Finance Committee on May 13th, 2010

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

I call to order this twentieth meeting of the Standing Committee on Finance. The orders of the day are pursuant to the order of reference of Monday, April 19, 2010: Bill C-9, an act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 4, 2010, and other measures.

This is the clause-by-clause consideration of Bill C-9. Colleagues, we have before us here this afternoon and evening 2,200 clauses, so we have a lot of clauses and work to do.

We did the briefing sessions with officials by part, and there are 24 parts to this bill. So that is how I will proceed, through the different parts of the bill, and then we'll do the schedules, the title, and such.

Clause 1 is the short title, but pursuant to Standing Order 75(1), this is postponed until after, for consideration at the end.

We will start with part 1. The way we will proceed is that I will identify which clauses that refers to, and then I will call for any discussion on any of the clauses within that part.

In part 1, we have clauses 2 to 36, amendments to the Income Tax Act and related acts and regulations.

Is there any discussion?

Mr. Martin, please.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

It's more of a question, because I'm substituting for my colleague Mr. Mulcair.

Within this section, clauses 2 to 36, do we find the clauses dealing with EI?

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

No, we do not.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

The section dealing with EI is part 24. I'll note that you want to speak to that part.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Mr. Paillé, you have the floor.

[Daniel Paillé, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Chair, as a gesture of solidarity with the Department of Finance officials, a department that I, myself, used to work in, I will not ask that all the clauses be read before we vote on them. Rest assured.

For part 1, I would ask for a recorded vote on clauses 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15 and 22. Those are not the winning 6/49 numbers. For the other clauses in part 1, I would ask for a vote on division.

[An hon. member]

Clauses 15 to 22 or clauses 15 and 22?

[Daniel Paillé, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

Clauses 15 and 22. So clauses 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15 and 22.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

My suggestion was simply to call for a vote, and we can either do it recorded or not. But if you want a recorded vote, we could do so on clauses 2 to 36.

Is that okay?

[Daniel Paillé, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

I am not sure whether others want....

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Okay, so I'll call the vote on—

Sorry, Mr. Martin.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Just so I'm clear, if you're calling for one vote on clauses 2 through 36, we're in a bit of a quandary, because we do support most of those clauses, but we do not support clauses 19 and 22, and we'd like to have those broken out so that we can be on the record to oppose. In fact, we would ask for a recorded vote on those two clauses that we oppose.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

My understanding is that Monsieur Paillé wants a recorded vote on clauses 2, 3, 6, 11, 15....

No?

[Daniel Paillé, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

Clauses 6 to 11, so 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

So that's clauses 6 to 11.

Fine, thank you.

Then clauses 15 and 22. Is that all?

[Daniel Paillé, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

Yes.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Mr. Martin, you want votes on which ones?

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Clauses 19 and 22.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Okay, I'll just mark that.

Monsieur Paillé wants a recorded vote.

(Clause 2 agreed to: yeas 5; nays 3)

(Clause 3 agreed to: yeas 5; nays 3)

(Clauses 4 and 5 agreed to on division)

(Clause 6 agreed to: yeas 6; nays 4)

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

This could be a long afternoon.

(Clauses 7 to 11 inclusive agreed to: yeas 6; nays 4)

(Clauses 12 to 14 inclusive agreed to on division)

(Clause 15 agreed to: yeas 6; nays 4)

(Clauses 16 to 18 agreed to on division)

We'll have a recorded vote on clause 19.

All right, we have a tie vote. The chair votes in favour.

(Clause 19 agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5)

(Clauses 20 and 21 agreed to on division)

A recorded vote on clause 22.

Again we have a tie. The chair votes in favour.

(Clause 22 agreed to: yeas 6; nays 5)

(Clauses 23 to 36 inclusive agreed to on division)

That's part 1. We turn now to part 2, amendments in respect of excise duties and sales and excise taxes. This part deals with clauses 37 to 95.

Mr. Martin.

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

My notes here ask me to ask the clerk for direction regarding HST/GST on financial services. Parts 55 to 95 we oppose, and I'd ask for a recorded vote on that cluster. They're all to deal with the HST/GST on financial services.

Is it possible to ask for a recorded vote on that group?

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Sure. So clauses 37 to 54 will carry on division?

[Pat Martin, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Agreed.

(Clauses 37 to 54 inclusive agreed to on division)