Bill C-241

An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (deduction of travel expenses for tradespersons)

This enactment amends the Income Tax Act to allow tradespersons and indentured apprentices to deduct from their income amounts expended for travelling where they were employed in a construction activity at a job site that is located at least 120 km away from their ordinary place of residence.

[Pierre Leblanc]

Thank you for the question.

I think there are differences between the bills, and I think you've been talking about some of them over the last hour. In what is currently law, there is a $4,000 limit, which was considered reasonable by the government, versus there being no limit proposed. We think the safeguards that are in current law will allow for a more solid measure.

The other thing I'd reiterate is that if Bill C-241 passes, you will then have two deductions in law. That will raise issues.

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Thank you. I just wanted to clarify the statement that it was a tax credit. That was in fact incorrect with respect to Bill C-241.

I'm sharing my time with Mr. Lawrence. Thank you.

[Lindsay Gwyer, Director General, Legislation, Tax Legislation Division, Tax Policy Branch, Department of Finance]

Both the existing labour mobility deduction that was implemented through the Budget Implementation Act and this deduction in Bill C-241 are deductions, so they're both amounts that an employee deducts from income and not tax credits.

[Pierre Leblanc]

Thank you for the question.

I'll turn it over to one of my colleagues, but I also want to emphasize that what we have in the tax system currently is a deduction. It's not a credit, if we are reflecting back on the last hour. Just as Bill C-241 is proposing a deduction—

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

I have just one quick question. I don't see in Bill C-241 where it says that it's a tax credit. In fact, it adds proposed paragraph (q.1) to subsection 8(1), which specifically says that the deduction is permissible as long as the claimant does not claim those expenses as an income deduction or a tax credit for the year under any other provision of the act.

I just want to see if you want to clarify that remark, because this is not a tax credit. This would be a tax deduction under this act.

[Pierre Leblanc]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to all members of the committee for inviting us to be with you today on this very important topic.

It was really interesting to hear the debate and the discussion over the last hour. I think it underscores the importance of this policy issue, certainly, in the current labour market context and the value of the member's contribution in bringing this bill forward.

Maybe I can just start by reiterating what the current law of the land is. The current tax system has a labour mobility deduction for tradespeople.

In Budget 2022, the government proposed a labour mobility deduction for tradespeople, similar in form and intent to the measure that Bill C‑241 seeks to introduce.

On June 23, 2022, Parliament passed Bill C‑19, which included amendments to the Income Tax Act to create tradespeople's mobility deductions, as proposed in Budget 2022.

Again, it's part of the current tax system. In fact, the Canada Revenue Agency is currently finalizing forms and administrative procedures, including guidance, to allow taxpayers to claim the labour mobility deduction for the 2022 tax year this coming spring. This is the time of year when the CRA is getting everything together so we can be ready for filing season.

Compared with the deduction that would be enacted by the bill you are considering today, Bill C-241, the labour mobility deduction that is already in law provides greater clarity on the definitions of some concepts and includes safeguards that contain its scope and cost. For example, Bill C-241 doesn't define travelling expenses or construction activity and uses the term “tax credit”, which is not a defined term in law. The bill also requires no minimum period of relocation, places no limit on the number of trips or the amount of expenses that could be deducted in the year and makes no allowance for trips that might span multiple tax years.

If Bill C‑241 were enacted, taxpayers would be using two substantially similar deductions that serve the same purpose. This would likely cause administrative difficulties for the Canada Revenue Agency and create confusion for tax filers, especially since the 2022 tax filing season will soon begin.

Once again, thank you. We will be happy to answer any questions that members may have on this or other elements of Bill C‑241.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Thank you, MP Chatel.

We want to thank you, MP Lewis, for coming to the finance committee and for bringing your bill to us, Bill C-241. Thank you for your testimony and for your answers to the many questions here today. Thank you very much.

Members, we're going to suspend now before we move into panel two.

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Thank you so much, Mr. Chair. Thank you to each committee member.

