Starting today, I would like to get rid of a strange feeling that I get while listening to you. We're here today with the most senior officers of the Canada Revenue Agency, for whom I have only the greatest personal respect. Here we're talking about the columns of the temple that have been shaken. This is indeed one of the most important government institutions. You can't operate a modern state if you can't collect taxes, if there is collusion in such a crucially important industry as the construction industry, if people are establishing fake companies, empty shells, and manage to establish—and this is clearly the case here—a collaborative or collusive relationship with people at a revenue agency. This has never happened in the entire history of Canada.
I'm baffled by your attitude, which is to shrug your shoulders and tell us that there's that, that you don't need to ask us for one cent more, that you'll do what you usually do and reallocate... If that's what you do every day, I'm very concerned. When Mr. Paillé raised the possibility of introducing his motion, I was one of the first to agree, for the good and simple reason that the institution you represent is part of the very basis of a government's ability to operate, in this case the Government of Canada.
I'd like you to tell us how concerned you are about what has happened and what concrete measures you've taken to determine how it could have occurred and to ensure it doesn't occur again. There's something corporate in your answer. One might almost say we're dealing with members of a guild who are protecting themselves. I'm not at all satisfied with the seriousness and conviction of your answers. I'd really like to hear you reassure us, tell us that you've grasped the seriousness of the situation and that you are taking measures to address it. If you need us as elected members to provide you with more resources, tell us.