Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to make some quick observations on Bill C-43.
We are talking today about Revenue Canada. It is interesting that we have a minister from British Columbia in charge of Revenue Canada. Major financial policy is not set by Revenue Canada but by the Minister of Finance in the larger policy process.
We have a revenue minister from British Columbia who could not deliver for British Columbia which is looking for some particular relief from Revenue Canada, especially in view of the massive water damage to the structures of homeowners. The minister in charge, when faced with questions on behalf of homeowners, could not deliver for British Columbians from the particular agency that British Columbians are looking forward to for some help and assistance.
Reformers certainly are committed to streamlining services to make government less complicated, more efficient and more productive. Perhaps Bill C-43 is going in the right direction to create this Canada customs and revenue agency, but we have to ask whether it is being done well.
We want to be constructive when legislation appears to be moving in the right direction. However, when the government was on the opposition benches it just seemed to be opposing for the sake of opposing. Reformers have always been different, especially in the case of Bill C-43. We wish to commend and compliment the government when it appears to be proposing to change the way it does business, for certainly change is needed.
If the government would only change its practices perhaps in the larger area of finance policy and maybe justice administration, to name a couple, we would be greatly pleased.
I remind the Speaker that I will be sharing my time with the member for Calgary Centre. I underscore the general theme of my remarks by saying that the Liberal administration is not a good manager of the public trust.
Revenue Canada serves over 20 million taxpayers. Every Canadian is quite familiar with that department. We have all heard of the phrase of the certainty of death and taxes. Taxes especially from an agency like Revenue Canada is not the temporary measure once promised to Canadians; it is a certainty.
In the United States revenue is collected by the IRS, the Internal Revenue Service. The mere mention of the name IRS to U.S. citizens sends a shiver down their spine. If a citizen of the U.S. gets a letter from the IRS it usually means bad news. We have all observed the problems of such an agency that gets out of control.
Taxpayers should not be afraid of the tax collector. Without the co-operative taxpayer our country fails as an economic unit. The taxpayer must have some balance of rights and those rights should be written down.
My Reform colleague who spoke earlier mentioned the need for a taxpayer bill of rights as well as an office for taxpayer protection. Canadians do not want to be bullied around, especially not by the tax collector. It is essential that Canadians never be subjected to the type of treatment used by the IRS on the citizens of the United States. That government went through a heart-rending process to try to rein in an agency out of control. Government institutions should not be feared.
The Minister of National Revenue has said at times that he believes in taxpayers' rights, and I applaud him for that. In the second progress report on the Canada customs and revenue agency the minister stated “In proceeding with these changes I want to reassure Canadians that first and foremost the government will assure that the basic tenets of revenue administration in Canada, the encouragement of voluntary compliance, fairness in the way all taxpayers are treated, prompt, reliable service and responsible enforcement continue to be respected and observed”. I believe that is a laudable statement. The problem is does it ever get delivered.
Clearly the minister thinks of fairness in the way taxpayers are treated is important. Now all he has to do is put it in black and white. If the minister wants to put his tax dollars where his mouth is, he should implement full accountability. This means accountability on both sides: the taxpayer must respect tax authorities, obey the law, not cheat. The tax authorities must respect the taxpayer. In other words there is a social contract in a fair tax system and we are all part of it.
It is impossible for the minister to assume that accountability will just happen somehow. We have to design a system that is self-correcting and that works. Canadians want some guarantee. If they purchase a product in the store they want the written promise that they will be taken care of.
Part of the selection process of voting with dollars is what kind of a guarantee comes with what is purchased. That keeps the business in operation. However, it does not seem to work that way with government and the tax agency that takes our money. Maybe we should apply that kind of standard to the taxpayer. Each taxpayer contributes thousands of dollars to the government through Revenue Canada. The taxpayer is essentially purchasing a service and wants government to be responsible with the tax dollars taken. The last thing taxpayers want is to be harassed by Revenue Canada.
There have been instances where the best interest of the public has not been met. Tax collection represents delegated authority from Canadians, and it must be delivered in a reasonable and responsible manner.
On the department's web site I found a section called questions and answers. One of the answers mentioned that the broader interests of cabinet and Treasury Board would continue to be fully protected. What did the document say about taxpayers? It only said “the government is proposing to create an agency in order to provide better service to the public, the provinces and the Canadian business sector”.
There is no mention about fully protecting the taxpayer. This is the part that worries me. It is great to see that the agency will likely create some efficiency. It is great that the agency will reduce costs for business and for taxpayers in general. But where is the protection and the assurance for balance? Where is the guarantee? Where are the mechanisms to ensure that the rules are going to be followed?
Reform is committed to standing up for the taxpayer, the man on the street. We are committed to fighting for a taxpayer bill of rights and an office for taxpayer protection. We are committed to supporting Bill C-43 if, and only if, we can get the commitment from the revenue minister to move forward with these measures to protect the taxpayer.
What about the employees of Revenue Canada? Their morale is likely very low at this point. They do not know what is going to happen to them. We must speak for them also.
What does the union say? I have this interesting quote:
The Canadian public service is in crisis. The crisis is many-sided. Taxpayers are increasingly skeptical of the government's ability, and even motivation, to deliver a particular program or policy. Recipients of unemployment, pension and other social benefits wait longer for less. Caught in the middle are public sector workers.
Deep-rooted structures and present day policies have combined to deepen the crisis. The public service of the 1990s is hobbled by administrative practices and legislation largely in place since the 1960s. In many cases, management is at best ill-prepared for the role it has been assigned and is, at worst, paternalistic. The physical plant, equipment, and tools provided to public sector workers are deteriorating at an alarming rate. Likewise, while government programs and services grow increasingly more complex and driven by technological advances, the training provided many public sector workers is inadequate or non-existent.
What a quote. I believe it is somewhat accurate. Morale in the federal public service is at an all-time low. Union negotiations have broken off. The government says that everything is fine and negotiations are carrying on. We go to the union site on the Internet and we get a completely different story.
Service to Canadians is suffering directly as a result of mishandled downsizing. The present system of staffing and promotions is being abused by managers. Alliance members are trying to provide service to veterans, the unemployed and pensioners, but do not have the necessary resources to carry out their work.
I could go on and on. I must say that if it is the intent of the revenue minister to make the agency the IRS of the north, then we know he is malevolent. If, however, the minister wishes to create an agency that draws the respect of the Canadian public, then I am certain the Reform proposal of a taxpayer bill of rights will properly complement this process.