Madam Speaker, “study” and “ecosystem” are two words that we have been hearing out of the mouth of every government representative for almost a year now. It seems there is no end to the consultations, but action is not forthcoming.
I am sad to announce to my colleagues that I will be once again leaving the House feeling somewhat disappointed by my colleague's answer.
Last June, I asked a question because Walmart, which is not an SME, was threatening to stop accepting Visa cards in its stores. As we speak, in Alberta for instance, that policy has already begun to be implemented. Representatives of small businesses, SMEs, and convenience stores are lining up outside my riding office to tell me that the measures that the parliamentary secretary is telling us about are having no positive effects on their day-to-day operations.
When will the government adopt a legislative measure similar to the ones that exist in Australia or the European Union, where rates are capped at about 0.5% rather than 1.5%?