Debates of March 24, 2004 (day 7)

Mahsi Cho, Mr. Speaker. Today, I would like to speak about debt-free payment and the Business Credit Corporation. I think we all recognize the importance of small business to our economic growth. I think we would all agree that this government should take every opportunity to support our northern entrepreneurs; to advocate for the small businesses.

Having said that, Mr. Speaker, I have a situation in one of my communities that I represent where several small businesses have borrowed money and, through no fault of their own, their business ventures have failed. They did have loans with the Business Credit Corporation. Recently, in our House, we debated extensively how we allowed a huge loan to lapse and grant the proponents a very lenient solution for their cash flow problems. Yet, here at the small business level, at the community level, we use the fullest extent of the law in our system to recover whatever we can from them. To coin the phrase, Mr. Speaker, we want their firstborn. I would just like to point out this glaring inconsistency in how we do business, and I want to ensure the public and my constituents that the government is indeed on notice, and we cannot govern with two standards. Mahsi cho.

---Applause