By Carl Meyer, National Observer, March 25, 2020
Finance Minister Bill Morneau says Canada’s emergency COVID-19 legislation won’t “discriminate” between businesses, after he was challenged on Wednesday by a senator to ensure it wouldn't bail out "sunsetting, high-polluting industries."
Canadians must be able to afford food right now, Morneau told the Senate of Canada on Wednesday, and if a wide range of businesses, including those in the energy sector, aren’t offered immediate support, the country will experience even steeper levels of unemployment.
By repeatedly naming the oil and gas industry as a critical sector in need of support, however, the government has already tipped its hand, nonprofit Oil Change International told National Observer.