Evidence of meeting #14 for Finance in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was system.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
Could we come to order, please?
We ended the last meeting with Mr. Liepert's amendment still on the table. I'd propose we take 50 minutes with the first group. If the second group's here, we'll take another 50, and that'll leave us 20 minutes for business at the end, if that's agreeable.
Go ahead, Mr. Caron.
NDP
Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC
From what I understand, we could get this resolved fairly quickly. The discussion was left open at our last meeting. If we follow committee procedure, when a motion is not carried during a meeting, the next one starts with it. I don't think this will necessarily take a lot of time. A resolution and an amendment have not yet been discussed, so I would like us to start with that.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
That's the procedure. I was just suggesting something a little different, going to the last 20 minutes of the meeting, but if that's your preference, then we'll do that.
Mr. Liepert's amendment was on the floor, and who was on the speaking list?
NDP
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
The clerk has it...shortly.
Sorry, gentlemen. We'll get to you in a moment.
Conservative
Ron Liepert Conservative Calgary Signal Hill, AB
It was a matter of inserting from the previous motion the four or five words around having the minister appear as part of this motion.
NDP
Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC
I'll be brief.
I hope that the government members will support this motion. I already tried to have one adopted in order to invite the minister, as well as several Canada Revenue Agency officials, but the motion was rejected by the Liberal majority.
I sincerely hope that we will have an opportunity sooner rather than later to welcome the minister to ask her questions. I heard her answer in the House yesterday loud and clear, that she would appear before us “eventually”. I think we should set a date, as early as possible.
The Liberal motion initially mentioned that Ms. Henderson would appear on April 12, a date that has passed. I will suggest an amendment to that motion to propose Thursday, April 21. Obviously, the minister will need to be consulted, but the intention was to have her appear as soon as possible. So let's discuss Mr. Liepert's amendment, and then I will propose my own afterward.
Liberal
Francesco Sorbara Liberal Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON
Yes, I do, Chair. Thank you.
I'd like to take a vote on Mr. Liepert's amendment. After that, I would like to resume discussion on my motion and propose an amendment of my own, please.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
The question's been called, then, on Mr. Liepert's amendment.
Could you please read it, Clerk, and then we'll go from there.
The Clerk of the Committee Ms. Suzie Cadieux
The amendment reads as follows. Mr. Liepert moved that the motion be amended by adding, after the words “Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)” and before the words “including Ms. Stephanie Henderson”, the following words: “and the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue”.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
All in favour?
(Amendment negatived)
I declare the amendment lost.
Go ahead, Mr. Sorbara.
Liberal
Francesco Sorbara Liberal Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good morning, everyone.
After we adjourned Tuesday's meeting and before we could complete a thorough discussion of my original motion, I had further conversations and insight into the motion, so I'd like to propose an amendment of my own to the original motion. I had the opportunity to talk to many colleagues and reflect on the points raised by the opposition.
In the spirit of co-operation, openness, and transparency, I would like to amend my original motion by deleting the words after “That the Standing Committee on Finance call for” and inserting the following:
the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier,
—excuse my pronunciation—
Minister of National Revenue, officials from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) including Ms. Stephanie Henderson, manager of offshore compliance, and officials from the Department of Justice to appear before the committee to provide the steps being taken by the Agency to combat tax evasion and tax avoidance and provide an explanation as to the current status of the KPMG/Isle of Man file. That the Committee also call for officials of KPMG to appear before the Committee to explain their role in this file.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Liberal
Liberal
Conservative
Phil McColeman Conservative Brantford—Brant, ON
I have a question to the chair. That's a substantive change to the motion. I'm wondering if, through you, the member would consider withdrawing his first motion and putting this on the floor as his motion, replacing it instead of an amendment.
It's highly unusual for someone to be doing this in an amendment.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
I don't see it as changing the intent of the motion, Phil. I don't imagine you have a problem withdrawing the original motion and putting that forward as a new motion, do you? It would be simpler.
Liberal
Francesco Sorbara Liberal Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON
I agree with the chair on this. We'll put it down as a new motion.