Finance Committee on Dec. 8th, 2010

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

In the United States—

[Cathy Hawara]

Oh, shelters. I apologize.

I don't know whether it's a requirement of the IRS.

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

All right. I'm advised that they do, and I'm pretty sure that it makes accommodations.

Can you tell me now how many shelters have any employees with over $100,000 in compensation?

[Cathy Hawara]

I don't have access to that information. However, because we would be amending a portion of the provision that applies to more than just the compensation, it would have broader implications than just on compensation.

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

Mr. Chairman, I would prefer the “shall” wording, from the technical basis that a post office box.... I spent five years on the board of Interim Place, a shelter for battered women. I'm aware of the sensitivities. There are three locations now in our community, and I think they're all pretty well discreetly positioned and taken care of. But this is one situation. Since the U.S. has found ways, I'm pretty sure that, with the assurance here of the officials, a post office box.... I don't know what's on the registration of the charity, which is also public information, but I suspect that they've already handled it there, so that any disclosure of an address on that registration probably has already dealt with the same problem we're concerned with now. The shelters are not, in my view, a good example of why we should retain the discretion.

Other than shelters for battered women, are there any other groups or classes of organizations, charitable organizations, that would have any similar sensitivities?

[Cathy Hawara]

The one issue that has come to me since I've been in this position has been officials working abroad. Some organizations have charitable activities abroad. That is the one instance I'm also aware of that I can raise for the committee's consideration.

[Paul Szabo, Liberal, Mississauga South, ON]

I would, as a consequence, support the amendment of Mr. Pacetti then.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Thank you, Mr. Szabo.

Mr. Pacetti, and then Mr. Wallace.

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

I'm not sure if I can perhaps make a friendly amendment and make everybody happy, if that's possible.

Paragraph (b): “the Minister shall, unless justified, make available to the”, and so on and so forth, so it's more like an opting out.

In my view, the French version is better than the English one.

[An hon. member]

As always.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

Could you read it in English for us again?

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

In English, it's easy: “the Minister shall, unless justified, make available to”. So he's just going to have to do it, unless somebody justifies that he....

[Russ Hiebert, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale, BC]

“Unless otherwise justified”?

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

Yes, “unless otherwise justified” is fine.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Okay.

Does everyone have what the proposal is?

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

It's “otherwise justified”, is that what you're saying?

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Do you want to just read it?

Could you read out the English and French versions?

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

Look, I can't write either French or English, so you guys are talking to the wrong guy.

[Mike Wallace, Conservative, Burlington, ON]

Try it in Italian, and let's see how we do.

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

It's “the Minister shall”—

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Order.

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

I'm okay with “the Minister shall, unless otherwise justified”. But I don't know why the “otherwise” needs to be there--“the Minister shall, unless justified”, but somebody has to correct me here.

[The Chair, Conservative, James Rajotte]

Okay, en français.

[Massimo Pacetti, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

That bill C-470, in Clause 1, be amended by replacing line 5 on page 2 with the following: (b) the minister shall make available to the

[Daniel Paillé, Bloc, Hochelaga, QC]

As the legislative clerk just...