It's certainly an exciting day. We've been waiting for this for an awfully long time. Thank you for being all ears at least for the first five minutes. Let me tell you what a strange feeling it is to be on this side of the desk and not on that side of the desk.

Again, I'm extremely excited for the study of Bill C-241. I love to call it the fair travelling tradesperson's bill. What's neat and unique about this is that I don't know anyone around this table who doesn't have trades shortages, labour shortages, in their ridings. We've been hearing it for a number of years now. Quite frankly, it's only getting worse.

It brings me great pride to say that I have met with numerous trades folks, from the carpenters to the sheet metal workers, from masons, crane operators and electricians to water, plumbing and gas fitters. You name it, and I've probably met with them. I have yet to find one union and/or non-unionized group that doesn't completely endorse this private member's bill.

To really simplify it, if I'm a businessman today and I leave Windsor and fly to Calgary, I can write off my airplane flight, I can write off my hotel, and I can write off my meals. There's no cap on how many times I can fly to Calgary to get business done every year. Unfortunately, for our union and non-union skilled trades folks, the ones who are expected to travel across Canada to build our roads, to build our bridges, to ensure their electrical grid is solid and to work in our mines for our critical minerals, they can't do that today. This bill is the fairest way that we can get them to get moving.

If we look across Canada, yes, there's a major labour shortage, but we also have folks such as the incredible folks who are down at the Gordie Howe international bridge, which will be the largest and the busiest international bridge in North America when it's completed. Of those folks, 54% are not local to the area. They've come in from out of town. In 2024 or 2025, depending on when the bridge is completed, they're going to need a home. I'm quite certain that there are many projects from coast to coast to coast for which these incredibly skilled trades workers could fill those voids and could fill those gaps. It's time to give the skilled trades workers, the skilled trades force, all of the tools—pardon the pun—they need to travel across the country and build our country and our infrastructure.

I guess it's as simple as this. I don't know of anyone around this table—committee members, we as members of Parliament—who can't write off their own expenses. If it's good enough for the folks who are around this table, then certainly it's good enough for our trades folks.

With that, Mr. Chair, I only used three and a half minutes because I truthfully want to dive into the questions. It's a very simple bill. I'm looking forward to entertaining questions.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

I will call this meeting to order. Welcome to meeting number 66 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance.

Pursuant to the order of reference adopted on Wednesday, June 8, 2022,the committee is meeting to discuss Bill C-241, an act to amend the Income Tax Act related to the deduction of travel expenses for tradespersons. Today's meeting is taking place in a hybrid format pursuant to the House Order of June 23, 2022. Members are attending in person in the room, and remotely using the Zoom application.

I'd like to make a few comments for the benefit of witnesses and members.

Please wait until I recognize you by name before speaking. For those participating by video conference, click on the microphone icon to activate your mike. Please mute yourself when you are not speaking. As for interpretation, for those on Zoom, you have the choice at the bottom of your screen of floor, English or French. For those in the room, you can use the earpiece and select the desired channel.

This is a reminder that all comments should be addressed through the chair. For members in the room, if you wish to speak, please raise your hand. For members on Zoom, please use the “raise hand” function. The clerk and I will manage the speaking order as best we can. We appreciate your patience and understanding in this regard.

Members, just before we move on to our witnesses, I have a quick note. We will be setting aside 10 minutes at the end of the meeting to discuss our schedule when we come back from our constituency week.

Now we will introduce our witness. We welcome the MP for Essex, Mr. Chris Lewis. He is the sponsor and author of this piece of legislation.

The floor is yours, MP Lewis, for your opening remarks.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Ms. Johnston and Professor Tremblay, the skilled trades issue is really important, especially getting women involved in the skilled trades. Parliament just referred Bill C-241, from the member for Essex, to committee. He's my neighbour. The bill is for a tax credit for skilled tradespeople who have to travel further distances. Where I'm from in Windsor, Ontario, oftentimes our skilled tradespeople have gone to Alberta or other places, and it's added a bit of a cushion in terms of expenses, etc.

