Finance Committee on Feb. 14th, 2022

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

This is not a point of order, Mr. Chair.

Ms. Dzerowicz, it is not a point of order. We're allowed to ask officials tough questions—

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Please treat our witnesses with respect.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Order.

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

—even though they are not able to respond.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Please treat our witnesses with respect.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Order. Members, order.

No crosstalking over each other. I'm sure it's very difficult for everybody.

Mr. McLean, continue.

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I apologize for the difficulty of the questions.

Let me go further to what one of my colleagues was asking about, reciprocity across the border. I will quote representative Brian Higgins, a Buffalo Democrat, who has reached out to Canadian officials about this tax because, as he stated quite clearly, if Canada really intends to impose a tax on Americans, the U.S. should consider a reciprocal tax on Canadian-owned property in the U.S.

Has the Department of Finance looked at how much Canadians are going to bleed in tax with the United States and determined whether Canadians will actually be benefiting from this tax or actually subsidizing foreign jurisdictions?

[Phil King]

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

I have nothing to offer the committee on this question.

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Okay. Maybe we need some people to do some analytics here.

Can we come back to that? Can you actually undertake to advise the government on the potential tax leak that's going to happen here and funding foreign jurisdictions, please?

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, these are political questions. Officials cannot answer with respect to what will happen in the future. This is not—

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Can I have my time back, please.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Order.

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

This is exactly what we're allowed to do here.

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Well, the tax cannot be—

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

These are important questions that the Department of Finance officials need to be taking in order to advise the government on the tax positions.

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

The U.S. cannot be blamed for having that—

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Members. Order.

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

We're getting points of order here that are nonsensical, Mr. Chair.

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

This is not—

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

I think you know that, so I would like you to shut them down a lot more quickly than you have.

[The Chair, Liberal, Peter Fonseca]

Order, members.

[An hon. member]

What are they hiding?

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

What are you hiding?

[An hon. member]

What are you hiding—really?

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Well, what are you hiding—a political agenda?