Thanks so much.
Thank you to all the witnesses for being here today.
Just before asking my question, I want to continue on the subject that Mr. Stewart was just asking about. I think it's important also to remember for broader context, and I think this was mentioned in the response to his question, that the labour challenges existed before the COVID pandemic began for a range of reasons. These presumably vary in different parts of the country and for different providers in the tourism sector. One of the key challenges, based on the reading I've done and The Economists I've read from, and also from what I've heard from my constituents in Etobicoke Centre who run businesses, is that the labour shortage is to a great degree driven by the fact that during the pandemic we had very little immigration. That has affected the labour force, not just in tourism but across all sectors. I think that's really important to remember.
I also think it's important to remember that Bill C-2, which is what we're here to discuss, is a pivot, as the finance minister spoke about this morning. The pivot is designed to really provide targeted support for those enterprises and those individuals who need it most. That's one of the key reasons for that pivot.
To the tourism association, when you look back, if the government hadn't put in place the previous support programs, such as the emergency wage subsidy, what would have happened? I apologize; it's not the tourism association but the hotel association.