I wonder what your opinion is on this bill, because it will go to a committee. I'd like to see it passed. It's another bit of a bump for those who have to deal with travel costs, especially for young women involved. There are extra costs that they have in such a profession, and they're often still the primary care person for their children.

Ms. Johnston and Professor Tremblay, I'd like to hear your thoughts on that.

Income Tax Act

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Pursuant to order made on Thursday, November 25, 2021, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at second reading stage of Bill C-241 under Private Members' Business.

The House resumed from June 3 consideration of the motion that Bill C-241, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (deduction of travel expenses for tradespersons), be read the second time and referred to a committee.

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Madam Speaker, I will start out this way: They often say the best way to sell something is to have everybody else sell it on one's behalf. To each and every one of the speakers today in the House, including my hon. colleague across the way for just telling the truth, I thank them very much. I really appreciate it. We look forward to everybody's support, but I certainly appreciate today's support from the NDP, the Bloc and, of course, my Conservative colleagues.

A gentleman by the name of Eric Nevin was a friend, conservationist, avid angler and hunter. He was a man of many jokes and a man of many skilled trades. He passed away yesterday, and I want to say my condolences to Suzie and his family.

I want to give congratulations to Anthony Leardi, who is the newly elected MPP for Essex, and to Andrew Dowie, the newly elected MPP for Windsor-Tecumseh. I bring them up specifically because I know how hard they campaigned on skilled trades. I heard it time and again. I saw it. They understand the importance of it for our region. Just as the hon. member for Windsor West spoke about, this is much larger than just Essex, Windsor West or Windsor-Tecumseh. Bill C-241 is truly Canada-wide.

I would also be remiss if I did not thank the member for Carleton. When the member for Carleton was the shadow minister for finance, I went up and spoke to him about this and asked him what his thoughts were. He said to make sure, whatever I did, to make it a tax deduction. I want to thank the member for Carleton and I also want to congratulate the member for Carleton, as it is his birthday today.

I have to thank Canada's Building Trades Unions. I have had extensive conversations with many of the CBTU union heads, and quite frankly people on the ground. They have been instrumental in helping me to gather information, and to understand what the real needs are and how to make this bill that much stronger. Specifically, and I have mentioned him before, I thank Tommy Holkenin for being, I will say, a thorn in my side, but he was probably one of the best thorns there could have been to make sure we brought this forward, as well as Carl Lovett. I thank both gentlemen so much.

We do not have to look very far when we go to the new Gordie Howe International Bridge. I visited there last week, and I had an opportunity to meet with who I call the “boots on the ground”, and the amazing folks from a variety of skilled trades. To see the work they are doing is absolutely remarkable. Further to that, come 2025, they are going to need a place to go. We have lots of jobs across Canada, and we need to be doing work now to ensure that their travel expenses are taken care of when the new bridge is built.

Thanks to each and every member in the House. I am super excited. This is a great Friday.

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

Madam Speaker, we are here to talk about Bill C-241, which was introduced by my hon. colleague from Essex. This bill amends the Income Tax Act to allow tradespeople and apprentices to deduct travel-related expenses from their income.

As my hon. colleague, the member for Joliette, pointed out, we support this bill. It can be described as a common sense bill, because it directly addresses the issue of fairness. The Bloc Québécois will be voting in favour of it.

Under this legislation, tradespeople can deduct travel expenses:

where the taxpayer was employed as a duly qualified tradesperson or an indentured apprentice in a construction activity at a job site that was located at least 120 km away from their ordinary place of residence, amounts expended by the taxpayer in the year for travelling to and from the job site, if the taxpayer:

(i) was required under the contract of employment to pay those expenses,

(ii) did not receive an allowance in respect of those expenses that is not included in computing the taxpayer’s income for the year, and

(iii) does not claim those expenses as an income deduction or a tax credit for the year under any other provision of this Act;

Let us talk a bit about the construction industry. It is a very important sector in Quebec, both for its contribution to the economy and for its value added. Houses and buildings can be built from scratch. Without this industry, we would not have our magnificent House of Commons, for example. In 2019, $53 billion was invested in the construction industry and 264,000 direct jobs were created on average every month. In Quebec alone, one in 20 jobs are in this sector, and thousands of jobs in other sectors are linked to the construction industry.

