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Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet holds a news conference on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, on May 25, 2020.
Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet condemned other political parties on Monday – particularly the Liberals and Conservatives – for accessing the taxpayer-funded wage subsidy program aimed at supporting workers and businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic.
At a news conference in Ottawa, Mr. Blanchet pointed out that the Liberals and the Conservatives both raised millions of dollars in political donations during the first three months of 2020 and should not be using the program.
Political donation records for those months show the Conservatives raised $3.8-million, the Liberals $2.9-million, the NDP $963,924, the Greens $576,644 and the Bloc $184,196.
“Critical is a very gentle word for the way I feel about that. I find it absolutely unacceptable,” Mr. Blanchet said.
“The money is not a gift provided to the people by the government because they are nice people. It is reserved for businesses, the companies and the people who really need it. And the Liberals don’t need it, and the Conservatives don’t need it. Maybe the NDP needs it. Maybe the Greens need it. We do not.”
The subsidy announced by the federal government is designed to help keep employees on the payroll and covers 75 per cent of wages for employees of eligible employers, including non-profit organizations and registered charities.
The Bloc Québécois has confirmed the party has not applied for the subsidy.
When asked Monday about the Liberals accepting the wage subsidy, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the program allows employees to remain connected to their employers and that it was established for non-profit organizations, charities and other businesses.
Mr. Trudeau also announced Monday that the federal government is in discussions to ensure every worker in Canada has access to 10 days of paid sick leave a year, should they need it.
On Friday, staff for the federal Liberals, Conservatives, NDP and Greens confirmed to The Globe and Mail that they have all applied for a taxpayer-funded wage subsidy while citing financial challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conservative leadership hopefuls Peter MacKay and Erin O’Toole said on Twitter over the weekend they both take issue with their party accepting the subsidy.
“Under my leadership, the Conservative Party will not take the subsidy and over time will repay the amount it has taken,” Mr. O’Toole said. “I call on all other parties to do the same.”
Mr. MacKay said his party cannot oppose taxpayer subsidies and then “support taxpayer subsidies of political parties.”
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh defended his party’s decision to use the wage subsidy.
“In terms of our party, it was a simple decision,” he said Monday.
“When we saw a loss of revenue at the party level and workers potentially being laid off, losing their jobs and having to go on other programs like the CERB, this is exactly what the wage subsidy is for – to ensure that workers remain connected to their jobs. And we believe that’s important.”
Green Party of Canada executive director Prateek Awasthi said Friday the party has applied for the wage-subsidy program but has not yet received the subsidy.
Scott Gottlieb says we will be better prepared for a second wave of COVID-19 in the fall, but a spike in new cases may also arrive at a time when other seasonal illness circulate. The head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration between 2017 and 2019 adds that Sweden leads Europe in coronavirus deaths despite attempts at herd immunity. The Globe and Mail
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