I'll say something on the amendment.
I don't see why we need to be playing a game of chicken with taxpayers and small businesses. We know that insolvencies are up. They are having a tougher and tougher time because of this government's high-tax, high-spend agenda.
I think that we should have this conversation again once inflation is down. Inflation is not down, as Mr. Blaikie pointed out. It's not within the target rate. The way the trend is going right now, it doesn't look like it's going to get there any time soon, so I think we should do everything we can to stand up for those struggling small businesses and not put more taxes and more burden on them. It's not just the small businesses that are suffering from this. Like I mentioned, there are many workers in ride-share companies and taxi drivers who I talk to all the time. They are seeing their business go down because they are seeing less and less business coming out of restaurants and bars.
I think we should do everything we can to defend their paycheques and make sure that their paycheques are more powerful. Unless inflation comes down to target, we should do everything we can to reduce people's taxes, not increase them.
We know that the carbon tax is also going to increase, on top of the payroll tax that happened January 1. That is less money in people's pockets as well.
We just had witnesses here who talked about shelter costs and then we talked about food. The increase in everything means less in people's pockets. If they want to enjoy those small things—I'm not a drinker myself—I will defend small businesses and Canadians to be able to enjoy those things that should not be a luxury in this country. It seems like we're moving more and more towards that.
I urge my colleagues to think about those Canadians and small businesses that are suffering. Let's not increase taxes. Let's do everything in this committee that we can so that we can decrease their taxes and make sure that they have more powerful paycheques.