Proceedings of the House and Committees  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. In our discussions with the government, we talked about holding the first virtual sitting next week and then holding two virtual sittings per week, starting on the following week. I imagine that was for technical reasons, to give House of Commons staff the chance to get everything set up.

Proceedings of the House and Committees  Mr. Speaker, I thank the NDP leader for his question. In Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, and in several other ridings, jobs are created mainly by SMEs. At this time they are experiencing very high levels of stress and anxiety. May 1 is around the corner and they do not know if they will be able to pay their rent.

Proceedings of the House and Committees  Madam Speaker, as all parliamentarians here in the House have done, I would like to dedicate the first part of my speech to the victims of the appalling shooting that took place in Nova Scotia today and to their families. We are already going through difficult times as a community and a society.

Proceedings of the House and Committees  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Burnaby South for his excellent speech. I would like him to explain to us why the current situation provides us with an opportunity, despite all the tragedy and the fact that this crisis is unprecedented. Often, crises enable us to make fundamental changes.

Proceedings of the House and Committees  Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her speech and say that we share her concerns about seniors, especially those living in long-term care homes. This situation has been dragging on for years, along with underfunding, worker shortages and gruelling working conditions.

Proceedings of the House and Committees  Madam Speaker, the Conservative Party is the official opposition here in the House, and, to be perfectly honest, I have had just about enough of its childishness and obstruction when people are dying out there and others are risking their lives to care for the sick, including elderly people in seniors' homes and long-term care facilities.

Proceedings of the House and Committees  Mr. Speaker, you almost moved me into the riding of the Bloc Québécois leader. I am not the member for Beloeil—Chambly, I still represent the riding of Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie. I have a question for the government leader in the House. Our parliamentary system is based on ministerial responsibility.

COVID-19 Emergency Response Act, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech. I have a specific question for her. If a business wants to receive the emergency wage subsidy, it will have to prove a drop in revenue. Community groups, non-profit organizations and food banks may have a hard time proving a drop in revenue.

COVID-19 Emergency Response Act, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I was wondering whether what he was really asking was that I turn down the volume during question period from now on. Individually and collectively, we need to learn from this crisis in order to make better decisions for what happens next.

COVID-19 Emergency Response Act, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, that is an excellent suggestion. Sometimes there is a completely indecent accrual of profit and capital, while there are people living in poverty who do not have the bare minimum they need to survive. It is a give and take. If the government helps banks to prevent too much bankruptcy and job loss, then I think that the banks should stop coming up with ways to send their profits and their CEOs' money to tax havens so that they do not have to pay taxes in Canada.

COVID-19 Emergency Response Act, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, that statement carries a lot of historic weight. I hope that we will have the wisdom to come to the same conclusion. Taking an exclusively neo-liberal approach erodes a society, a community.

COVID-19 Emergency Response Act, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, I believe my colleague spoke earlier about the difficulties being experienced by small and medium-sized businesses in his riding and across the country. What can the federal government do to help them pay their rent since about 70% of them will likely be unable to pay their commercial rent on May 1?

COVID-19 Emergency Response Act, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, I would first like to emphasize the severity of the crisis that we are all experiencing. Neither we nor our parents have ever seen its like. The only comparable situation seems to be the Spanish flu, which hit just over a century ago. Tens of thousands of people are getting sick, thousands of people are being hospitalized and many people are dying.

COVID-19 Pandemic  Mr. Chair, I realize the government has good intentions and wants to do the right thing, but the criteria are unclear and a moving target. The information is contradictory. Would it not have been simpler to implement a universal measure and then get money back from people who did not need it through taxes?

COVID-19 Pandemic  Mr. Chair, can a group of artists or a group of musicians who get their income from performing at festivals or selling recordings, for example, but whose members are not officially wage earners, apply for the 75% wage subsidy?