It is no secret; small and medium sized businesses have taken a hit during the COVID-19 pandemic.
These business owners are our family, friends, neighbours and fellow Saskatchewanians. They have done what they can to keep their staff employed, the economy running and food on our tables. For those of us who can, I believe it’s our turn to show them gratitude.
As the economy slowly reopens, shop local. As we start travelling throughout the province, visit a small or medium-sized business. As the weather starts warming up, search for opportunities to support local tourism and hospitality businesses. They have been impacted significantly and have stepped up for us during this time, so let’s step up for them.
Our Conservative team has and will always stand up for local business owners. Throughout the pandemic, we’ve proposed constructive solutions, such as allowing banks and credit unions to deliver loans until wage subsidies arrive, rebating the GST small businesses have collected in the last 12 months and connecting students to critical food supply chain jobs.
We will continue to stand up for Canadian employers and workers. Â
We cannot afford to have Liberal failures derail provincial efforts to get our country back on track, but that is exactly what federal programs are threatening to do. For example, for those Canadians who want to work, but who lost their jobs due to the pandemic, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and the Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB) both prevent people from earning more than $1,000 per month.
As businesses gradually re-open and have shifts to fill, their employees will be penalized for returning to work under the Liberals’ programs. That’s wrong. Liberal failures must be fixed before it is too late – Canada’s economic recovery depends on it.
The Eatery, one of my favourite restaurants in my home town of Meadow Lake, has been the perfect example of a small business rising to face this challenge. From introducing deliveries and curbside pickups, collecting non-perishables for the local foodbank and organizing a community cleanup initiative, it’s businesses like these that keep the hearts of our communities beating.
