QUESTION PERIOD — Finance
COVID-19 Pandemic--Funding for Front-Line Workers
December 2, 2020
Honourable senators, my question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. In May, you will recall the federal government announced a $4 billion plan to provide salary top-ups to front line essential workers doing difficult, dangerous, pandemic-related labour. That was $3 billion in federal dollars and $1 billion in matching funds from the provinces.
To date, the Province of Ontario, which was promised $1.1 billion under this plan, has received every penny. British Columbia, which was promised $401 million, has received 93% of its allotted funding, a total of $371 million. Manitoba, which was promised $117 million, has received 77% of its promised funding; that’s $90 million so far.
In fact, every province and territory has received the majority of its promised funding except Alberta. Albertans were promised roughly $348 million and have so far received only $12 million. That’s only 3.45%. Can you explain to us why Alberta’s front-line workers have not received their extra pay? What steps is your government taking to ensure that Alberta’s essential workers do in fact receive their fair share?
Senator, thank you for the question. It’s disturbing to hear that those in Alberta who are doing such important work and putting themselves and their families at risk are lagging behind in terms of the support that is provided by the federal government through their provincial government and directly to them.
I don’t have the answer to that. I won’t even presume to speculate on the negotiations or discussions that necessarily form part of these fiscal transfers and arrangements. I’ll certainly make inquiries and report back to the chamber.
I wanted to ask the Government Representative, given some of the challenges that we’re seeing in Albertans receiving pandemic support from the federal government, is the federal government willing to consider a different model that might allow Albertans to receive the same kind of support that other Canadians across the country are pleased to be able to accept?
Senator, thank you for your question but, to the best of my knowledge, there aren’t different programs for different provinces. The federal government support that has been made available to Canadians and the support that’s made available through provinces and territories to the residents of those provinces and territories is fair and balanced across this large country.
I can only answer as I did before, that whatever differences or disparities may apply that are independent of local circumstances, population, requests from provinces and the like, are matters which I will be happy to look into.
