Regarding Mr. Kramp's statement, I too get questions from business people in my riding. So I was extremely surprised to learn that the Department of Finance charges businesses a fee for the advice they are giving. One individual showed me a letter that stated that a fee had to be paid to the government in order to find out what the law allows and what it does not. But I found out later from an official in the Department that despite the fact that the Department of Finance charges a fee for its legal advice, there is no guarantee as to its legal value.
In one case, an individual went to court. The disputed amount was in the range of $500,000 to $550,000. The individual ended up winning his case. Nevertheless, this is a major problem.
How can the Department justify charging a fee to businesses for its advice when we find out in the report of the Auditor General that all of this confusion results from the fact no legislation or system is in place?
My next question deals with the 250 advance rulings.