Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
My first question is for Mr. Bourbeau from Restaurants Canada.
I just want to make sure I am understanding your requests.
First of all, you are asking for an extension, given that 20% of the people you surveyed will not be able to meet the deadline to pay back the loan from the Canada emergency business account.
You are asking for a break on the excise tax on alcohol, which normally increases with the rate of inflation.
You're also requesting that SMEs be taxed at a lesser rate, going from 9% to 8%.
I will be honest with you. I speak with restaurateurs almost every day and they talk to me about their staffing problems. Yet I don't see this issue in any of your three priorities.
Have you spoken to your members? Your requests do not in any way reflect the situation that we are experiencing. I am therefore left wondering whether or not staffing shortages are a big problem for Restaurants Canada?