March 2nd, 2021
Island NDP MPs present plan to support small businesses through COVID and beyond
OTTAWA —Justin Trudeau’s Liberals go to great lengths for big corporations but, since the beginning of the pandemic, they’ve done the bare minimum for small businesses. Jagmeet Singh and the NDP fought successfully for small businesses by increasing the wage subsidy, delivering a rent subsidy and paid sick leave for workers who need it. Today, New Democrats released a plan to continue delivering help for small businesses that have been hit hard by the pandemic.
“As we aim for a recovery, we need to ensure our small businesses grow, innovate and stay competitive in Canada and around the world. New Democrats propose solutions to help small business, like universal pharmacare to reduce cost for small business owners, but the Liberals and Conservatives rush to block them. Small business is the engine of job creation in Canada and the NDP will do everything necessary to support it.” -NDP Critic for Small Business and MP for Courtenay-Alberni, Gord Johns.
While the Liberal government chose to help big corporations profiteering off the pandemic, Island MPs have fought for local businesses struggling to keep their doors open.
The NDP plan announced today includes an excess profit tax on pandemic profits made by huge corporations, extending the wage subsidy and rent subsidy programs until the pandemic is over, and a hiring bonus to pay the employer portions of Employment Insurance and the Canadian Pension Plan for new or rehired staff.
“It has been an incredibly difficult year for so many hard-working small business owners in our communities. Places like Tidal Café in Comox have shown so much resiliency just to survive. The least the government can do is to support these businesses and the local people that they employ. Our plan is designed to make their lives easier as we build toward economic recovery.” -North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney
“The Old Firehouse Wine bar in Duncan is one of those wonderful small businesses that people just love to visit. New Democrats have been fighting for small businesses all across the country because we understand that these places drive our local economies. These business owners have put so much into their businesses and they can count on New Democrats to have their backs.” -Cowichan-Malahat-Langford MP Alistair MacGregor. “