Cowichan-Malahat-Langford Member of Parliament Alistair MacGregor held a Q&A on the federal governmentB次元官网网址檚 response to the COVID-19 in a livestream on Facebook on Wednesday afternoon.

Constituents have a lot of questions about some of the governmentB次元官网网址檚 initiatives, and MacGregor did his best to respond.

B次元官网网址淲hat IB次元官网网址檓 finding from my constituency office is that weB次元官网网址檙e getting a lot of requests for information,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎nd that information is very much evolving on a daily basis.B次元官网网址�

Help is on the way, MacGregor emphasized, although it may take some time to roll out.

B次元官网网址淭hese are very much unprecedented times,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎nd itB次元官网网址檚 important that in this time of uncertainty and high anxiety that our federal government is there to act as an economic backstop to really provide that reassurance that weB次元官网网址檙e gonna get through this together and weB次元官网网址檙e gonna put in place programs that are going to meet the needs of people who are very much suffering right now.B次元官网网址�

The New Democrats pressured the federal government to include several details in the Canada Emergency Response Benefit program, MacGregor noted, including increasing the wage subsidy to 75 per cent.

B次元官网网址淔rankly speaking, when the government came out with an initial proposal of 10 per cent, that wasnB次元官网网址檛 going to cut it,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭he economic crisis is so severe that just doing a 10 per cent wage subsidy, many small businesses, that wasnB次元官网网址檛 really going to add any value to them maintaining their operations. We want to see small businesses weather the storm, we want to see employees go back to their jobs, we want to make it as easy as possible for small businesses to keep their employees during this time, but also we want to make sure that when we get through this they can bounce back because they very much are the lifeblood of many of our small communities throughout the riding of Cowichan-Malahat-Langford.B次元官网网址�

The CERB is scheduled to roll out on April 6, and MacGregor vowed to keep his constituents updated through the process.

B次元官网网址淭he wage subsidy and the CERB are still lacking in a lot of details,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淵ou have to understand that the information that weB次元官网网址檙e getting on these two programs B次元官网网址� on how to apply, what the conditions are, these seem to be evolving on a daily basis, sometimes an hourly basis. I sometimes feel like sort of an air-traffic controller with the information; itB次元官网网址檚 coming out at the rate of a firehose, and what IB次元官网网址檓 trying to do as your Member of Parliament is to try and get that information and disseminate that in an easily digestible format.B次元官网网址�

Applications for the programs are not done through the MPsB次元官网网址� offices, but MacGregor said his office will provide information about how to apply, and help reach out to Service Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency. The office is not open for walk-ins right now, but MacGregorB次元官网网址檚 staff are checking phone messages and email frequently

The CERB is a step in the right direction, but MacGregor thinks more needs to be done, including action on mortgages and interest rates, particularly with credit cards.

B次元官网网址淭o the governmentB次元官网网址檚 credit, theyB次元官网网址檙e trying their best. Of course there is always room for improvement, and as your Member of Parliament, IB次元官网网址檒l be listening closesly to the feedback I receive from the small business owners in this riding, from the constituents in this riding, about whatB次元官网网址檚 working, whatB次元官网网址檚 not, and IB次元官网网址檒l be sure to convey that message, not only to my caucus colleagues because weB次元官网网址檙e talking to each other quite frequently, but also on the daily government technical briefings that IB次元官网网址檓 getting on these programs, your feedback will be really important to make sure that these programs are doing what theyB次元官网网址檙e supposed to.B次元官网网址�

He also urged constituents to remain hopeful.

B次元官网网址淭hese times are unprecedented. ItB次元官网网址檚 important that we try to look out for each other, that we maintain some optimism in getting through this, and just know that from our frontline healthcare workers to our muncipalities, our local government, First Nations, all the amazing volunteers who work for our community organizations, weB次元官网网址檙e all trying to pull together and work as best as we can through this.B次元官网网址