With the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loan repayment deadline only one month away, Canada’s NDP is urging deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland and federal minister for small business Rechie Valdez to extend the repayment deadline and loan forgiveness to help local businesses.
“As we go into the holidays, business owners are having to consider if they’ll have to close shop in the new year, and their workers are worried about if they’ll have a job to return to,” stated North Island-Powell River MP Rachel Blaney in a media release. “People in our communities need support and understanding from the government. But what the Liberals are showing instead is just how out-of-touch they are.
"Justin Trudeau keeps saying no to extending CEBA, then turning around and finding money for ultra-rich consulting firms. Then there’s Pierre Poilievre and his corporate-controlled Conservatives, who, despite all their big claims, have sat quietly on the sidelines while businesses plead for help – but if rich corporations needed something, Poilievre and the Conservatives would jump at the chance to fight for them.
“New Democrats want real solutions that support local businesses and workers through these tough times. We’re calling on the government to extend the CEBA repayment deadline with the forgivable portion to support small businesses in the new year.”
While the Liberals are pushing small businesses to repay their loans, they’re handing out $21.6 billion in contracts to large consulting firms, the release stated. Cutting this spending by just four per cent would cover the costs of extending the CEBA deadline, according to the release.
For months, the Canadian Federation of Small Businesses (CFIB), local businesses, Canada’s NDP and every premier from across the country have called for a year-long CEBA extension to keep businesses afloat, the release stated. The Liberals have refused, while Poilievre and the Conservatives have been silent, according to the release.
Join the Peak's email list for the top headlines right in your inbox Monday to Friday.
