Eliminating this tax is indeed a missed opportunity, because it would have benefited our telecommunications companies, since they wouldn't have been subject to it.
That said, as my colleague mentioned, many regional and local media outlets have closed in Quebec over the past 20 years. We think measures can be put in place to compensate for the elimination of the digital services tax, or DST, which would have helped re-establish a competitive playing field.
For example, the scope of the refundable journalism labour cost tax credit could be expanded to all platforms, so that it applies to all platforms, not just print media, but also radio and television broadcasters. We could also increase government advertising spending in our Canadian media and amend section 19 of the Income Tax Act to prevent Canadian advertising expenses from being deducted when they're placed on foreign digital platforms.
So—