Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary is telling us that it is a public document and that the opposition's objections are of a political nature. I would like to respond to the parliamentary secretary by submitting to him the three following elements.
First, I would like to inform him that the only ones who support the government are six experts out of the eight who appeared before the finance committee. And, as everyone knows, these six experts have very close and direct connections with rich Canadian families. Professor Brooks, whom I mentioned earlier in my speech, did not agree at all with their position.
I would also like to point out to the parliamentary secretary that the group Cho!ces, a newly formed group which agrees with the auditor general's recommendation, intends to challenge Revenue Canada's ruling in the courts.
I would like to add that even if the legality of Revenue Canada's ruling is questionable, I believe that we must also consider the fairness of the ruling for all Canadian taxpayers.
I would now like to point out the third element. As my colleague, the member for Saint-Hyacinthe-Bagot, said this morning, this decision was taken on the sly 24 hours before Christmas. We know that the notice had been rejected by junior officials for a few months in 1991.
Suddenly, 24 hours before Christmas, as the member for Saint-Hyacinthe-Bagot said, when the turkey was on the table everywhere in Canada, senior officials from Revenue Canada and Finance Canada examined the case and, at a few hours notice, allowed the $2 billion out of the country. This is really outrageous.
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