Finance committee  I would answer it with a different approach. We also believe there are some unnecessary taxes in the system, as we've highlighted, such as the tariffs that are certainly no longer performing the function for which they were originally intended. We believe this is an opportunity to further lessen the tax burden—

Finance committee  Absolutely. As was indicated in that budget, we believe that was a pilot approach to demonstrate the positive work. As we've indicated, there continues to be an opportunity to remove those taxes.

Finance committee  No, to clarify this, it is the recommendations we've made in the four areas, where we believe that a 17% and 18% tariff rate on things like linens, mitts, and gloves, etc., is unnecessary taxation in the system. If we remove that we are going to see benefits to both consumers and business.

Finance committee  We have seen an increase in purchases made by credit, now being about 50% of total purchases. We have seen that shift. We have seen two major shifts within that, the increase of premium cards being almost 30% of the credit card volume. We've seen a shift to smaller and smaller purchases being put on credit.

Finance committee  Certainly we believe there's an opportunity as more people work. We have not consulted our members on the 50-50 split.

Finance committee  We're seeing the vacancies concentrated in geographic “hot spots” as we refer to them—areas that would come as no surprise to the committee—as well as in specific skill areas, a few of which I mentioned earlier. We believe there is an opportunity to look at that and to ensure that as those vacancies are identified, the programs and policies that have been put in place by the government, such as the temporary foreign worker program, allow for those unique needs to be met.

Finance committee  We have surveys from our members where they have indicated that in a savings comparison of like-for-like products, we do see a direct reduction in prices as tariffs are eliminated. They were some of the examples that I provided.

Finance committee  There is no standardized definition of local that I'm aware of, but certainly any claims that are made by local have to be backed up by that explanation, whether it's within a region such as Atlantic Canada, to continue with your example. There is indeed a lot of work that our members support both from not only purchasing local products, but also supporting local campaigns and various other activities within the community.

Finance committee  The short answer is that Canadians do like to purchase products that are made in their own country, whether they're manufactured or they're grown from a grocery perspective, or other aspects. I believe there is an opportunity to continue to promote products that are made in this country.

Finance committee  Yes. I'm sorry for the interruption.

Finance committee  The reduction was $79 million, as you indicated. The Department of Finance has indicated that the change from GPT to MFN, which I referred to in my opening remarks, would result in an additional $333 million in revenue being collected. Those changes come into effect on January 1 of the coming year, 2015.

Finance committee  Yes. Any time you tax a job, it is a difficult balance to achieve.

Finance committee  We know this is a very active file that the Department of Finance is looking at. I won't prejudge the outcome of those discussions. We are supportive of the commitment to reduce acceptance costs for merchants, and we do believe there is lots of international experience that suggests they can be brought down significantly.

Finance committee  Yes. In the retail community we see a variety of types of jobs, very specific ones involving members such as bakers and meat cutters, to use a couple of grocery examples. So yes, we would agree with that.

Finance committee  The key ones we have listed are where we see tariffs in that 17% to 18% range—so linens and footwear, for example, where the price gap between Canada and the U.S. is compounded by those tariffs. We believe that they are really just adding an unnecessary tax to our economy. It is an opportunity to continue the work that was identified both by the Senate report and the government budget of last year to level that playing field between Canada and the U.S. by addressing those tariffs in that double-digit range.