The Trudeau government has remained secretive on the companies and causes that received billions in financial aid since the pandemic began.
According to investigations by the CBC, the government is not being transparent about where coronavirus aid money has gone. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has claimed it is still too early to give details with the pandemic ongoing.
“Now is the time for us to focus on what we can do going forward to save Canadian lives and to preserve the Canadian economy,” Freeland told the House of Commons.
“There will be a time for post-mortems, but while the plane is flying, one does not try to change the engine.”
Throughout the pandemic, Freeland has avoided giving details on her fiscal strategy, including how new aid programs will work and how much the government will spend.
Last week, the government projected the current deficit to be $381 billion, of which $240 billion was spent directly on pandemic relief programs.
Many government agencies refuse to say who has benefitted from these programs. When asked, the Export Development Corporation refused to name any companies that received the $31.6 billion Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA).
Further, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has redacted the names of landlords from a list of those who benefitted from a $2 billion rent-assistance program.
Conservatives have accused the Trudeau government of spending aimlessly and ignoring Canada’s skyrocketing debt, with Conservative leader Erin O’Toole suggesting the Liberals have no real plan to help the economy recover.
“Canadians want their lives back… And they have only asked one thing of this government, one simple thing: What is the plan?. As the red ink on our balance sheet turns to dark crimson… There’s no clarity or competence,” he said last week.
Conservative Finance Critic Pierre Poilievre says that too many months have gone by for the Trudeau government to keep hiding financial information from Canadians.
“The free ride is over. We should now expect to receive the data.”
