Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to address a concern one of my constituents brought to my attention. It is my understanding that our government is always complimenting itself, what a great job it has done in job creation and business development, however, at the same time, refusing some of these new or expanding businesses from doing the business that this government may have given dollars to start up its operations. The reason I say this is because of a thing called, tobacco tax. It is now a policy, I understand, to demand from a retailer who wants to sell cigarettes a letter of credit for an amount that the Department of Finance estimates.

A constituent of mine just applied for a permit to sell cigarettes in his new store. This is a business that has been in operation for at least the past ten years and has decided the time was right for an expansion. When he received his reply, it informed him that he would have to come up with a $5,000 letter of credit. He called and was told to reapply, which he did, and then he received a notice saying that he now needed a $12,000 letter of credit. Mr. Speaker, all this company, like most small businesses of this type, wants to do is sell cigarettes to make a profit, not to go broke to the government for trying to do their business.

How much do special events have to pay this government for selling cigarettes at their events? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

--Applause