Thank you, Madam Chair.
Good morning to my colleagues.
I'd like to thank all the witnesses for being here.
I'm very pleased about the fact that this meeting is being held. It's one that I asked for, because I thought it was important to have a clear update. I'd like to thank my colleagues for their support in requesting that this meeting be held.
My first question is for Mr. Rochon.
Mr. Rochon, your record of service with the Department of Finance is eloquent. It speaks for itself. I was also told that you're the longest-serving deputy minister in the department since World War II. Your expertise is invaluable, particularly in view of the crisis we find ourselves in at the moment.
Can we infer from what you've said that the issue surrounding fair electronic taxation is closely tied to the government's will? Are there other reasons, legislative or otherwise, behind this matter?
Is it fair to say that Canada dragged its feet on collecting billions of dollars?
We might also ask about Big Tech, namely Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple, or GAFA.