Thank you, Minister, for being here today with your team.
My riding is Essex, in southwestern Ontario, on the border with the U.S. I am hearing from business owners about the high cost of doing business. The hydro costs are out of control, and businesses are looking at leaving to go to the U.S. Greenhouses are heading over the border because they can't afford the hydro costs, and they're saying they are going to lose out to competition.
A reduction in the small business tax rate would be the best thing right now to help them with their overall costs, so I have to ask about that broken promise. That was something we all committed to, on all sides, during the campaign. I think it's incredibly vital, especially in Ontario, to deal with the hydro costs.
Will the 2017 federal budget include a reduction in the small business tax rate?