Mr. Speaker, first of all, I wish to convey my sincerest sympathy to Mr. Bourassa's family.
In his statement, the Minister of Finance confirmed that the Liberal government helps some people to avoid paying taxes. He confirmed that he has done nothing to end the family trust scandal in which $2 billion in assets was transferred to the U.S. without a penny in tax being collected.
Should we be surprised? Since the beginning of this affair, the behaviour of the Liberal members on the finance committee has been unworthy of parliamentarians. They tried to undermine the credibility of the auditor general.
According to the minister's statement, Canadians must have confidence in the tax system. They are entitled to demand that everyone pay his or her fair share.
On behalf of all the taxpayers in Quebec and Canada, I ask the Liberal government to shed light on this scandal and plug the tax loophole, instead of throwing the borders wide open as they are now doing.
If the minister truly wants, as he claims in his ministerial declaration, to re-establish confidence in the fiscal system, he must shed light on the scandal of December 1991 which permitted a family trust of $2 billion to be transferred tax free in the United States. He must demonstrate to Canadians that they can have confidence in the system. With the scandal and the complicity of the government, the proof must be given.