This bill is being introduced in a particular economic context marked by a labour shortage and inflation. Inflation is now Quebeckers' main concern. It affects the cost of housing, staple foods and, of course, gas.

The Bloc Québécois has proposed a number of measures to give some relief to workers struggling with the rising cost of gas. In this very specific context, Bill C‑241 would help tradespeople do their jobs and be compensated for these expenses and the rising cost of gas, which is quite fair. If they travel for work and agree to take on a contract far from where they live, it just makes sense that they be reimbursed for the expenses they incur on the job.

Inflation has multiple causes, one of which was government spending during the pandemic. This spending was necessary and we supported it, but it may be partially responsible for today's inflation. In addition, the shortages of essential equipment created backlogs in a number of industries. Supply chain issues, the unfortunate war in Ukraine and the labour shortage also contributed to the significant inflation problems.

The labour shortage is boosting wages, but it is also creating a problem in the construction industry. It is a vicious circle. There is a shortage of workers for job sites. The construction industry cannot find people to take on jobs that are so important to our economy.

We think that this bill could help tradespeople do their jobs and accept contracts far from home, which is essential for many remote communities.

At the same time, tradespeople are forced to turn down contracts far from home because they would have to spend hundreds of dollars just to get to work. It is clear that, in many cases, they are forced to turn down these contracts. They are often forced to reluctantly apply for EI because they cannot find a contract near their home and cannot see themselves spending hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on gas just to get to work, given the exorbitant price of gas today.

Ultimately, this bill will not only help address the labour shortage in this industry, but it will also enable people to accept new contracts, which could reduce the EI benefit envelope. These are significant numbers. For example, the government could save $347 million in EI benefits thanks to this bill.

We believe that this bill will be able to constructively and concretely deal with economic issues such as gas price inflation and labour shortages.

The Bloc Québécois has proposed several solutions to the labour shortage. More specifically, with regard to immigration control, we have asked for a transfer of the temporary foreign worker program to Quebec. Who better than Quebec to know what it needs?

We also proposed greater integration of older, more experienced workers.

We also suggest supporting technologies designed to increase flexibility for the workforce. We know that is one solution. According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, technologies that make work more flexible are one of the most important solutions to the labour shortage. Another solution is to eliminate entry barriers for employees. One entry barrier is the cost of accessing these contracts.

That brings us back to this bill. If we make it possible for workers in the construction industry to accept these contracts without the entry barrier of the cost of travelling to the job site, then we are helping to solve the serious labour shortage problem.

We also proposed solutions to inflation. They do not necessarily target inflation directly, since the Bank of Canada, which is independent, is doing that already. Our solutions seek to protect the people who are struggling because of inflation. We proposed help for dealing with the housing shortage. The member for Longueuil—Saint-Hubert is actively working on that. We proposed help for families and individuals who are having difficulty because of inflation.

What really matters, as I said, is finding a way to make the labour market more flexible by letting more workers in and giving workers who are already in the market access to jobs or contracts. As everyone knows, we want greater equity, but we also want to tackle labour shortages for an industry that really needs workers, the construction industry, which is especially important in Quebec.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to express my full support for Bill C-241, an act to amend the Income Tax Act. Before I begin, I would like to commend my colleague for Essex for introducing this great piece of legislation. The bill clearly shows his commitment to serving his community and working-class Canadians.

We must first recognize the essential role of Canada's hard-working tradespeople. The trades are the cornerstone of our economy and we must support the workers in this critically important sector. In my province of Manitoba, the trades and construction represent 21.3% of all Manitoba workers. The bill would have a positive impact on many tradespeople across my province and across our country.

