Thank you, Mr. Chair, and before I run out of time, I want to take this opportunity to wish everybody a happy Easter and a happy Passover.
My questions are going to be for Mr. Macdonald, and I also want to share some really great news. I saw some numbers that are just unbelievable. I know many of my colleagues on the panel have already discussed this, but as of 4 p.m. today, we have had just under 460,000 new CERB applications. The total of new applications for the week was just under three million, and since March 15, our public servants, who are working so hard, have processed 5.47 million applications.
I've received countless messages from my constituents in Vimy, who are thrilled that they've already started to receive the money. What a nice way for them to celebrate Holy Week.
For my first question I'm going back to the mortgage question, Mr. Macdonald. How could the banks relieve the pressure on everyone who's borrowing in the next few months, while ensuring that the impact on them is gradual and does not then put them in jeopardy when the crisis is over? In your opinion, can this be done, and can it be done consistently with clear criteria followed by all the banks?