I think we have witnessed, both at the stage of consultation and confirmed here again by the minister today, that this is clearly the first step where this government, the minister, and the department are going to start to whittle away at the small businesses. We know that in the election campaign, the Liberals campaigned on a reduction in the small business tax and joined with the other two parties, and then they reneged on that commitment when it came time to present a budget.
We also know that when the current Prime Minister was campaigning, he used a phrase along the lines that small businesses were nothing but a tax dodge, and I think we are seeing here the first evidence of that thought. I would put all small businesses on notice to watch out for budget 2017, because today it's the group medical structures, and tomorrow, who knows what it's going to be? Our witnesses before the committee last week said that they believed it was an unintended consequence. It is clearly not an unintended consequence. This is clearly designed to take away a small business deduction from a group of practitioners who are simply organized in this fashion so that they can deliver better health care to Canadians.
I think it is absolutely ludicrous that the government would carry through with this kind of initiative. In my view, this is the first of what we will see consistently going forward over the next three years: an attack on small businesses, an attempt to bring in more revenue by hitting small businesses. I want to go on record, as part of this discussion, to say that the Liberal members of Parliament will pay the price for this in the next election.
I would like to ask, Mr. Chairman, that we have a recorded vote on this particular clause.