Free market my cheeks:

" The federal government itself contributes to making it more difficult for small businesses to get financing because of the the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC), expansion of mortgage credit. With no risk to their investment in government-backed mortgages, the banks have a government-created incentive to focus on mortgage lending and not on SME lending.
 
This has resulted in the allocation of capital away from more productive uses such as business investment, reducing Canada’s productivity rate and diminishing long-term prosperity.
 
In short, banks would rather invest in mortgages at no risk to themselves, leaving all the risk with taxpayers, rather than financing small and medium-sized businesses. This in turn has reduced the amount of capital for more productive uses, such as machinery and equipment."