COVID-19 Pandemic  Mr. Speaker, we are in an extraordinary situation, one that was unimaginable just a few weeks ago and that has prompted us to take exceptional measures. I would like to come back to what I talked about eight days ago and remind the House that the government came here with a bill to subsidize 75% of the payroll of certain businesses in trouble.

COVID-19  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Bloc Québécois, there are several people I want to thank today. First and foremost, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank the health care professionals and caregivers in our hospitals and long-term care centres, as well as everyone on the front lines helping our seniors and those who are sick.

Proceedings of the House and Committees  Madam Speaker, I first want to commend my colleague for Shefford for her rather persuasive remarks. We all know that, during the pandemic, various levels of government provided assistance to all economic stakeholders in our communities. What surprises me is that, even though seniors are likely the ones being hit the hardest by this pandemic, they are still waiting for help.

Proceedings of the House and Committees  Madam Speaker, yesterday, Quebec reported 72 new COVID-19 deaths, bringing its total to 877. Quebec has hit its COVID-19 peak. In Montreal, there is no one on the streets and everyone, or almost everyone, is in lockdown, except for essential workers. People are making sacrifices to curtail the spread of the pandemic, and the regions are closed.

COVID-19 Emergency Response Act, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her comment and her question. While negotiating this bill, we wanted to make things better for small businesses. Many of them are in a very precarious position, which is why we asked the federal government to subsidize some of their fixed costs.

COVID-19 Emergency Response Act, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, I return the compliment. Back home, when negotiations are going poorly, we like to say that negotiating is like trying to eat an apple though a tennis racket. Negotiating is hard, but we end up reaching an agreement because we are reasonable people living in exceptional circumstances.

COVID-19 Emergency Response Act, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, my area is known as the garden of Quebec, because it is probably one of the most beautiful places in the world. At the very least, it is home to the best black soil in Quebec. When we talk about agriculture, an essential need and an economic activity that is often overlooked and neglected, we are obviously talking about an essential service.

COVID-19 Emergency Response Act, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, the situation is critical. Everyone here knows it. We are facing an unprecedented crisis. We are literally making history. People will be talking about this for years to come, 10, 20, 30 years down the road. Maybe I will not do it myself, but when this crisis is talked about in 30 years and explained to future generations, they will have a hard time believing that the streets of Montreal were deserted, that the movie theatres and restaurants were empty because everything was closed, and that we all stayed home, self-isolating.

COVID-19 Emergency Response Act, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, we all know that this is a huge crisis and that it is having a lasting impact on the economy. The government responded with some fairly strong measures, which is appreciated, and that is good. All the parties called for such measures, and we joined together to try to give our businesses some breathing room and ensure that workers are not left behind.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his comments and his question. He is right. It is unbelievable that some members on the other side boasted about how the rail crisis was managed. They found a way to brag about it. People will say that they were patient. They were not patient.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. Trans Mountain is obviously very problematic. The government will have to answer to the public. We want to get these figures to know how much an outmoded industry has been subsidized and how much Quebec taxpayers have paid to prop it up.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his questions. People usually think of me as an optimist, but the member opposite just called me a doomsayer. I absolutely cannot accept that. As for the money going to Quebec taxpayers, I can tell my colleague that if he tries to seek treatment in Quebec, he will find out that certain things need more money spent on them than they are getting at present.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, I would first like to say that I will be sharing my time with the member for Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques. We support this motion, where we see two important trends. The first is transparency, which we obviously support. In her remarks, the member for Laurentides—Labelle clearly stressed the benefits of transparency in politics.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, a month later, the blockade at Kahnawake has finally been lifted, but that does not mean that the rail crisis is over. Today, the government must take responsibility for its lack of leadership on this file. For example, in my riding, Exo spent more than $1 million to try to replace commuter trains.

Health  Mr. Speaker, we did not get an answer. We have not yet started dealing with the impact of the rail crisis and now the new coronavirus crisis is causing concern. This same government is the one managing our borders. This same government is the one managing our airports. This same government is the one that will be preventing the coronavirus from getting into the country.