Mr. Speaker, first I would like to thank my colleague from Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot for giving me the opportunity to discuss Bill C-47, particularly because we have a microbrewery in my riding, Boréale, which serves people from part of North Montreal.
Its employees and its president are doing an excellent job but, because of difficulties with the excise tax, they cannot make a breakthrough with the quality product that they offer.
When we, in the Bloc Quebecois, were told about Bill C-47, I agreed with my colleagues that we could probably support it. However, in the last months, the situation with the bill has worsened.
I remember that I had the opportunity, about a year ago, to replace my colleague from Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot on the Standing Committee on Finance and to hear about the problems experienced by Canadian and Quebec microbrewers.
I thought that, this time, the government would have had the decency to meet their demands, so they could operate under the same conditions as microbrewers in the United States or in Europe. However, I am very disappointed that the these microbreweries have to pay a lot, 28 ¢ in Canadian currency. This is a lot for a microbrewery that has to compete with other microbreweries. For example, American microbreweries only pay 9 ¢ a litre. How can they be expected to find a place on a market they are entitled to have access to, just like aany other Canadian brewery?
I find it somewhat deplorable that Canadian microbreweries are being forced to be minor players on this market which, as a matter of principle, should be open. I think that everybody should have an opportunity. Unfortunately, these microbreweries and their employees are victims of a tax policy that, by the way, seems more and more to have been dictated by the big brewers, which are good buddies of the current government.
What I also find disappointing is all this collusion between the wealthy and the federal government. Clearly, considering the composition of the committee and the fact that its chair is the hon. member for London West, who happens to be the wife of one the executives of those big breweries, there is something fishy. People are not crazy. I think Canadians realize what is going on.
Two thousand employees depend on the microbreweries, two thousand people who, in order to survive and progress, absolutely need the help of the government. The Canadian brewers who are quite rich do not care about the survival of these microbreweries and their employees.
If these microbreweries disappears at an annual rate of 1%, large brewers earn $17 million more a year. If that money went to microbrewers, regional and local economies could continue to function. I think this situation is shameful and horrible.
There is a conflict of interests on this issue. There obviously is collusion to eliminate Canadian microbreweries. Large Canadian breweries are predators. Molson and John Labatt are predators who are actually preventing our people from making a living.
When we look at the history of Canada and even of Quebec, these are the very people who founded these huge breweries, going against historical trends in Quebec in the process. There is a very large number of microbreweries in Quebec, and I believe that there is a clear intent to take away part of the power that Quebecers have through microbreweries.
In Bill C-47, wine, spirits, tobacco and distillery products are all mentioned. We are asking that beer be included. Why should it not be included? It would be normal and logical.
It is clear that the federal government and the members of the committee are in collusion to do nothing. I understand why only 11% of Canadians trust their politicians. In a situation such as this, I think it is absolutely normal that someone who makes a decent living in microbreweries believes that they want to get rid of it. People do not trust this government nor those who are making the decisions and passing the laws. I think it is absolutely understandable.
We have to modernize our parliamentary system and our laws. ITo do that, we have to dare to condemn what is going on. This is what the Bloc Quebecois is doing, and I believe that it is standing firm in its opposition to this bill.
We say to the population of Quebec that it is inadmissible and unacceptable that the federal government is acting in collusion with large companies, which are making money at the expense of Canadians and Quebecers. I invite the people in my riding, where we have Boréale beer, to remember this at the next election.