Finance Committee on Feb. 28th, 2022

Evidence of meeting #23 for Finance in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was amendment.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Bill C-8

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee Mr. Alexandre Roger

Phil King Director General, Sales Tax Division, Tax Policy Branch, Department of Finance

Pierre Mercille Director General, Sales Tax Legislation, Sales Tax Division, Tax Policy Branch, Department of Finance

Jacques Maziade Legislative Clerk

11:45 a.m.

Conservative

Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC

I would just ask for clarification of Mr. Beech. He has included the words “the number of payments made”.

Mr. Beech, are you referring to the actual amount of payments? How would we actually know what the amount of the payments were if you're just referring to the number of payments made? You could say a payment was made to that province, that province, and that province, and the fourth one got, say, three payments, but we'll never know exactly how large those payments were, at least on a quarterly basis. Perhaps you have some clarification as to what was intended.

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

Terry Beech Liberal Burnaby North—Seymour, BC

“Number of and total” could correct that, I guess. The major concern we have is making sure that the individual.... There's no way for individuals to figure out which individual companies...what their per-unit basis is. As long as we're qualifying that, I think everything else is fair game. We could add “total amount” to that, and I think it would be fine. I hope that provides clarity for you, but the intention is what you stated, Mr. Fast.

11:45 a.m.

Conservative

Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC

The way that would then read, it would say, “prepare a report setting out the number and amount of payments made under subsection (1)”. Am I correct?

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

Terry Beech Liberal Burnaby North—Seymour, BC

I just have one small correction. It would be “total amount”, because we wouldn't want it to be confused with individual amounts.

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca

I'll look to the legislative clerk.

Could you just explain for clarity?

February 28th, 2022 / 11:45 a.m.

Legislative Clerk

Jacques Maziade

Just to clarify, is it “setting out the total amount of the number”?

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

Terry Beech Liberal Burnaby North—Seymour, BC

I think it would be “the number of and total amount of payments made under subsection (1)”.

11:45 a.m.

Legislative Clerk

Jacques Maziade

Let me read this back for the committee, please. We will say: “the Minister of Health must prepare a report setting out the number of and total amount of payments made under subsection (1)”.

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca

Is that all right with Mr. Blaikie? It's his amendment.

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

Terry Beech Liberal Burnaby North—Seymour, BC

It's a friendly subamendment.

11:45 a.m.

NDP

Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB

This may just be an aesthetic preference, but I wonder if we might say “prepare a report setting out the number of payments made and the total amount paid under subsection (1)”.

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

Terry Beech Liberal Burnaby North—Seymour, BC

That is also acceptable.

11:45 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca

We'll make sure we capture that.

11:50 a.m.

NDP

Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB

The fact that it rhymes is a little bonus. I can't take credit for having planned that out.

I don't know if you can make it rhyme in the French, as well, for Monsieur Ste-Marie, but I'm sure we would all be impressed if that were possible.

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca

I'm looking around and I don't see any further discussion. Shall we call the vote here on this subamendment?

11:50 a.m.

Conservative

Dan Albas Conservative Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC

Agreed.

(Subamendment agreed to)

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca

On the amendment, shall NDP-2 carry as amended?

(Amendment as amended agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca

Shall clause 46 carry?

(Clause 46 as amended agreed to on division)

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca

Now we have a new clause, 46.1.

11:50 a.m.

NDP

Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB

Mr. Chair, in respect of this amendment NDP-3 and given our advice on the admissibility of the amendment and the discussion around NDP-1, I won't move this amendment.

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca

Okay. Thank you, MP Blaikie.

Shall clause 47 carry?

(Clause 47 agreed to on division)

11:50 a.m.

NDP

Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB

Mr. Chair, may I say something?

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca

Go ahead, MP Blaikie.

11:50 a.m.

NDP

Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB

My understanding is that there aren't any other amendments foreseen. I wonder if we might have unanimous consent to carry the other clauses of the bill on division.

11:50 a.m.

Conservative

Ed Fast Conservative Abbotsford, BC

No.