A number of programs have been advanced at different times in our history, both in Canada and around the world, that have seen governments take equity stakes in companies. As a rule of thumb, I find that government is not as good at running businesses as businesses are that have their own skin in the game.
To date, the supports we have designed have not been treated like investments that the government is making with a view to earning money. They are investments that we have made to ensure certain social circumstances don't become apparent. We're trying to essentially adopt a mindset that households are too big to fail and that businesses need to be protected. Our goal at present is not to buy securities in businesses that are in trouble; our goal is to support those who are in dire need of support to avoid the circumstance of not being able to afford the cost of living or to support businesses may be forced to close permanently.
To the extent that you or your colleagues from the Bloc or other parties have helpful suggestions on where taking an equity stake in certain kinds of troubled businesses may be appropriate, I'd be interested to consider those proposals in further detail, but until I have firm details before me to consider, it's hard to pass judgment on the appropriateness of any one particular proposal.