It was agreed, — That a proposed budget in the amount of $ 5,025.00, for the study of Bill C-14, An Act to implement certain provisions of the economic statement tabled in Parliament on November 30, 2020 and other measures, be adopted.

Eric Paquet, Victoria Morton, Kevin Ladner, Tara Benham, Donna Lee Demarcke, and James Cohen made statements and, with Jean-Michel Ryan, answered questions.

At 4:01 p.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 4:05 p.m., the sitting resumed.

Judith Coates, Evan Siddall, Pascale St-Onge, and Dan Clement made statements and, with Brenda Slater and Nancy Wilson, answered questions.

The Chair presented the Fourth Report from the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure, which read as follows:

Your Subcommittee met on Wednesday, March 31, 2021, to consider the business of the committee and agreed to make the following recommendations:

1. That the committee continue and expand its study of Covid-19 Spending and Programs to include additional topics such as quantitative easing, renaming the study as “COVID-19 Spending, Programs, and Related Monetary Policy”;and that the analysts provide the committee with a list of witness proposals presented to the committee during its study in order to assess the need for an interim report;
   
   
2. That witnesses for the expanded COVID-19 expenses study be provided to the clerk before 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 8, 2021;
   
   
3. That the committee set aside time to debate the motions of Peter Julian (tax evasion) and Julie Dzerowicz (interprovincial trade barriers);
   
   
4. That the committee not meet during the week of April 5-9, 2021;
   
   
5. That the committee hold a meeting to study the Main Estimates and invite the Minister of Finance and senior officials;
   
   
6. That, when the Budget Implementation Act is reffered to the committee, it take precedence over any other committee business;
   
   
7. That the committee adopt the two following motions of Mr. Gabriel Ste-Marie:
   
   
   1. That, in the same spirit as the referred motion of the House following the passage of the COVID-19 Emergency Measures Act (Royal Assent March 25, 2020), and the COVID-19 Emergency Measures Act No. 2 (Royal Assent April 11, 2020), the committee request the following organizations: Business Development Bank of Canada, Export Development Canada, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, and the Bank of Canada, in both official languages, to provide to members of the committee a report on the status of liquidity support measures resulting from the programs established in response to the fight against COVID-19 on a monthly basis, and in the same format as formerly provided reports.
      
      
   2. That, in the same spirit as the referred motion of the House following the passage of the COVID- 19 Emergency Measures Act (Royal Assent March 25, 2020) and the COVID-19 Emergency Measures Act No. 2 (Royal Assent April 11, 2020), the committee request the Department of Finances, in both official languages, to provide to members of the committee a report on the state of spending and programs established in response to the fight against COVID-19 on a monthly basis, and in the same format as formerly provided reports. The information in the report should include:
      
      
      • Program amount concerning health and security expenses linked to COVID-19;
      • Direct support measures to businesses and people;
      • Sub-categorize section for sector support;
      • Government liquidity measures;
      • Government extraordinary borrowing operations.
        
        

It was agreed, — That the Fourth Report from the subcommittee be concurred in.