Mr. Speaker, I have been listening patiently to all the speeches since the beginning of the debate, and I must say that I am disappointed. As you know, the Bloc Quebecois supported the principle of this legislation and tried to have some amendments passed. Not only did the government party not bother to consider these amendments, it did not even take into account the work conducted by one of its own departments.
I listened to the comments made by our colleagues from the Reform Party, who were against the bill at the beginning, and I read their amendments, with which I disagree. They made many interesting remarks, but there is one fundamental thing I cannot accept.
They contend that, as flawed as it may be, such a bill is essential but that, with lower EI and pension contributions, small and medium size businesses would no longer need government guarantees to secure equipment, rental and leasehold improvement loans. But these are two completely different matters.
The Small Business Loans Act, which was passed back in 1961—no party can therefore claim it as theirs—has served Canadians well.
In preparation for this morning's fascinating meeting, I read three brochures, including one from Industry Canada.
When I was young, my first job was in the field of economic history. It is most interesting to note how much this program has been used by successive governments to stimulate the economy after hard times. That is normal.
Governments are not the ones that create employment, but it is true that they can make it either easier or harder for businesses to create jobs. Governments—and by this I mean all governments—are always faced with the challenge of deciding which types of incentive programs would best help the private sector, companies, banks or other lenders, to create jobs. That is what I want to address. I shall try to be equal to the challenge of explaining to the two or three people listening in Canada a bit of what is going on here.