You are speaking to a former smoker. I can say publicly how difficult it was for me to overcome this dependence. You are talking to someone who consumed Nicorette products for 14 years and who has just recently stopped doing so. If I sound aggressive sometimes, it is because I am still trying to quit. All that to say that I understand very well.
We must be logical. We live in a world that is slightly hypocritical. Indeed, all of us around this table recognize that this product kills. At the same time, we benefit from it economically, especially thanks to taxes. We cannot criticize other people for our system and our laws in this regard, that is true.
Something in your brief struck me. It makes us see the headlines differently. Last Thursday, an article on the Radio-Canada website was entitled: One out of every five cigarettes in New Brunswick is contraband. I think that this will interest my friend Robert Goguen. I read the article, I was shocked and then I remembered that we were about to begin the study of Bill C-10. I thought that it was going to be interesting to study it and that people would try and prove that contraband is a terrible thing.
In any case, things are not going well in New Brunswick. I made the connection between that article and your brief. The article says that in March, the provincial government had increased taxes on tobacco products in order to try to replenish its coffers.
If I understand correctly, you are telling us that there is not as much contraband as the headlines would have us believe. Every time governments raise taxes to generate more revenue—because that is a real cash cow—Mr. Grant's coalition sounds the alarm. They say be careful, contraband is a serious matter, and so forth, whereas all associations benefit from the sale of tobacco. Have I understood your basic message? You are telling us that contraband is not as serious as we think.