I hope that things will be just as pleasant with me, Mr. Dicerni, but I doubt it, because Ms. LeBlanc is known for her gentleness.
You will have other things to talk to Mr. Bernier about, because I want to talk about the changes to the estimates that relate to the Canada Small Business Financing Act.
We can see a net reduction of $6.5 million in proposed contributions to lenders, dealing with claims for loans under the act. The act is intended to support small businesses looking for funding. It gives them loan guarantees, in fact.
Since the time when I was responsible for small business policy, I have been noticing that entrepreneurial activity in Canada is stagnant, even in decline in some parts of the country. It is quite a concern. Clearly, conditions are very difficult and not just when it comes to loans.
Is it not a mistake to reduce that funding, given that we had major problems with the loans made by financial institutions in the 2008 crisis?