Mr. Speaker, obviously, the Bloc Québécois strongly supports this measure. It will help those who need it. I have two questions for my colleague.
First, this measure will cost nearly $12 billion over six years, and the first payment will cost $3.1 billion. Why did the government not think to include this in the budget it tabled just three months ago? We want to have a clear picture of public finances so we know where we are headed. We already have a $78-billion deficit. Why was this not taken into consideration?
My second question relates to the answer my colleague just gave. Yes, people welcome the fact that they are receiving more money, but if they received this money every month, it would be even more helpful. Why? Those who need it use it to pay for groceries. When the benefit is paid out every three months, people max out their credit cards and accumulate interest. If it were paid out every month, they would have to pay far less interest. Why not make it a monthly payment?