Finance committee  Mr. Chairman, what I would suggest to Mr. St-Cyr is to instead include the renewable sources of energy in the calculation of national security. The less dependence we have on non-renewables the better it will be for our national security. That is why, for instance, the Governme

Finance committee  Every time there has been a measure or at least the suggestion of changing the taxation system or existing laws in order to broaden them to include the significance of the environment, industry has threatened with unemployment, or with greater risks, or loss of opportunities, or

Finance committee  It seems to me that it is time to ensure that the Department of Finance is smoked out on issues related to climate change and that it be brought under the public light in a manner that will make it possible and allow for a profound change of the taxation system so that the econom

Finance committee  I can answer, for instance, that Mr. Drummond, when he appeared before the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development a few years ago, was talking about tax expenditures as calculated by the Department of Finance that were accorded to the oil sand industries, a

Finance committee  The risk existed when the price of oil was about $20 a barrel. That risk has now disappeared, and it's most unlikely, to say the least, that the price of oil will go down. The demand is increasing and the supply is decreasing, so why on earth do we need to talk about the risk? Th

Finance committee  I don't think there's a dispute between the two of us. We are looking at the tax system as it exists, the Canadian development expense program, the Canadian exploration expense, the accelerated capital cost allowance for oil sands, and the one that has been now abandoned, the res

Finance committee  Well, to the best of my understanding, the exploration expense still exists and the Canadian development expense program still does. The point is larger than that. The point is whether the taxation system we have in place favours greater greenhouse gas emissions or not.

Finance committee  You would have to put the question to the Deputy Minister of Finance as to the exact point we are at in the year 2007. We can only go by the existing data that are available to the public.

Finance committee  The answer is yes, but I think that the tax treatment currently given to the renewable industry isn't as generous as the incentives given to the non-renewable industry. Instead of establishing an equal playing field, as they say, we should establish a fiscal field that should be

Finance committee  The Pembina study was published in January 2005 and it was evidently based on data of preceding years. It may actually require an adjustment, but nevertheless there it is a fact that the ACCA treatment, which includes, as mentioned by Mr. Stringham, an accelerated capital cost al

Finance committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'd like to thank committee members for inviting me to attend this meeting. I also take the opportunity to congratulate you on the motion you passed. In my view, it has great potential for exploring the potential of new and most desirable policy approaches