Bill C-241 would allow for qualified tradespeople or indentured apprentices to claim travel-related expenses for their work. This legislation would allow tradespeople to claim travel for work at least 120 kilometres away from their residence. Currently, corporations and self-employed individuals enjoy the benefit of claiming eligible travel-related expenses.

If a corporation incurs transportation expenses for business operations, it subtracts these expenses from taxable profits. The bill would extend these benefits to the trades so that tradespeople have equal treatment.

I would like to tell members about a licensed electrician working in my constituency. She is forced to travel a long distance for work because there is no substantial amount of construction work in her area. She needs to travel to pay her bills. Money is already tight and she now has to foot the bill for travel, accommodations and food. She realizes that not every worker has the same struggle while travelling for work. Although business workers and construction workers both travel, not everyone will be reimbursed for their work expenses. It should not matter if a worker is in a suit or a hard hat: they should both be fairly reimbursed for their work.

Bill C-241 is important for all of Canada, but it is even more important for rural Canada. As an MP who proudly represents a rural region, I understand the challenges of travelling long distances to get from point A to point B. There are not many short trips and cheap gas bills for rural Canada.

I was in Dauphin last week and met a constituent named Jeff Hockridge. Jeff recently opened Hockridge Trade School. Over the past few months, he has been working hard to offer training services for heavy equipment operations in the Parkland region of Manitoba. Jeff and his team are working to support the next generation of trades and are teaching the skills that are among the most desired in our country. Jeff understands that operating a business in rural Canada carries additional burdens that make it difficult to work in the skilled trades.

Most notably, operating in rural regions requires a significant amount of travel among various communities. This means that tradespeople are often required to travel long distances for their work. This travel is unavoidable and tradespeople must bear these additional costs to simply do their jobs. When Canada's tradespeople incur more costs, they take home less for themselves. They take home less money to support their families and they take home less money to reinvest in their communities.

Bill C-241 would also help address our nation's current economic challenges. Canada is in the middle of a cost of living crisis, and goods and services are becoming unaffordable for millions of Canadians. One of these essential goods is fuel. With gas prices reaching record levels, Canadians, especially rural Canadians, deserve a break. The bill would ensure that tradespeople enjoy the same taxable benefits as corporations and self-employed individuals for travel.

Bill C-241 would decrease the financial burden of transportation and by extension, allow tradespeople to sign up for jobs farther away from where they live. Canada is facing a labour shortage and I believe, as parliamentarians, we must work to fill these gaps. Canada's trades industry is one of the sectors most impacted by the national labour shortage.

In my province of Manitoba, the trades sector will account for the highest number of vacancies over the next three years. If we want to attract talent in Canada's trades, we need to support these Canadians in their field of choice. It is no secret that the trades offer excellent careers through highly skilled, highly paid positions. We must ensure that they are treated as such. Workers in the trades must be appropriately compensated for their skills and their work. We cannot wait any longer to train the next generation of skilled tradespeople.

Bill C-241 would help address the national labour shortage and help folks like Jeff increase student enrolment in Canada's trades. Bill C-241 is a pro-worker, pro-jobs, pro-paycheque bill. This bill would provide the support that tradespeople need. This bill would help grow the skilled trades sector.

It is no surprise that trade unions around the country have expressed their widespread support for this bill. They have been advocating for these measures for years. The working class people of this country have often fallen through the cracks, and it is time for the government to step up.

In conclusion, I would like to again thank my colleague from Essex for his great work in drafting this bill. Bill C-241 recognizes that working class Canadians are the backbone of this country. At a time when Canadians are experiencing significant financial hardship, when they deserve a break and when our nation is in desperate need of skilled trades, we must address these challenges. I urge members of the House to send this bill to committee so it could be further studied.

It is important to hear expert testimony on this legislation so we, as parliamentarians, could better understand the positive impact it would have on Canadian trades. I will be proudly voting in favour of this legislation, and I encourage all other members of the House to do the same.