New Wage Subsidy Legislation

When our Conservative MPs received an original draft of the government’s wage subsidy bill, it was clear that it would not address the needs of small businesses. After intense negotiations led by us, Prime Minister Trudeau announced additional changes to the wage subsidy.  Previously the government said that businesses would have to show a 30 per cent drop in revenues compared to this time last year, which some start-ups and new businesses would not be able to do.  Companies will now be able to compare their lost revenue to what they made in January and February of 2020, and will only need to show a 15 per cent decline in March.

Last Saturday, a select number of our Conservative Opposition MPs returned to Parliament for yet another emergency sitting, this time to fix the mistakes the government had made in rushing through its original COVID-19 support legislation. During that hastily conceived first effort, the Prime Minister had tried to eliminate any parliamentary scrutiny of his taxation, borrowing and spending powers. We resisted, and the original emergency bill was passed without eliminating parliamentary oversight.

Shortly thereafter, the Prime Minister announced he was changing the entire policy.  Now his government wanted to fix its original legislation with a second emergency bill. That’s exactly what happens when you try to shove Parliament to the side.  When there is no debate, no discussion and no opportunity for regular questions from the Opposition, there is no way to improve legislation and deliver better outcomes for all Canadians.

We Conservatives have been part of Team Canada since Day 1, putting forward constructive solutions to improve the government’s COVID-19 support programs. We look forward to the government starting to implement our suggestions so that no one falls through the cracks.

We will continue to make suggestions that will give real help to Canadians affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The Team Canada approach to this pandemic must include Opposition parties.  It must also include scrutiny and accountability. We expect that the government will agree to basic parliamentary oversight and increased transparency measures going forward.

A Team Canada approach means regular opportunities to question the Prime Minister and ministers in the House of Commons on all aspects of the government’s response to COVID-19.  It also means weekly meetings of parliamentary committees, where MPs have the ability to present motions, call witnesses, and question ministers and key officials.

Transparency, accountability and oversight are not optional.  We hope that all parties will agree that they are essential in a fully functioning democracy like ours.