Finance Committee on March 19th, 2013

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Thank you, Mr. Caron.

Ms. Glover, please.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Thank you.

I like the amendment by the friendly Mr. McCallum. I think it's a good amendment.

Now, with regard to what Monsieur Caron just said, I'm quite surprised, frankly, that the NDP members didn't do their due diligence. We had a break—actually 10 days—and this motion has been on the table for almost two weeks.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Well, we all work very hard on our breaks.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Yes, we all worked very hard during that break serving our constituents; nevertheless, I'm a bit surprised.

The industry report does not address what consumers are now faced with, such as, can you do a tap and go with two credit cards on the same device? What are the rules for the financial institutions to allow this? It does not cover that. They can read the report all they want after the fact. It does not address that.

With all due respect, we must give best practices so that we are addressing consumers' interests in this, and of course financial institutions' interests.

Again, I think this is great timing, before consumers end up being more confused than they already are.

I do support the amendment put forward by Mr. McCallum.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Okay. I have two more speakers. I'd really like to go to votes on the amendment and the motion after that.

We have Mr. Hoback and Monsieur Caron.

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

I, too, Mr. McCallum.... That actually was the spirit of what I had proposed. If it makes you more comfortable by amending it that way, I have no problem with that.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Thank you, Mr. Hoback.

Monsieur Caron.

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

I understand what Ms. Glover is saying. There are more specific and more technical matters that we could potentially study, but that's not what the motion says. It involves the whole issue of e-commerce.

by and large.

The motion actually gives the committee a very broad mandate, similar to the one given to the industry committee. I read the report. Not only did I read it, but I also had a hand in writing it, in preparing the recommendations. So I'm quite familiar with the report.

We could certainly examine more specific considerations. But the motion would have to say that, so we don't waste the finance committee's time, don't hear the same input from the same witnesses and don't examine related issues that have already been dealt with. If a motion is going to be moved, it has to be more specific and clearly identify the exact objectives.

I have no objection to considering matters that the industry committee did not focus on, but that isn't what the motion says as it currently stands.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

I'm going to call the question on the amendment as proposed by Mr. McCallum.

(Amendment agreed to)

On the motion as proposed by Mr. Hoback as amended, all those in favour?

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Can we have a recorded vote for that?

(Motion as amended agreed to: yeas 10; nays 1)

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

The motion is carried.

Colleagues, we have one more motion for today. Ms. Glover—

[An hon. member]

Was that on the amendment?

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

No, the amendment carried. It was a vote on the motion as amended. I thought I was pretty clear on that.

[An hon. member]

He asked for a recorded vote. I thought it was on the amendment.

[Murray Rankin, NDP, Victoria, BC]

It was whether we wanted the transaction costs....

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Ladies and gentlemen, I don't move all that fast. I've never been accused of being a quick guy. I heard the NDP abstain on the amendment.

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

It doesn't matter.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Anyway, it carried.

The notice of motion from Ms. Glover, please.

Colleagues, we have less than 10 minutes, so I'm hoping for a quick debate and vote on this motion.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

I'll move it quickly. I'll just read it:

That the Finance Department provide an annual update to the Finance Committee on the status of all outstanding technical tax changes in an effort to ensure regular and timely legislation as already committed by the Conservative government.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Thank you.

Discussion?

Ms. Nash.

[Peggy Nash, NDP, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

I intend to support this motion. However, I want to point out the problem with it. The mechanism for requiring this annual reporting, which is a motion of the finance committee, would not survive this Parliament. It would not survive in fact a prorogation. It is a time limited mechanism for making such reports required.

However, it does move in the direction that we support, which is getting this government, after 10 years, to have more regular technical amendments for our tax laws; it is one step closer. We will support it, but I would like to raise for my colleagues that there is a concern on our part that this is a change that is not going to be a permanent requirement for the finance committee. In that sense, we believe it is a weakness in this measure, but we will support it nevertheless.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Thank you.

Can I go to the vote on this then?

Mr. McCallum.

[John McCallum, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

The issue I think I heard was that there should be a deadline and there is no deadline in this motion. It could be anytime. Should there not be a deadline specified?

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Thank you.

Ms. Glover.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Just to clarify, I don't think the issue for Ms. Nash is a deadline. It's whether or not this would survive prorogation and then continue to be required annually in the finance committee. As we all know, nothing that we do in the finance committee, or any other committee for that matter, continues after prorogation without the unanimous consent of the committee. Of course, we bring it back, just like we do with everything else, and continue as always.

I think we can all leave it to the clerk and the chair to ensure that it's scheduled yearly, and through the subcommittee we can ensure it's scheduled yearly in the calendar.