Business of Supply  The federal government must act and close the gaps in the current system. The first mesure proposed by the NDP reads as follows: 1. amend Section 31 (1) of the Canadian Forces Superannuation Act so that second spouses of CF members and veterans have access to pension rights upon the death of the Canadian Forces member or veteran; This section of the act is absurd.

Canada Customs And Revenue Agency Act  At a time when we should be focusing on tax reform, on reducing the level of taxation and also in creating a fairer, flatter tax code that actually enables Canadians to compete globally, we are spending an inordinate amount of time focusing on the logistics, on the minutia of tax collection, finding out better ways of plucking the goose.

Taxation  Why does the minister not stop, take a minute and consult with Canadians before he makes a terrible mistake in adopting an unaccountable IRS style tax agency?

Supply  He says: ``What is the difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion? Is it: (a) what the IRS says it is? (b) A good tax lawyer? (c) Five years in jail? (d) All of the above?''. Just to Canadianize that we will substitute Revenue Canada for the IRS, the Internal Revenue Service in the United States, and I think the same applies here.

Proceeds Of Crime (Money Laundering) Act  My concern on the Revenue Canada agency as brought forth earlier was that it has the capacity to become an IRS style agency, Godzilla the tax collector. The new money laundering agency could augment the powers of an unaccountable agency and make it even more frightening to the average Canadian taxpayer.

Tax Conventions Implementation Act, 2004  Very real opportunities exist for Canadian companies that have the will and the ruthlessness, I would say, to undermine the integrity of our Canadian tax system through tax avoidance. Tax avoidance is perfectly legal in the context of the tax havens that we allow in this country.

Proceeds Of Crime (Money Laundering) Act  For example, I expressed concerns at the time of the creation of the new Revenue Canada agency that it could emerge as an IRS style agency, Godzilla the tax collector, which would have the power to persecute and relentlessly pursue individual Canadian taxpayers, and in many cases bring about undue suffering and unfair treatment of ordinary law-abiding, tax-paying Canadians.

The Budget  In the early 1960s the Canadian dollar slid in its competitiveness. This erosion in confidence raised the ire of Canadians who nicknamed the devalued loonie the Diefendollar. Concern over currency ultimately cost the Tories their majority.

Criminal Code  They will be allowed their visitors. Also, they get to eat very well, much better than many hard-working, taxpaying Canadians. But the relatives of the victims can only visit the graves of those who were killed. These arguments have been put forward in the House before. The Liberals have been joined by other special interest groups who say that we have to give these murderers some hope, that we have to allow them some chance to look at the future and say, “In 15 years I am going to be out”.

Canada Customs And Revenue Agency Act  We want to remind the government that it does not matter how much it tinkers with the tax collection process, that unless and until we see fundamental reform of tax policy in this country, giving the provinces greater flexibility to administer their own tax laws and getting this destructive 1,300 page Byzantine tax code that nobody understands, under control, and until we provide Canadians with real tax relief, people will not have faith in the tax collection process.

Canada Elections Act  Mr. Speaker, I am glad the hon. member is trying to relive his rat pack days with some passion. I find it unfortunate because it is passion not founded on reason or facts. When I raised the voluntary nature of the U.S. presidential matching fund system, what he apparently did not know was that taxpayers could designate on their IRS tax form whether they wished a portion of their taxes to be directed toward public funding for presidential campaigns.

Canada Customs And Revenue Agency Act  Using corporate performance standards will undoubtedly lead the agency to set up a system of tax assessment quotas, performance and pay bonuses. These standards have precisely led the aforementioned IRS to abuse its power over taxpayers and at times use harsh and excessive collection methods.

Canada Customs And Revenue Agency Act  It may also collect municipal taxes, property taxes, school taxes and so on. It would be like a mega tax man, like a Frankenstein. People are concerned about that. They are concerned about evolving into the kind of agency that we see in the United States with the IRS, the Internal Revenue Service, in terms of how that agency is out of control and is arm's length from the Government of the United States.

Main Estimates, 2002-03  Where is the merit when one starts to examine in detail who is the recipient of these many, many millions of dollars that are Canadian taxpayer dollars? We see Communication Coffin, Gosselin, Groupe Everest, Groupaction, Lafleur and time and time again there is this inevitable linkage, a close connection to the Liberal Party.

Taxation  Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance. Due to recent changes in the Canada-U.S. tax treaty over 81,000 Canadians who receive U.S. social security have witnessed one-quarter of their benefits disappear at the hands of the IRS. Many of these are low income seniors. Americans who receive similar payments from Canada are allowed to seek a refund, but this is denied Canadians.