Mr. Speaker, today is World Tourism Day. As we all know, tourism is one of the most important sectors in the Canadian economy. This is especially true in my riding of Banff—Airdrie. Tourism is a $90-billion-per-year industry and accounts for one in every 11 jobs in Canada.
Most tourism operations are small businesses, the backbone of the Canadian economy. Nearly 10% of small and medium-size businesses in Canada operate in tourism. Over the past month, I have heard from hundreds of tourism operators, such as campground owners, who are concerned and outraged that the Liberals are branding them as millionaire tax cheats and comparing them to Marie Antoinette. Tourism depends on factors outside their control to be successful. These tax changes will make it harder for Canadians working in tourism to save for a rainy day or to plan for their financial futures. We should be doing everything possible to lessen their tax burden, not to increase it.
Today, on World Tourism Day, the Liberals should do the right thing to help ensure the viability of tourism operations by cancelling the proposed small-business tax increases.