Thank you, Chair.
To Mr. Wilkes and Mr. Brakel as well, thank you for your comments at the opening of your statements. I think they're well received, certainly by myself and my colleagues.
The work continues. So now we've heard from the restaurant association, from Mr. Wilkes and his association, as well as from Ms. Pohlmann, on these merchant fees, these pesky merchant fees. Help us understand exactly the prescription that we need to write.
Ms. Pohlmann, maybe you can start us off. Why is this such an intractable problem? Why is it so hard to stand up to these credit card companies and the banks that collect the fees, and help Canadian consumers out? Why has the government struggled with this?