Thanks very much, Mr. Chair.
Thanks, Mr. Morneau, for being available.
I do want to pay tribute both to your hard work—I know you're working 20-hour days—and equally to your accessibility. You have been remarkably accessible over the last few weeks. Normally opposition members don't necessarily pay compliments to government members, but I think it's important to underscore your availability and discussions around these important measures to help Canadians.
The announcements that have been made over the last few days, improving the CERB and putting in place a courage bonus, are all on issues that we raised with you. I raised the courage bonus last time you appeared before the finance committee, and the enlarging of accessibility around the emergency business account. These are all important steps.
I think we would agree that there are still many other measures that need to be taken to avoid having people left behind, and so I want to ask you a couple of questions.
First, I had a round table, a video conference, with the small business community in my riding. They raised rent abatement as an extremely important measure that needs to be taken. Gord Johns, our small business critic for the NDP, and I have written to you about a 66% rent abatement proposal. We certainly hope that is the measure, as we've seen with other countries, you put into effect. France, Denmark and Australia, as you know, have put into place rent abatement measures.
Second, credit card costs and mortgage costs are exceedingly high, and the banks have not made the types of sacrifices that we're seeing many other Canadians make. I have not heard of a single person who has had a mortgage deferral approved without penalties, interest or fees. This has an impact on our small business community and in fact on all communities. We've seen credit unions, such as Vancity, reduce their rates to zero. We have not seen the same kind of shared sacrifice with banks playing their part. Will you use the tools that you have to make sure the banks in Canada play their fair part in fighting back against this crisis so that no one is left behind?
My final question is around the CERB, the emergency response benefit. As you know—and the minister has said this publicly—it's available to everybody who applies. You've referenced both seniors and students being left behind right now. Jagmeet Singh proposed that it be a universal benefit. Right now the structure is already in place. Will you look to put in place that benefit so that everybody can take advantage of it and actually access the emergency response benefit, and of course, as has already been proposed, have it taxed back if they don't need it when they file their income taxes this summer?
Thanks for being here, and thanks for answering my questions.