Let me just give a couple of details from them that I think are relevant. Then I have a couple of questions that relate to this.
In one report, we see that 87% of small and medium-sized enterprises oppose the carbon tax. Seventy per cent disagree that carbon pricing is a good way to reduce emissions and address climate change. Also, 83% indicated that they've already done all they can to reduce their carbon emissions. Eighty per cent think that they cannot pass on those costs to their customers. Seventy-one per cent felt that the introduction of a carbon tax will actually make it harder for them to make further investments to reduce their emissions.
In regard to the restaurant report, it indicates that about 10,000 restaurant jobs have been lost in Alberta since 2015. That's obviously based on.... There are already razor-thin margins in that industry, and one of the biggest extra costs that's been imposed upon them, of course, is related to the carbon tax and the fact that energy use is a pretty significant cost in restaurants, as is the shipping for a lot of the products they use. They feel that in many cases that's pushing them to the point where there is just no profit margin left.
We're being asked here to approve $11 million in new spending on this Liberal fuel charge and carbon tax. In fact, exactly what we're being asked for in supplementary estimates (B) is $10.8 million in funding to administer the federal fuel charge. Further, the Department of Finance is requesting $385,000 for pricing carbon pollution and supporting clean growth.
My questioning is around that. Can you tell me why CRA is requesting almost $11 million to administer the fuel charge? Are there new regulations that require this money?