NDP support ​for small business too little, too late

KAMLOOPS(December 23, 2021) 
The announcement of supports for businesses shut down by new public health restrictions once again shows John Horgan and the NDP ​are too slow to act, doing ​only the bare minimum to support small businesses and people impacted by COVID-19 restrictions.“We’ve seen this before, where the NDP make an announcement but the help is still months away and leaving thousands of businesses that are severely impacted by the restrictions — such as the live event sector, events planners and caterers, and travel agents — out in the cold without any support whatsoever,” said MLA Todd Stone, BC Liberal Critic for Jobs, Economic Recovery, and Innovation. “The government should have had a relief program in place​ ready to begin receiving applications​ the minute these restrictions were announced, but instead, businesses and workers in desperate need of help will be forced to wait weeks before they can even apply. Businesses forced to close — along with businesses in Northern Health that have already been impacted by restrictions for months — likely won’t see a penny of relief before the restrictions are set to expire on January 18, 2022, and that’s simply not good enough.”
Applications for the COVID-19 Closure Relief Grant will not begin until sometime in January 2022 and only $10 million has been budgeted for the program.
“In addition to the woefully inadequate supports being made available to businesses, we are also hearing from many constituents who are very concerned about their physical and mental health,” added Stone. “People want further rationale and greater data transparency from the government as to why gyms and fitness centers are subject to outright closures, while large events are only being scaled back to 50 percent capacity.”As well, Stone notes the premier promised not to add any new costs of any kind to employers who are struggling to stay alive during the pandemic, but he is doing the exact opposite by imposing the full costs of paid sick leave on small businesses during this fifth wave.
“We all want employees who are sick to stay home, that’s the right thing to do,” concluded Stone. “However, the pandemic is clearly not over and small businesses who are struggling to pay their staff can’t afford the additional costs being imposed by the NDP. Government should do the right thing, honor Horgan’s promise, and cover sick pay costs until the pandemic is over.
Source: Siyun Zeng, BC Liberal Caucus