Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by saying that I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, who is a great advocate of our SMEs in the tourism industry.
I could simply talk about the hard times that the tourism industry in Quebec is unfortunately facing right now. There is so much to say about what they have endured.
The federal government delayed in providing support for the industry, despite repeated requests from stakeholders in the tourism industry and the opposition parties. Employees, owners, organizers and artists, as well as all of the people who work in hospitality, food service, and arts and culture, have been particularly hard hit by the economic impact of COVID-19.
Take, for example, all of the events, both large and small, and all of the business and co-operative relationships that were adversely affected by cancellations and closures. Getting the tourism industry back on track in the next few years is going to be a major challenge.
If we are to meet that challenge, the federal government needs to stop creating one-size-fits-all programs, because they are not very successful. We need to acknowledge what is happening. The federal government needs to change its approach. Programs need to be well designed and tailored to the needs of the tourism industry in Montreal and in many small towns in the regions. The programs need to meet the needs of the industry. To make sure these programs are as effective as possible, why does the government not let industry stakeholders decide on the principles and mechanisms for these programs?
This is important in Quebec. The tourism industry—