This bill was last introduced in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session, which ended in August 2021.
Chrystia Freeland Liberal
This bill has received Royal Assent and is now law.
This is from the published bill.
This enactment amends the Income Tax Act to revise the eligibility criteria, as well as the level of subsidization, under the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) as part of the response to the coronavirus disease 2019. It also extends the CEWS to June 30, 2021. The enactment further amends the Income Tax Act to introduce the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) in order to support those hardest hit by the coronavirus disease 2019. This subsidy provides relief in respect of rent and interest on debt obligations incurred to acquire real property used by businesses, charities and not-for-profit organizations in the course of their businesses or other activities. The rent subsidy is effective as of September 27, 2020.
All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from the Library of Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Madam Chair, will she make it retroactive until April?
Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON
Madam Chair, as the member opposite knows, the program is retroactive to September 27. It is a good question, but our focus is on tomorrow.
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Madam Chair, will companies that have locked out their workers be able to access the wage subsidy? Would you consider changing the criteria to ensure the program is not enabling employers to pay for replacement labour?
Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON
Madam Chair, the wage subsidy is organized to help as many people keep their job as possible, but it is a very important issue to look into and to think about.
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Madam Chair, if company owners refuse to use the emergency wage subsidy but apply for the LEEFF loan, will they be able to access the LEEFF loan?
Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON
Madam Chair, there are a lot of conditions for the LEEFF loan. Each situation is specific. A tiger team works very hard for—
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Madam Chair, among the LEEFF eligibility requirements, why did the minister not require the company to use the wage subsidy?
Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON
Madam Chair, the LEEFF conditions are very strict, as they ought to be. They include environmental criteria. They include restrictions on executive pay. They—
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Madam Chair, if a company wants to cut jobs and not use the wage subsidy to keep these jobs, then why will the minister help it through the LEEFF program?
Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON
Madam Chair, the LEEFF program involves very careful scrutiny before companies—
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Madam Chair, not every business made it through the summer. What will the government do to help relaunch businesses that may have shut down due to the Liberals' poorly designed rent subsidy program?
