Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux says there's a lack of clear precedent for the program, which aims to give small businesses a break on their rent amid the pandemic.

The party heads say they don't have any plans to apply for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh also faced questions on Monday about why his party is accessing the federal COVID-19 emergency wage subsidy program.

A UCP spokesperson said the party is applying for the subsidy as its fundraising opportunities have been restricted during the pandemic.

The Bloc Québécois says it won't seek funding to pay its employees.

A labour code exemption would void the requirement of 16 weeks notice for terminating more than 50 workers, a union official said.

"Our focus throughout this entire pandemic has been the safety and security of Canadians," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday.

The prime minister says the idea is to give employers more runway, and confidence to resume operations slowly if they have to.

The prime minister said that employers have applied for subsidies for almost 2 million workers.

The coronavirus has caused revenue to plunge and staff to be laid off at numerous Saskatchewan craft breweries.