I share your concern. Last year, I worked on a research project at Harvard University with Professor Brian Mandell, who is a former Canadian professor. We could talk about this issue extensively, something I would like to do. When we allow for a minority of taxpayers, who happen to be the most affluent, to benefit from tax havens on a global scale—something Canada is not alone in permitting—we are jeopardizing the entire process of voluntary contribution on which our freedom is based. If this process is put in jeopardy and that people can no longer trust the tax system, how can we continue functioning on the planet? This might be a utopic, perhaps feminine way of expressing it, but I believe that there is also an economic solution. For example, in the process of globalization that also affects capital, given the mobility of capital we must have a centralized tax system. This must be achieved at some point. I believe that Canada could raise this issue at the negotiating table. If we don't, we will be swimming upstream. By not acting, citizens across the world will say that multinationals are not paying taxes, and that this is unfair. We are working against the economy and the goals that we want to reach. If we want globalization to work well for us, multinational companies must pay their fair share of taxes so that ordinary citizens across the world will accept the process of globalization.
On May 15th, 2007. See this statement in context.