Mr. Speaker, I realize that the member's speech did not focus on the issue of beer.
Still, I would like to ask him a question that seems relevant to me. The Bloc Quebecois talks a lot about the microbreweries, because they have a major impact in Quebec. However, there are many microbreweries all over Canada that are going through the same unacceptable situation.
Since we are reviewing the Excise Act and the Excise Tax Act, would it not be appropriate to correct an injustice where, in several rural communities, the rug is being pulled out from under smaller businesses that could otherwise be creating jobs? In fact, would this not be a great opportunity to act and ask the government to bring forward an amendment that would right this wrong?
The excise tax issue will not be back before the House for quite a while. We know that time is not on the side of the microbreweries, but rather on the side of larger breweries, which benefit from the fact that American microbreweries have access to the Canadian market and can sell their products here.
Would this not be the right time for the government to go into committee of the whole in order to quickly resolve this issue and ensure that the tax that applies to Canadian microbreweries helps them compete against American and European microbreweries?