Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I see a major flaw in the Liberals' argument.
First of all, we aren't talking about people who are before the courts but, rather, about the minister's request to obtain people's names, the exact same request we are trying to make here in this committee. The Liberals are telling us that, because the minister has requested the names of those responsible for the scheme and those who benefited as a result, the committee cannot request the information. We have a serious problem with that.
As for the names of the five individuals currently before the courts, we have already made clear our willingness to exclude them from our motion. At the end of the day, we are talking about people who have been given amnesty. In order to be given amnesty, one must acknowledge one's guilt. In that sense, then, we shouldn't have any problem requesting those names or those of the individuals responsible for developing the scheme.
As I said, the main difference between compel and request lies in the outcome and will become very clear when we get nothing. The Liberals simply want to give up because the Government of Canada could be sued or wind up in litigation.
Do we really want to get to the bottom of things and make sure the Canadian government stands up for taxpayers and the tax system so that it is worthy of Canadians' confidence? If not, are the Liberals simply trying to water down the motion to make sure that KPMG will be under no obligation to hand over the documents because it might be too risky or dangerous?
The purpose of the motion before us is to make KPMG turn over the information in question. If KPMG refuses to co-operate and chooses to challenge the request, it will have to answer for its decision in the court of public opinion. It is our duty to protect the interests of taxpayers, of Canadians.
The choice is clear. Do the members of the government want to water down the motion, let the situation run its course, and have it fade from memory in the fullness of time? Or do they want to really use the authority of the committee, and ultimately of the House, to make KPMG turn over the documents for public scrutiny in order to represent and safeguard the interests of taxpayers and Canadians? That is the choice before the members of the government.