Minister, 200,000 businesses went into debt to pay back their loan. We talked about 80%, but that percentage is either fallacious or misleading, because it takes into account people who remortgaged their homes to pay back the loan. There are risks; it’s not inconsequential. It’s like paying a credit card with another credit card. On an economic level, it’s not a good solution.
Small businesses weren’t the only ones who got the loan; festival organizers did too, for example. These organizations breathe life into our communities.
Minister, did you consider what would cost more: let businesses go bankrupt or set up a direct helpline quickly so that people can talk to someone? In some cases, people lost their subsidy because they were a few days late.
Could we not show a little humanity and flexibility?