Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Madam Minister, thank you for being here and for your opening remarks. I also appreciate your willingness to answer our questions.
The Bloc Québécois believes that it is important to follow up on the support measures for the sectors, for the workers and for the businesses that are still experiencing difficulties because of the pandemic. Bill C‑2 will address that, which is important to us.
As we have said time and time again, we could have started work on Bill C‑2 earlier if the House had been called back sooner after the election, instead of waiting two months. Nevertheless, we supported the principle of the bill. We are here to study it, and we are very pleased to do so.
As you know, the leader of the Bloc Québécois, my colleague Ms. Sinclair‑Desgagné and I sent you a letter expressing our concerns about Bill C‑2. You addressed the issues in your remarks, and I thank you for that effort. I appreciate that very much. I would like us to go back to it together, to determine your position and the government's position on it.
As you mentioned, our biggest concern is for self‑employed cultural workers. We are very pleased to see that Bill C‑2 targets the cultural sector with more generous measures. This is what we have been asking for.
We are very disappointed that the bill does not provide income support for self‑employed workers in the cultural sector. In Quebec, a few years ago, these people, particularly artisans in the sector, were asked to become self‑employed, freelance workers. At the outset, we wondered why they were not offered the Canadian recovery benefit (CRB). We were told that the department and the federal government would not be able to properly target people working in those sectors. What are you offering those people?
We don't want them to find a job in another sector, to retrain. In recent decades, in Quebec, we have managed to consolidate the cultural sector, and we want to maintain the expertise. That is why I am asking you this question.
Thank you, Madam Minister.