Finance committee  The minimum wage issue in Alberta is very concerning to our members. We are looking at many restaurants that are struggling to hold on to their businesses and hold on to their employees, given the huge downturn in the economy. We surveyed our members on the impact of the minimum

Finance committee  We're getting a lot of feedback is about the ORPP in Ontario. There's huge concern about the impact it will have on jobs, going forward. We are a very labour-intensive business—food and labour account for the lion's share of our operating expenses—so when labour costs increase si

Finance committee  Yes.

Finance committee  Yes, there is take-up on the program. I'm sorry I don't have stats on that, but I know that it's a program that is used by our members in different parts of the country.

Finance committee  Payroll taxes tend to have the biggest impact on the restaurant business because it's so labour intensive. As I mentioned before, we're a number one first-time job provider. We have about 25% of our workforce under the age of 25, and payroll taxes are regressive in a sense, becau

Finance committee  No. It's cumulative. You have a lot at the municipal level or the local level, and then you have the provincial level and the federal level. Also, what's required provincially could contradict what's required federally. It varies from region to region, so it's really difficult to

Finance committee  I'm going to have our economist look into it to see what he can do.

Finance committee  Thank you, Chair Easter, and committee members. I really appreciate the opportunity to speak to you this afternoon about part 3 of Bill C-44, on behalf of Canada's $80-billion restaurant industry. This industry is a vital part of the country's economy. Canadians operate restaur

Finance committee  Not any more.

Finance committee  No, unfortunately. I have to say that the licensed premises are the ones who are struggling the most right now. The full service independent restaurant operators are the ones who are having the toughest go of it, particularly in Alberta. In Saskatchewan, our operators are also ha

Finance committee  A percentage.

Finance committee  We would be happy to answer questions on any of the recommendations that are in our submission. However, in the brief time that we have today, we want to focus on an issue that wasn't covered in our brief, one that was just beginning to appear on our radar screen when we submitte

Finance committee  Yes, Mr. Chair, thank you. I didn't want to miss that opportunity. In a way, Dan stole my thunder, because what we are concerned about is the cumulative effect of a lot of new taxes on our industry. Of a restaurant's costs, more than 30% is for labour, and that's where the bigg