical need of such a bridge.
The Conservative caucus in the Senate will be supporting the measures that are present before us in this legislation today. But we have serious reservations about how the government is handling this crisis.
Yesterday, the government was preparing to grant itself the power to raise taxes, debt and spending without parliamentary approval until January 1, 2022. Even wartime governments did not have such sweeping powers, and I am pleased that after being taken to task by the Conservative opposition, the government has backed down.
On behalf of all Canadians, we were able to secure the following concessions and I thank our members in the other place for their diligence and hard work until early this morning.
We insisted that the government remove the section that would have allowed them to raise taxes without parliamentary approval, and they agreed. We insisted that the government walk back their unlimited spending powers and that special warrants expire on June 23, 2020, instead September 30, 2020. They agreed.
We insisted that the government include explicit reference to putting taxpayers’ rights first. They agreed. We insisted that the government put sunset clauses in their legislation. They agreed. We insisted that the government be accountable to Parliament through regular reports to the House of Commons Health and Finance Committees, and that the Finance Committee has the right to recall Parliament if we identify any abuses. They agreed.
Conservatives called for stronger action to protect our borders and the government responded. We asked about the impact of the border closure on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, and the government made exemptions. We called on the government to stop the flow of illegal border crossers into Canada, particularly at Roxham Road, and the government listened.
We will continue to use all of the tools available to us to hold the government to account, and we will continue to play our role as the official opposition in the Senate, to ask tough questions of the government on behalf of Canadians and put forward constructive solutions to ensure that no one falls through the cracks.
But what continues to concern me is that while the government was prepared to go over the top for itself, their measures to assist Canadians remain less than adequate. That may surprise many of you, coming from a staunch, fiscal Conservative who has railed against the government for five years over its inability to balance the budget. But the reason you balance a budget is to maintain optimum fiscal and economic health in the nation. That way, you prosper in the good times and have what you need to overcome the difficult times, such as we are experiencing now.
I have no interest in scoring political points today. We will be supporting this legislation, but I would be remiss if I did not put my concerns on the public record.
For the past five years, the government has been giddily spraying money in every direction, unconcerned about debt and deficits. Yet now that we are faced with a real crisis that warrants an aggressive financial response, they are being timid.
When I see measures such as a one‑time GST rebate, a one‑time increase in the Canada Child Benefit, a mere 25% reduction in the mandatory withdrawals required from registered retirement income funds and only a 10% wage subsidy offered to small businesses, I am concerned.
This sounds like the kind of boutique tax credits that are announced just before an election, not the response you expect when the country is facing a looming national emergency.
Why waive the one-week Employment Insurance waiting period openly for those in imposed quarantine? At a time like this, why not waive the waiting period for all applicants?
Why is there only $50 million in funding for women’s shelters and sexual assault centres, which includes funding for facilities in Indigenous communities? How is this going to be adequate on a national basis?
Colleagues, a sweeping crisis such as we are currently facing begs for a sweeping and comprehensive response. Instead, we have proposals that will be administratively intense, will take too long to roll out, will leave too many people to fall through the cracks and will require a superhuman effort to manage the increased demands and inquiries that come with it.
Consider the fact that since the government’s announced reforms to Employment Insurance for those impacted by COVID-19, half a million applications were received overnight. The total applications now exceed 1 million. How does the government think it will manage this surge in demand with much of the public service working from home? Instead of putting money into their bank accounts, Canadians are filling out government paperwork and waiting. This concerns me greatly.
We are facing the worst international pandemic of our lifetime. The market has seen some of its biggest losses in 80 years. Businesses across the country are being forced to close their doors, people can’t go to work, they don’t know how they’re going to pay their rent or make their mortgages and this is the best we can do?
Colleagues, I do not claim to have all the answers, but one thing I am certain of is this: If you’re building a bridge, the worst possible outcome is to build one that does not reach far enough.
We are supporting the measures that are before us today because they are critically necessary, but I am doubtful that they are adequate. For the sake of all Canadians, I truly hope they are.
God bless Canada.
Honourable senators, the first thing that needs to be said is that there have been more than 25 deaths in Canada due to COVID-19 and families are mourning the loss of their loved ones. Many more are in hospital at various stages of the illness. I know I speak for all of us in sending our sympathies to those who are grieving.
I want to recognize the work of front-line healthcare workers for their tireless efforts in responding to the crisis. They are carrying out their duties under great duress, having to deal with crowded hospitals and clinics, longer shifts, shortages of test kits, beds and equipment, limited supplies of personal protective equipment and, not least, the threat of getting sick themselves.
There are many others going above and beyond the call of duty, not least the folks who put together this bill in very short order and many more who are working on other measures to address the economic fallout from the COVID-19 crisis.
