OTTAWA, ON: Canadian Taxpayers Federation Federal Director Aaron Wudrick released the following statement in response to the draft bill to be tabled in the House of Commons today with respect to measures to support Canadians during the coronavirus crisis:

“We are in an emergency situation and all parties need to work together to produce legislation that will help Canadians.

“While the final text of the bill has not yet been released, media outlets have reviewed a draft of the bill and widely reported details that are extremely troubling. Specifically, these reports state that the draft bill contains language that would give cabinet unprecedented and extreme powers to tax, spend and accumulate debt without parliamentary oversight for as long as 21 months.

“This is completely unacceptable. We urge the Trudeau government to withdraw or amend all parts of this bill that undermine parliamentary accountability. If this is not done, we urge all opposition members to oppose the bill.

“All Canadians stand together in the fight against the coronavirus and we need robust government accountability to keep Canada strong during this crisis.”