Evidence of meeting #26 for Finance in the 39th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was region.
A recording is available from Parliament.
February 27th, 2008 / 4:50 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
And they're related. Okay, I'm sorry, I misunderstood.
In the next paragraph, on the $22.081 million regarding the offshore trust and foreign investment initiative, is that the old Bill C-33, that huge document that was supposed to have been passed and has been lingering for six or seven years?
4:50 p.m.
Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Commissioner, Finance and Administration Branch, Canada Revenue Agency
Unfortunately, I'm afraid I don't know it by its number. I apologize.
My understanding is that the bill in question was being considered, it was passing through the House in the fall, and it did not complete the process. So at this point in time it's not looking like it's going to be enacted prior to the end of the fiscal year.
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Okay.
I have a question related to the budget tabled yesterday. The government introduced a tax-free savings account, and that's going to be another gimmick where the government has introduced this fancy compilation of another separate set of accounts. Do you have any estimates of how much that's going to cost for CRA to administer?
4:50 p.m.
Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Commissioner, Finance and Administration Branch, Canada Revenue Agency
Not at this time.
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Wouldn't the Department of Finance have consulted with you to determine how much those initiatives would cost?
4:50 p.m.
Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Commissioner, Finance and Administration Branch, Canada Revenue Agency
As is our customary practice, now that the budget has been read, we will be working to develop the estimates and will present that to--
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
But wouldn't you have done the estimates prior to the budget? Wouldn't the Department of Finance have asked you for costs?
4:50 p.m.
Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Commissioner, Finance and Administration Branch, Canada Revenue Agency
We will expect the costs related to these measures to be likely in the supplementary estimates (A) or (B).
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Wouldn't such a government that's supposed to be so fiscally responsible have done a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether it makes any sense to administratively do some of these initiatives?
4:50 p.m.
Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Commissioner, Finance and Administration Branch, Canada Revenue Agency
I don't think I can say much more on that point.
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Well, I don't know. He was answering and then you were--
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
He answered it twice and he has the same answer, so I'm not going to let you badger him forever on it.
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
I'm not badgering him.
Am I badgering you, Mr. Ralston? I apologize if I am.
I've never been accused of badgering anybody. At six feet five inches I don't have to badger anybody.
4:55 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield
The chair accepts your apology. Do you have another question, or are you good?
4:55 p.m.
Bloc
Jean-Yves Laforest Bloc Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
In the 2007-2008 supplementary estimates $550,000 was earmarked for the Canada Revenue Agency's government advertising programs. What sort of advertising is this? Is it Canada-wide? In certain specific regions? Who is being targeted?
4:55 p.m.
Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Commissioner, Finance and Administration Branch, Canada Revenue Agency
The campaign is to promote electronic services to small businesses and intermediaries that work with them. The proposed campaign is going to increase awareness of the electronic tax services, in general, but more particularly we want to speak about the “my business account” and the “represent a client” services.
The idea is that the advertisements have been appearing over the past few months, January through March, and the media vehicles are going to be targeted--so industry publications and that sort of thing.
4:55 p.m.
Bloc
Jean-Yves Laforest Bloc Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
We're talking about the supplementary estimates, but in the regular budget, I imagine other advertising focusing on individuals is included.
4:55 p.m.
Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Commissioner, Finance and Administration Branch, Canada Revenue Agency
A few years ago the government centralized the administration of advertising funds like this. So we do not have any amounts in main estimates. We must make a request each year, and after approval we obtain it through the supplementary estimates.
4:55 p.m.
Bloc
Jean-Yves Laforest Bloc Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
Have you already carried out advertising performance studies, for example on electronic transmission? Is the advertising effective?
4:55 p.m.
Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Commissioner, Finance and Administration Branch, Canada Revenue Agency
Unfortunately, I'm not personally aware of that information. Our public affairs branch handles that work, not my own, and I just don't have knowledge of it. I'm sorry.
4:55 p.m.
Bloc