Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank my colleague, Mr. Ste-Marie.
I'm deeply concerned that this bill will not only lead to unnecessary costs and inefficiencies related to Revenu Québec's administration of the federal income tax, but will also limit Canada's ability to fight against tax fraud and financial crime.
The bill also poses serious challenges to ensuring consistent tax treatment for people in Quebec and their access to critical support programs run by the Canada Revenue Agency, or CRA. It's sad to note that, after the incredible work done by the CRA to support Canadians during the pandemic, the bill would jeopardize the jobs of thousands of people in Quebec and other provinces as well.
Our government has made tremendous progress in addressing tax compliance concerns. We're committed to streamlining income tax administration through a simple and automated tax filing system. I'm concerned that this bill will undo our progress in this area.
Mr. Ste-Marie, when you spoke about this bill in the House of Commons, you said the following: “We drafted the bill in such a way as to ensure that all jobs in Quebec would be protected.” However, the president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, or PIPSC, sent a letter to several MPs asking them to oppose the bill. Here's an excerpt from the letter:
I urge you to oppose Bill C-224, which can only have a detrimental impact on Quebec taxpayers, CRA employees and federal revenue collection.
How do you reconcile these two statements?