The best way to mitigate the economic crisis arising from COVID-19 is to make sure the health crisis is addressed as fully and as quickly as possible. This means directing essential resources to the health care sector and enforcing public health directives, for as long as is needed, to reduce sharply the spread of the virus. If we restart the economy too early, we run the risk of exacerbating the health crisis, which will only lead to a double-dip economic downturn and likely result in even more damage to livelihoods. This is why the key to the success of the current economic package and all other measures that have been put in place is that they are sufficient to tide the economy over for the duration of the health crisis. I support this package and look forward to a vote very soon to pass the bill so that assistance to Canadians and Canadian businesses can flow immediately.
It is unlikely that this package alone will be sufficient to deal with the crisis. It is not that the bill doesn’t have the flexibility to extend funds and funding periods; it is that we haven’t yet fully embraced all the tools at our disposal to address a crisis that is unlike any we have faced.
In previous financial crises and economic shock, typically due to excessive leverage in one sector, led to so-called contagion effects on other sectors, resulting in a downturn in the economy as a whole. In the current situation, it is not that distress in one troubled sector of the economy is spreading to other parts of the economy. It is, rather, that all sectors are suffering because labour, which is the key factor of production, has to be withdrawn from the economy in order to curb the spread of disease.
The point here, colleagues, is that this is not, in the first instance a financial crisis, and that is good news. Don’t get me wrong; the health crisis will quickly turn into a systemic financial crisis if we don’t respond appropriately. But we can take some comfort in the fact that before the onset of the health crisis, our country’s finances and our financial institutions were strong compared to other countries. We have to take full advantage of that strength to support the economy during this period of suspended production, investment and consumption.
Any economic response package has to address three issues: stemming a decline in economic output; income support; and preserving productive capacity. The bill before us, together with previously announced measures, touches on all three. However, I believe more can be done.
On the question of direct economic stimulus, the government should not hesitate to use its borrowing and spending power on investment projects that produce public goods for Canadians across the country. If businesses are not investing in the future because of uncertainty, the Canadian government should step in and fill that void. We have already seen how the fear of budget deficits resulted in a slower recovery in the global economy and higher unemployment after the financial crisis of 2008. This time around, the economic downturn could be worse, so there is no room for timidity.
Second, on income support, the current approach is to try and target affected individuals using existing tools such as EI and the tax system, with workarounds such as the emergency response benefit that is part of Bill C-13. But the issue is not about workers who qualify or do not qualify for EI, nor is it about those who have to stay at home because of illness or caregiving. The point is that the vast majority of workers should stay home whether or not they are covered by EI and whether or not they are sick. Assistance programs that try to make such distinctions are not only cumbersome administratively, they also run the risk of missing a large swath of affected workers, such as the self-employed who may continue to have some income, but at a much reduced level because of a COVID-19 induced downturn. These individuals are not eligible for support because their income has not been reduced to zero during the 14-day waiting period.
In other words, we should think about the target population for income support as the entire working population, because pretty much the entire working population has been asked to withdraw from economic activity.
If we reframe the problem in this way, there is a case for a temporary guaranteed livable income for all adult Canadians, perhaps as part of a supplementary package of economic measures. Implementing a temporary guaranteed livable income should not be seen as a risky experiment during a time of crisis, as some may be inclined to say. Rather, it should be seen as perhaps the most appropriate means of meeting the goal of income support that is central to any economic recovery package.
Third, on the goal of preventing the loss of productive capacity, Bill C-13 provides some tools for the government to step in and provide direct assistance to specific companies. With the passing of the bill, it will be important for the government to articulate the case for saving some firms and not others, and the principles behind the specific approach taken for each case.
I support the idea that some key businesses and industries should be rescued, but any bailouts should not privilege senior executives, shareholders and bondholders over workers. If the principal objective is to prevent the business from failing, the best approach is for the government to take a direct stake in that business and to provide the direct and indirect sovereign guarantees that are needed for the business to continue operating at a reduced level of activity until such time as conditions improve and the government’s stake can be sold.
One of the biggest challenges for any business will be servicing its debts. The government has already provided relief in terms of delaying business tax, GST payments and the like, with no penalty. Major lenders have also stepped up by allowing deferral of loan repayments, but the interest on these loans continues to accumulate. There is an opportunity now for our well capitalized, well run and highly profitable financial institutions to step up by providing even more relief to borrowers. I challenge them to match the government in waiving interest and principal payments on outstanding loans to businesses for a period of time. This will have the effect of staunching the outflow of cash from many businesses and, to some extent, freezing the business in a state of suspended animation so that it can be brought back to life when conditions improve.
Waiving interest payments for a period of time is the analytical equivalent of laying off workers as a way of slowing the outflow of cash from a business. To the extent that we need to try and keep businesses afloat by reducing labour costs, we should also look at how they can be kept afloat by reducing their debt-servicing costs. If we fail to keep businesses afloat during the health crisis, it will be very difficult to restart the economy when that crisis is over. The result will be that lenders, borrowers, workers, shareholders — all of us — will face an economic situation that is even more dire.
