Claude DeBellefeuille, Member of Parliament for Salaberry-Suroît, deplored an economic statement that ignores the urgencies facing Quebecers, while ignoring each and every one of the demands expressed by the affected communities and supported by the Bloc Québécois. 

Claude DeBellefeuille and his Bloc Québécois colleagues had put forward the idea of an acquisition fund for non-profit organizations, as well as an interest-free or very low-interest loan program to stimulate the construction of affordable social rental housing. "The Liberals do propose a few new measures, but none of them take effect before 2025-2026. This doesn't measure up to the urgency of the situation. The party also called for an emergency fund to support municipalities in the face of rising homelessness. They also continue to ignore the magnitude of the housing crisis, as well as the increased, even dramatic, need for homelessness as winter approaches," denounced Ms. DeBellefeuille.  

Our businesses and media at risk 

Last week, Claude DeBellefeuille was joined by the heads of the Vaudreuil-Soulanges and Beauharnois-Salaberry-Haut Saint-Laurent chambers of commerce and industry to request a one-year respite and greater reimbursement flexibility, without loss of subsidy, for SMEs that used the emergency account during the pandemic. Also, to deal with the crisis threatening the media, the Bloc Québécois is asking the Trudeau government for a $50 million emergency fund, even before launching the Estates General. "We will continue to speak out on behalf of local entrepreneurs, who are warning that Ottawa's intransigence will put many of our businesses at risk as early as 2024. Nor will we give up the fight for the survival of both local and regional news," declared MNA DeBellefeuille.  

Missed opportunities 

The Bloc Québécois demanded that the increase in old-age pensions for seniors aged 75 and over be applied from age 65. It also called for an end to all direct and indirect subsidies to the oil industry, and the redirection of funds to the fight against climate change. "At least Ottawa isn't offering more taxpayers' money to the oil companies, which don't need the help. But the Liberals are confirming that they're going ahead with the already announced sums in their futile quest to make oil green. If only Justin Trudeau were as attentive to the needs of seniors as he is to those of the oil companies..." denounced the MNA for Salaberry-Suroît.     

"Justin Trudeau confuses budgetary rigor with inaction in the face of emergencies. The Liberals are not proposing any structuring measures to deal with the housing crisis and the meteoric rise in homelessness. They remain intransigent towards SMEs that cannot repay emergency account loans, even if it means risking a wave of bankruptcies. They won't stop the bloodshed in our newsrooms and media. They offer no respite from the cost of living, especially for seniors. They confirm the fossil fuel subsidies set out in the last budget, rather than redeploying the money. The Bloc Québécois will evaluate the meager new announcements on their merits, but denounces a statement disconnected from the urgent needs of Quebecers," concluded Mr. Blanchet.