In the coming days, I want to address the tragic death of George Floyd and its aftermath.
Today, Madam Chair, I have prepared comments about my city, Hamilton, which, along with every other community in Canada, is benefiting from the historic and unprecedented investments our government is making during the pandemic.
Our response has put money into the pockets of Canadians. Over $42 billion was paid out to eight million workers through the CERB program, $9 billion in relief to students through the student benefit and grant payments, $2 billion of targeted relief through the GST top-up for the poorest, as well as the OAS, GIS and disability tax credit to help the most vulnerable.
In these difficult times, perfection is elusive, but we are listening and responding to needs the best we can. These programs are the ones that invest directly in individuals who, in a city like Hamilton, number in the tens and hundreds of thousands. Their money goes directly into the local economy.
Businesses struggling through this crisis rely on customers—