There are a number of points there. I do not want to claim expertise that neither I, nor the other organizations around the table, do not possess.
There are reasons why Ontario and Quebec are exposed to higher rates of contraband: their geographical situation, naturally, and their population density. There is a market there. Elsewhere, you can imagine that it's not very profitable to be running around to every corner of Saskatchewan to try and drum up enough business. That is the main reason why there will always be contraband in areas that are more densely populated. That is one of the factors behind the difference in terms of the extent of contraband, which is not only based on the amount of tax included in the cost of cigarettes.
The other point is: why us? Well, to begin with, experience—it's as simple as that. There has been contraband before. I know that the nature of the contraband at the time was quite different; on the other hand, its manifestations were exactly the same. The rate of growth I referred to earlier is exactly the same. You only need 30 per cent of the market. Anyone who owns a business knows that once you have a solid market share, you can begin to expand. Even though it's illegal, it is a business supported by people because of the huge difference in price. There is absolutely no comparison.
Our proposal is not based solely on lower taxes, which would be ridiculous, particularly given the difference that has arisen since 2002-03. However, I firmly believe that a temporary tax reduction is a potential solution. In the short term, the government would not risk a catastrophe in the market, because the catastrophe is there already. Until it is able to control the problem at the source, the government could, in the meantime, introduce a reasonable rate of taxation and thereby convince smokers to behave intelligently and come back to the market.
Some studies show that, at a given rate of taxation, you have either that option or public disenchantment. The government will not be losing money if it brings in an increase, or gets it from the contraband market. However, if that doesn't work, it can be returned to the same level.