Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Smith, a period of five minutes is not enough for all the expertise we have before us. This is a little cruel, but if I hurry you along a little, it will be because we do not have enough time.
Page 11 of the document provided by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business jumps out at me in some fundamental ways. Recent efforts by the current government have focused on lowering income taxes for very large companies and, to a smaller extent, for smaller companies. For SMEs, it comes as no surprise that what can really help them is direct assistance. The capital cost allowance really helped SMEs. But programs that require them to stop baking bread or cleaning clothes in order to sit down with BDC people and find out which programs may help and may meet the criteria are not so easy for small companies. Direct assistance is what helps them.
Do you have any data about big companies by comparison? Perhaps Mr. Smith can answer. It seems to me that there is little direct assistance.
So what is the proportion of indirect assistance used by large companies as opposed to small ones?
In terms of the SR&ED program, more than 75% of the small businesses that were able to use it by virtue of some of their activities have been unable to do so for two years. The regional chambers of commerce confirm that fact. Medium-sized businesses do not do too badly, but people all tell me the same thing: they have to invest up to 30% of the amount they are looking for. For example, if they want $100,000, they have to invest $30,000 in administration to justify the $100,000 they are looking for. If they do not, they get no assistance. We find that situation all over eastern Quebec; is it anything like what people have told you elsewhere in Canada?