Colleagues, I sincerely hope that this economic rescue bill is the only one we need and that it contains all the measures necessary to stave off a severe economic downturn. But even as we hope for the best, we need to prepare for the worst. That should start as soon as we have passed Bill C-13. Thank you.
Honourable senators, I would like to begin by echoing the words of my colleagues in this chamber and the other place to thank all those front-line health care workers, cashiers, store clerks, grocery store employees, truck drivers and the many other Canadians putting their own personal health at risk to help all of us get through this pandemic together.
I rise today to speak on Bill C-13 and to join my colleagues in supporting the need for this emergency aid package to help Canadians cope with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
As many of our fellow senators cannot and should not be here today, I will be sharing some of my views and some concerns of my Canadian Senators Group colleagues. I don’t need to reiterate the fact that we are in unprecedented times. We all know that. We have all been affected by this virus already, either directly or indirectly. Personally, I have family members who have been laid off and family members are in self-isolation and quarantine because of recent travel.
I’ve been heartened to see the efforts of so many Canadians to stay at home and avoid contributing to the spread of this virus. However, as we know and as government knows, more needs to be done. Many Canadians are in precarious financial situations, whether they’ve been laid off, had their hours cut or have had to use their vacation days to stay at home to self-isolate. During this time of crisis, people are still expected to pay their rent or mortgage, handle their other bills and take care of their families, all while worrying that they and their loved ones might fall sick.
This legislation introduces emergency funds to help individual Canadians as well as businesses. It includes measures to increase the GST tax credit, the Canada Child Benefit, a reduction in the minimum withdrawals from RRSPs, as well as income supports to those who suffer income loss, including a new leave of up to 16 weeks for federally regulated employees. It provides several other supports to reduce financial strain on Canadians, including a program for the government to purchase mortgages from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation and providing a pause for interest on student loans.
Canadian businesses will also be helped by this legislation. Small business will be eligible for a temporary wage subsidy. Additionally, it will allow Export Development Canada to develop domestic business, which is important now that our borders are more restricted. The Business Development Bank of Canada Act will also be amended to ensure continued availability of funds for entrepreneurs.
Importantly, the government has designated an additional $5 billion to the agriculture and agri-food industry to help those who are suffering during this time but must continue working to provide us with food. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we still have to maintain the value chain from producer to consumer. This includes not only farming and processing but also things like meat inspection and much more.
The government is investing further in Farm Credit Canada, through which farmers can obtain loans. While this is good news, I do have some concerns with this, as does my colleague Senator Wallin. These are additional loans to farmers that will need to be paid back. This deferral may cause serious hardship when it’s required to be paid back. Workers in other industries have increased access to Employment Insurance which, rightfully, they do not have to repay, but our farmers will just have to pay their loans back.
I’m hopeful that with the expeditious passing and Royal Assent of this legislation, the financial assistance needed by many will be able to flow quickly. Certain groups will be affected more than others by this crisis, including those with casual and unsustainable employment, families with children and several mouths to feed, young people who are trying to pay off student loans while they also try to save for their first home, and more.
I am pleased to see that their needs were considered in this legislation. I’m optimistic that the measures will alleviate at least some of the pressure they face today. From reacting to concerns in the agriculture sector’s immediate need for temporary foreign workers and seasonal agriculture workers to working with all opposition parties in both chambers to get this emergency funding into the hands of those who need it, the government has done a good job during this difficult time. They have reacted and acted quickly during this crisis to the many different issues arising on a daily basis while collaborating with other levels of government and opposition parties and keeping us all informed.
Of course, there are still questions and unknowns ahead of us because, frankly, we don’t know what will happen in this unprecedented situation. We do know that, before introducing this in the House of Commons, the government removed measures that would give sweeping powers to ministers. Instead, further legislation might be needed in coming months, depending on how things go.
I understand that the other place has agreed to a negotiated agreement that will enable their Finance and Health Committees to have virtual meetings to provide for parliamentary oversight. The Senate needs to reconstitute similar or all committees today or it risks becoming irrelevant. For food security interests, it might be important that we consider the Agriculture and Forestry Committee to be reconstituted or included in some of those discussions.
I do have some concerns, though, some of which are shared by my colleagues here in the chamber. I worry that this may not be enough to help us weather this health crisis. People and businesses need assistance now. Will the government have the capacity to distribute funds quickly enough to those in need? We have all heard that almost a million applications for Employment Insurance were filed in the past week. Will the government be able to distribute emergency funds fast enough? What about those Canadians living in rural and remote parts of Canada? They already have connectivity issues. Will they be able to access the funds through an already overloaded infrastructure? My CSG colleagues have concerns and questions too, some of which were already asked during the earlier Committee of the Whole. Will the Business Development Bank of Canada be able to keep up with requests before businesses are forced to fold? Is enough being done to protect small- and medium-sized businesses? Will the oil and gas industry be protected? How are we ensuring that people are self-isolating after travelling, and how can we enforce social distancing?
