Mr. Chair, small businesses and the people who run them are key to our communities and they need help paying their bills right now. They need more help than just the loans the government is offering. According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, even with the help already being provided, 42% of small businesses are worried that they will have to permanently close. Only six in 10 businesses were in a position to pay their commercial rent in full for April. Nearly 70% of over 25,000 businesses surveyed expected to default on their leases by May 1.
Will the government follow the example of other countries such as France, the U.K., Denmark and Australia, which have all taken action to provide relief and subsidies to help small businesses with their commercial rents so they can survive these unprecedented times?