Mr. Chair, from the outset, I consider my request for the offers and counteroffers to be appropriate. I do not think big trade secrets are in there. This negotiation falls under the public interest, especially since it was promised in the 2022 Fall Economic Statement.
Considering the conversations held here today, I understand that the Department of Finance still has trouble understanding the ins and outs of what it describes as agreements for Quebecers’ and Canadians’ pocketbooks. We heard again the fact that 90% of businesses will benefit from the measure, but we don’t know anything about its impact in terms of sales revenue.
I remind you that, in 2022, when the Liberal government announced it was negotiating with Visa and MasterCard, it was in a context of high food inflation. However, we now know full well that these agreements don’t apply to a single convenience store in Quebec and almost no restaurants. Furthermore, these agreements certainly do not apply to grocery stores, whose business model relies on a large volume of transactions, but small margins. They are excluded.
I therefore think Mr. Patzer’s motion is a very good idea. That said, and I know that it’s a very sensitive matter, I am pretty sure my colleagues “Brian Perkins” and “Rick Masse” will agree not to call another colleague “Michelle Garon” in the French version of the motion. If it is possible to correct that, I would be grateful.