The Economy  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I must once again tell our esteemed Conservative colleagues that it is important—

The Economy  Madam Speaker, should I continue, or do you want me to ask another colleague to respond?

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, let me just point out a few things. First of all, in our fall economic statement, we offered extensive financial information, including extensive five-year fiscal forecasts, which took into account varying possibilities on the virus resurgence scenario. The second thing I would like to say is our government has been there for Canadians throughout this crisis and we will continue to be there for Canadians.

Financial Institutions  Mr. Speaker, I strongly agree with the member opposite about the important role that credit unions play, certainly in rural communities, and also in municipalities across the country. Credit unions are an essential part of the Canadian economy and of Canadian communities, and I am very glad to hear the member offering suggestions on how we can allow credit unions to do an even better job serving their members.

Taxation  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite virtually for his sincere concern for the Canadians who are hardest hit by this COVID recession. Let me assure the member opposite virtually that our government absolutely does believe, as we said in the fall economic statement, that there are some additional tax measures we need to put in place.

Taxation  Mr. Speaker, the member opposite's question is a really important one. I want to thank every single Canadian, whether they live in Windsor or anywhere else, for following the essential advice from public health authorities to stay home when we can to protect ourselves and protect our neighbours.

Finance  Mr. Speaker, I want to note two things. First, we received an extraordinary response from Canadians during our pre-budgetary consultations and I want to thank all Canadians who took part. Second, if the Conservatives truly want to support Canadians, and they need support during this crisis, they should support Bill C-14.

Employment  Mr. Speaker, let me first correct the record and point out that at 64.3%, Canada has a higher labour force participation rate than Germany, at 56.1%, the United States, at 61.3%, and Japan, at 62%. Let me also say this. I absolutely believe that every Canadian who is unemployed is facing a personal tragedy.

Employment  Mr. Speaker, let me share a very important statistic with the member opposite and all Canadians. In the fourth quarter, Canada's GDP grew at an annualized rate of nearly 10%. That was higher than the GDPs of the U.S., the U.K., Germany, France and Italy. I would like to congratulate the Canadians whose hard work and innovative approach made that possible, and I would like to say to all members of the House, particularly the Conservatives, that by supporting Bill C-14 we can all support those hard-working Canadians.

Finance  Mr. Speaker, the federal government continues to assess the economic impact of regional lockdowns, the emergence of new variants of the virus and the accelerated vaccine rollout. We thank all Canadians for their contribution to the pre-budgetary consultations. The date of the budget will be announced in due course.

Women and Gender Equality  Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to hear the Conservatives focusing on a central preoccupation of our government, which is the uneven impact of this pandemic on women. That is why I was so delighted to announce yesterday with my colleague, the Associate Minister of Finance, the creation of a task force on women and the economy that will focus on precisely this issue.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, we are definitely listening. I am so grateful to the Canadians who have participated with such enthusiasm in our pre-budget consultations. We have received more than 58,000 written submissions. We are working hard with Canadians from coast to coast to coast. Let me just say that our priority today is to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to support Canadian workers and Canadian businesses, so let us get Bill C-14 passed so that we can do that.

Small Business  Mr. Speaker, let me start by saying that our government agrees with the leader of the NDP that it is absolutely essential to support small businesses. That is why I would like to call on all members of the House to join us in supporting Bill C-14. Small businesses need it. Let me say that we are here for small businesses, and let me point to just one program, the CEBA.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, I cannot speak for the misery on the other side of the House, but let me just say that on our side of the House, we are so grateful to Canadians for their hard work and resilience. Thanks to that hard work and the strong support from our government, let me share the great news with the House that in the fourth quarter of last year, our GDP grew by nearly 10%.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, let me urge the member opposite to take a closer look at the international data. Canada has a higher labour force participation rate, at 64.3%, which is a higher rate than Germany, the U.S. and Japan. Canada has recovered 71% of the jobs lost in the wake of the pandemic.