Hello, Mr. Chair, ladies and gentlemen.
I would like to thank you for this invitation to provide you with more information on the "Compliance Activities of the Canada Revenue Agency" report, which is part of the 2018 Fall Report of the Auditor General of Canada.
This morning, I am accompanied by Bob Hamilton, Commissioner of the Canada Revenue Agency, and Ted Gallivan, Assistant Commissioner, International, Large Business and Investigations.
First, I would like to thank the Auditor General for his important work. I welcome his recommendations regarding the Canada Revenue Agency's compliance activities.
Since my appointment as Minister of National Revenue, I have always worked toward a fair and equitable tax system that meets the needs of all Canadians.
Unlike the Conservatives, who made cuts without thinking of the consequences, our government has decided to reinvest in the agency and in the service it provides to Canadians.
Today, I want to reiterate that I am firmly committed to making sure that all Canadians are treated fairly and equitably by the agency. They must receive the benefits and credits they are entitled to, and assurance that everyone pays their fair share of income tax.
In light of some recommendations that were made, what the Auditor General is telling us in this report is that we can always do more; that we can always do better.
In October, I announced the appointment of the first chief service and data officer. That appointment confirms our wish to establish a service culture within the agency, a culture that maintains Canadians' trust, a culture that puts people at the centre of our decision-making process.
We therefore accept the recommendations regarding our reporting and our processes. I assure you that we will continue to put every necessary effort into making these improvements.
Regarding reporting, Canadians expect us to be able to better report on our results. To do this, I believe that every organization should have access to reliable data and indicators to make the best decisions.
We already started the work in 2016 by estimating the tax gap, and we will continue our work with the chief data officer.
Regarding processes, I agree that the law has to be applied consistently and fairly in all regions of the country. We work with millions of Canadians and businesses. However, each case is different. Some are more complex, others are simpler. However, in all cases, the compliance programs have only one goal: to make sure that the tax system is fair and equitable for everyone across the country. This is the assurance that we must give Canadians.
In response to the concerns the Auditor General raised, the agency has developed an action plan. A copy has been submitted to your committee. This plan illustrates the measures that will be taken to address the recommendations from the Auditor General, in addition to describing the approach that the agency intends to adopt in revising its internal processes and procedures.
A fair tax system is one that works for all Canadians.
As Minister of National Revenue, I will always be open to putting measures in place that ensure the fairness of our tax system and that make it easier for Canadians to meet their tax obligations.
Thank you very much.