The economic numbers, from a macroeconomic point of view, speak for themselves. We have recovered in a more fulsome fashion, I would argue, than the Americans have. We've been able to get more jobs back and get more people employed because we took the significant measures that we had to.
That is not to say.... I'm not going to sit here and say, “Well you know, if you don't do it, the cost is even greater, so shut down”. In getting through it, there are still significant costs to employers, and we have to take that into consideration.
What I'm telling you is that, were I appearing before this committee in normal COVID circumstances, I would say, “Look, we're trying to get public health and public safety balanced with workers, but also with employers while making sure that we don't put onerous costs on them”. I'm thinking of small businesses, in particular. Absolutely, we're trying to get that balance right.
However, now with omicron, I am telling you that it is serious and it is immediate. While I am not taking my eye off implementation or the nuances of it, I am making sure that we do not add onerous costs to small businesses. I am telling you this is a very significant variant at a very difficult time of year. I would acknowledge that we're coming into the Christmas holidays, where gatherings happen, people are busy, people are out and people want to celebrate. The last thing they want to hear about is an impending variant and the government's response to it, but it's happening.