Good evening. Thank you for hearing me.
My name is indeed Jean-Pierre DeBeaumont, and I want to thank Mr. Fergus and the National Association of Federal Retirees.
I support the request made by the National Association of Federal Retirees, and I'll add one more point. The association is asking for better retirement income security and a national strategy for seniors.
I also want to talk about the resolution of the Phoenix pay system issues.
I've just returned from a trip to Europe. Since I'm now retired, I was fortunate to have the opportunity walk from Paris to Compostela, a distance of 2,500 km. One thing that I found less pleasant when I arrived home was the fact that the Canada Revenue Agency was asking me for thousands of dollars following—I'll use the word in front of me—the Phoenix “fiasco.” I'm asking the Standing Committee on Finance to ensure that this situation is resolved as quickly as possible to put a stop to the seemingly endless negotiations, the successive errors, and so on.
I would be remiss if I didn't finish by thanking you for all your work, which constitutes the foundation of everything accomplished in Canada. Obviously, the actions of Canadians are based on finances.
I would like to make a request. I want you to reduce access to tax havens. In my family, I don't dare say it, but I'm happy to pay my taxes because income taxation is a basic system that ensures that we knowingly and logically contribute to cover the cost of roads, bridges, health care, and so on. In my opinion, it goes without saying.
However, there's a lack of fairness when it comes to people who don't pay taxes. I find it a little incomprehensible that our Canadian system allows this. I know that this also happens abroad. However, this evening I have the chance to express my gratitude and to ask you to reduce access to tax havens for wealthy people, who have a great deal of money and who could better contribute to the Canadian system.