Before closing, I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to farmers and others in the agri-food industry and value chain who ensure that we have a continuous supply of food even in these uncertain times. I also want to thank those who are doing their part to help others in whatever way they can.
The most important and effective way to help right now is to stay at home, and if you must go out, practice social distancing.
If you haven’t been following the advice of doctors and government, please think about the effects of your actions. Even if you aren’t worried about the virus yourself, which you should be, think about people in vulnerable groups, those who are immune-compromised, those who have underlying health conditions and those who are older. Your carelessness could further the spread of this virus.
Colleagues, thank you for listening. Let’s remember to look out for each other, be kind to each other and do what we can to keep ourselves and others healthy. We must work together to help flatten the curve. Thank you. Meegwetch.
Honourable senators, this is a speech I never thought I would have to make in the Senate, but this is our new reality living with COVID-19, the coronavirus.
On behalf of the progressive Senate group, we strongly support the measures being taken by all governments — federal, provincial, territorial, municipal and Indigenous.
We have had questions today of the minister, and that is normal. We have our concerns, and that is normal. We will continue to push for more to be done, and that is also normal. But we live in abnormal times, and in times like these, we must be united as a nation.
The clock is ticking. The numbers continue to rise.
The words of Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer resonate with me. Dr. Theresa Tam said a few days ago, “We don’t just need to flatten the curve, we need to plank it.” That means every Canadian must do their part.
As we are about to pass this crucial piece of legislation, Bill C-13, I am thinking of every Canadian that it will affect. We see the essential workers, like the people working in our grocery and pharmacy stores, our police services, postal workers, custodians, the small-business owners who are worried about their futures. We see you.
We see Canadians working on the front-lines of our health care system, working long hours away from their families while continuing to care for the well-being of strangers, those working in long-term care facilities caring for our most vulnerable citizens. We see you and all that you do.
We see the volunteers delivering food and necessities to their neighbours. We see you, the Canadians staying at home, making sacrifices in our daily routines. We see humanity at its best despite the challenges.
Every action is important. The efforts we put in now will determine the length and outcome of the biggest health care crisis this country and the world has ever seen. So thank you to each Canadian for shining through this time of uncertainty. We know it is not an easy thing to do.
I often speak about the importance of kindness and inclusion, but in times like these, they are so imperative that I need to mention them again. Remember, the smallest action can still have a big impact. I’m thinking about people who already lived more isolated lives before this started, those with physical and cognitive disabilities who rely on volunteers and community groups for their relationships and socializing. We need to reach out to them. They cannot be forgotten. I know our leaders and my fellow Canadians will not let that happen.
I am encouraged to see American Sign Language, ASL, on our news broadcasts during these times. Finally, a real step towards inclusion and fairness for the deaf community. I know the thousands of Canadians who communicate with ASL appreciate being informed in real time.
I also applaud the daily and detailed sharing of information with Canadians through newscasts. It is comforting for Canadians to have predictable and reliable communications. Our journalists are working around the clock to keep us up-to-date and connected. We see your work and we thank you.
I keep hearing that we’re all in this together, but together means those who need our love and support more than ever. I talk again about the elderly and those who are ill, those in the intellectual disability community, those with autism, those in the physically disabled community.
Honourable senators, in the Special Olympics, we like to hug a lot. That’s hard to do right now, isn’t it? But that doesn’t stop me or you from sending out a virtual hug now, an online hug, a telephone hug. We have to hold on to each other.
And again, there are so many of you in the medical community on the front-lines, a line that stretches from coast to coast to coast. You are giving hope to others by caring for others. Through food banks, you are feeding others. You are doing it because this is Canada and what we do best is caring for others. We are all finding ways to have courage, and it can be tough.
In closing, everyone has their own story. My father was 8 years old in 1918 when he lived through a new influenza virus. We know the horrific result of that virus. World War I was ending and then there would be the Great Depression, followed by the Second World War. And then in the 1940s and the 1950s, there was the outbreak of polio. Imagine living through all of that.
My father died in 2003. He was 93.
This is where I find my courage.
Today as a nation, as individuals, we’re all taking steps to defeat COVID-19. We must walk together, even if it has to be six feet or two metres apart for the next little while.
With that, honourable senators, I urge immediate passing of this historic piece of legislation. Thank you.
Is it your pleasure, honourable senators, to adopt the motion?
Hon. Senators: Agreed.
(Motion agreed to and bill read third time and passed.)
