Thank you, Mr. Chair.
We would like to restore the balance of Bill C-60 to what it was before. I feel that it worked very well.
Earlier, the NDP member reflected my own thoughts very well when he spoke about how important credit unions are in small communities. There are 51 municipalities in my riding, and at least 35 of them have no financial institution except the credit union. So we are not talking about competing with other financial companies.
This bill will have an effect on the dividends that go back to their members. By members, I include small businesses taking out loans. For example, a loan of $150,000 or $175,000 can result in a rebate to a business of $2,200 to $2,500 at year end. That is a significant amount for an SME. If they can no longer count on the dividends, economic development will be hurt.
I do not want this deduction to be progressively eliminated; I want it to be maintained as it is at the moment.
Thank you.