COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, I will be splitting my time with the hon. member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes. My question is for either the Minister of Employment or the Minister of Finance. Can small business owners collect the emergency support benefit at the same time

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, interest rates on BDC loans are too high. What is the plan to bring them down so that Ottawa does not cripple small businesses?

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, unfortunately, rates as high as 17% are just too high when you add in that variable. Large businesses can see relief in this package, individuals can as well. What about small businesses? How are we going to help small businesses, micro businesses and mom-and-pop ope

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, COVID-19 is having immediate and devastating impacts on the tourism industry across Canada. Hotel and accommodations, restaurants, resorts and other attractions are all being hit hard by this terrible virus. With the busy summer tourism season quickly approaching a

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, the crisis is putting a massive burden on municipalities. Municipalities are being asked to help fund food banks, help the homeless, and to cancel water, sewer and garbage collection bills, and even property taxes. What is the government's plan to increase funding to

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, could the government tell me what measures it is going to put in place to help protect seniors, who make up a very vulnerable part of our population?

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, I will be splitting my time with the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan. I have three quick questions for the Minister of Finance. First, when will the government release the budget? Second, will it release a revised fiscal and economic update? Third, if s

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, this pandemic may push certain provinces into bankruptcy. What planning is the government undertaking in the event a province needs support?

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, food processors have been asked to maintain current staff levels to ensure Canada's food supply. Apparently, CFIA recently decided to reduce hours for inspectors in response to COVID-19. This is reducing food processing capacity. Will the government do something abou

COVID-19 Pandemic  . Has the government studied, and is the government preparing to adopt, the very successful containment model used by Asian democracies which also have more experience at pandemic control?

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, to emulate these models we need to have widely available testing and that just is not the case right now. Compared to the South Korean model, we have had very restrictive testing protocols in Canada. One front-line physician told me that he has to tell patients that

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, those numbers are not enough and the U.S. comparisons are not enough. I have a quick question for the finance minister. We know that the charitable sector is going to be struggling. Groups have proposed matching programs as well as an increase to the charitable t

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, people across the country are worried. They are losing their jobs and they need a clear message that they will have quick access to the promised assistance. We know that 80% of Canadians are $200 away from insolvency every month. The government needs to cut red tape

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, is the April 6 date announced by the Quebec premier realistic?

COVID-19 Pandemic  Madam Chair, two hours ago I got a message from a business owner who cannot sleep. He has 450 workers to lay off and another 100 to lay off early next week. He has serious doubts about the financial assistance that will be available for his employees in the next two or three week