Evidence of meeting #10 for Finance in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was quebec.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

David Spiro  Dentons Canada LLP, As an Individual
Yvon Bolduc  Chief Executive Officer, Fonds de solidarité des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec
Jack Mintz  Director and Palmer Chair in Public Policy, School of Public Policy, University of Calgary, As an Individual
Michael Colborne  Partner, Thorsteinssons LLP
Gabriel Hayos  Vice-President, Taxation, Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada
Joyce Reynolds  Executive Vice-President, Government Affairs, Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association
François-William Simard  Director, Strategy and Economic Affairs, Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec
Thomas Hayes  President and Chief Executive Officer, GrowthWorks Atlantic Ltd.
Chris Arsenault  President, iNovia Capital Inc.
John Bergenske  Executive Director, Wildsight
Brenda Baxter  Director General, Workplace Directorate, Labour Program, Department of Human Resources and Skills Development
Ted Cook  Senior Legislative Chief, Tax Legislation Division, Tax Policy Branch, Department of Finance
Armine Yalnizyan  Senior Economist, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Monique Moreau  Senior Policy Analyst, Canadian Federation of Independent Business
Michelle Gauthier  Vice-President, Public Policy and Community Engagement, Imagine Canada
Marie-Hélène Arruda  Coordinator, Mouvement autonome et solidaire des sans-emploi (réseau québécois)

8:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

This is part of an ongoing process debate. But it all originates in the pre-budget consultations, which are a catch-all for any sort of policy whatsoever.

November 25th, 2013 / 8:30 p.m.

Senior Economist, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

Armine Yalnizyan

True, it's a—

8:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

I think that if we're going to cut it out of the later budget process, we ought to be consistent along the entire pre-budget process.

8:30 p.m.

Senior Economist, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

Armine Yalnizyan

Why? You are asking Canadians for their opinions on what should be in a budget and you could use that as a sounding board to say which things are financial, which are fiscal, and which budgetary. All these things could be treated differently at different committees.

8:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

Okay, obviously I'm not convincing you.

But I do want to go to Ms. Gauthier, very briefly.

In your opening statement you said that, based on the level of employer contributions paid in 2011, you estimated that almost 40,000 charities could benefit from the hiring credit included in this Budget Implementation Act.

Almost 90% of all charities have paid staff. But you said that when the hiring credit came out, many charities did not avail themselves of it because they did not see it as applying to them. Was that because they didn't see themselves as traditional employers, or was it something that the government did or did not do that caused charities not to avail themselves of the credit?

8:30 p.m.

Vice-President, Public Policy and Community Engagement, Imagine Canada

Dr. Michelle Gauthier

It wasn't so much that the charities didn't avail themselves of the credit. It was that they were not aware on budget night and in the months following that it was applicable to them. The point was simply about the way we described the credit. We in fact acknowledge our mistake. We overlooked it.

In talking with officials, and I believe with our colleagues in government, they didn't promote it or market it as something that they were doing for charities.

We would welcome the opportunity, when additional initiatives that apply to all employers are put forth, to have these initiatives clearly identified as such. I think the budget document spoke about the important role that small businesses play as job creators in the Canadian economy. I would welcome the inclusion of those types of sentences for charities and non-profits.

8:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

So when you see the phrases “employers”, “small business”, “job employers”, and “job creators”, do charities consider themselves within those? Or do they need to be mentioned specifically?

8:30 p.m.

Vice-President, Public Policy and Community Engagement, Imagine Canada

Dr. Michelle Gauthier

I think they probably need to be a little bit more specific, because the recognition here was a “small firm”. I don't know that they would see themselves as a firm, even though they would see themselves as social entrepreneurs and as operating related businesses as charities.

It's just a clarification that could really help in future.

8:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative James Rajotte

Okay. Thank you very much for that.

I want to thank all of you for being here, both in Ottawa and in

Quebec City. Thank you very much for your remarks and for your answers to our questions.

Thank you so much for your input into this very lively discussion this evening.

Thank you, colleagues.

The meeting is adjourned.