Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to all of you for being here, and thank you for your presentations. Certainly, I do have some questions.
I'll start with you, Charlotte. Given that tourism is so important in my riding, and it's certainly something that I've worked closely on with your industry, I want to start with you.
I know one of the questions you were asked was about competitiveness for businesses and some of the things that would be considered there. When we look at the proposals we've seen from the Liberal government in terms of the small business tax changes, I have a serious concern about competitiveness for Canadian businesses, our economy in general, and the health of our communities in terms of the contributions that small businesses make, not only to the economy but also to local sports teams and charities. Those need to be considered fully and properly before making such massive and major changes.
I know that for tourism, small businesses play an important role. In fact, about 10% of small and medium-sized businesses in Canada are in the tourism sector, so that's obviously very significant. I wonder if maybe you could comment on what kind of impact you think those tax changes will have on the tourism industry. Do you think there would be a negative impact?
Also, given that these consultations took place over the summer, in the tourism high season, I'm sure many tourism operators haven't had the opportunity yet to really fully digest and consider them. Do you think there's been sufficient time given to consult with the tourism industry on these changes, or should there be an extended period of time for consultation on that?