Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
I would like to thank everyone who shared their expertise with us today about the very important matter of taxing products that enter the country, and also services delivered.
I represent a riding in downtown Montreal. In my own and neighbouring ridings, Airbnb rentals have become very problematic. They sometimes cause disturbances in the neighbourhood, such as excessive traffic noise.
These rentals are having an impact, even at the political level, because we are losing voters. There are fewer and fewer voters in our ridings. This is attributable to two things. First, there are a lot of foreign students, which is a very good thing, and also many people who have not yet acquired citizenship. Second, many housing units are being lost because they have become a permanent pool of short-term rentals, and this has rattled the entire hotel sector.
We know that owners of accommodation who use the Airbnb platform are not necessarily taxed and do not pay GST.
My next question is for Mr. Rochon, Mr. Hamilton, or Mr. Marsland.
What measures have been taken and what do you plan to do to collect the GST when housing units are in fact used for commercial purposes—virtually as hotels—rather than for private accommodation?