Madam Speaker, I am delighted to address Bill C-43 this afternoon, a bill introduced by the minister of revenue and Canadian Olympics lobbyist.
We have had ample opportunity to debate Bill C-43 here in the House. Why do we keep wanting to debate it? It is that we think, perhaps unreasonably, that our Liberal friends, our friends in the government, might listen to reason on the fact that all those concerned will be affected directly or indirectly, in one way or another. They fear the passage of this bill and the fact that the way it is implemented could harm them and take away their responsibilities and their independence in their respective areas of action.
Whether we are talking about SMBs, cities, provinces, or the largest of businesses, I think there is a consensus. We are wondering why, in the face of such unanimity, the government is so obstinate? It says “We want to continue, we want to continue, we want to continue”. There is perhaps something a bit twisted there. We may well ask. Perhaps there is downright obstinacy on the part of the government and the minister involved.
Maybe the minister, in lobbying for Vancouver to hold the Olympic Games, forgot the file on his desk and his officials to the opportunity to move it along. However, I would be surprised if it were unionized staff because the 40,000 unionized employees at Revenue Canada stand to lose their rights and entitlements if the minister relinquishes his responsibilities and shifts them to an agency like the one he is proposing.
While he was off campaigning for the Olympic Games in Vancouver at the expense of other municipalities, his employees, his staff, were moving this bill along, not accepting amendments and refusing to hear reason.
In his fine speeches and his press releases, the minister kept saying “Yes, but we consulted”. Consultation has become a government catch phrase. True, they did consult. But did they listen during these consultations? Did they listen to those they consulted?
The government, through the minister, says the provinces agree. The fact is that there is not a single province that agrees to have an agency like this one. This agency would be authorized to collect federal taxes. It may also be authorized to collect provincial taxes. I read speeches from Reformers, saying “This is good, because in British Columbia, it is total chaos in this respect. Therefore, it is OK for big brother in Ottawa to come out and say it can put your fiscal house in order”. This authority could extend to the collection of municipal taxes, and even to school taxes.
Such an agency would definitely step in exclusive provincial jurisdictions, not only in Quebec but also in all the provinces.
If the government turns a deaf ear to the provinces, small and medium size businesses, public servants, members of the opposition, perhaps it is because it has a superiority complex or thinks it is perfect.
Yesterday, during the television program Maisonneuve à l'écoute , Pierre Maisonneuve asked the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs “Do you not find that you often sound like a grandfather with his grandchildren, or a father with his children?” This was said by Pierre Maisonneuve. “You seem to be saying I am the one who is right. Listen children, provinces, premiers and other provincial officials, I can hear your whining, but it is just whining”.
It is like parents with teenagers. Parents tell them “you can argue all you want, father knows best”. There was a program with that very title. This is how the federal government seems to be behaving. The federal government is the only one in step. The others are all out of step. One wonders.
Why are the provinces, the Bloc Quebecois and several other parties and stakeholders opposed to a bill like this one? Primarily, although not exclusively, because of the government's loss of accountability to the agency.
The government is increasingly dumping its responsibilities. Could it be that it is becoming lazy? Is this the idea of a party in office?
The establishment of this agency, if it comes about, unfortunately will result in a loss of accountability. Some of my colleagues said “Just imagine asking the minister to explain a scandal of one kind or another involving the agency”. The minister would reply “It is not our responsibility. This is an independent agency for which the government is no longer responsible. We will ask questions, but it is no longer my responsibility”.
The loss of accountability and responsibility on the part of a minister is like the lobbying minister for Vancouver, who just told us “I want to get rid of some of my responsibilities”. It also makes us worry about the huge powers that this agency could use. It would get these powers through the people appointed by the Liberal government to the agency's board of management.
If we look at the board of directors of the agencies that were set up recently, it is not surprising to realize that true grits make up the majority of the board members. This agency that will collect taxes throughout Canada will be controlled and managed by people appointed by the Prime Minister. Things never change, which is why the people who have considered the issue and have legitimate concerns are not feeling too happy and secure right now.
And what about the approximately 40,000 public servants at Revenue Canada who will no longer come under the Public Service Employment Act if this bill is passed? For these public servants, this means losing the fundamental rights to be protected they currently enjoy as employees of Revenue Canada.
Why are we not taking into consideration the views of small businesses, which have said unanimously or by a clear majority that they are against such a bill?
These are the questions my colleagues in the Bloc Quebecois and members of the other parties as well as provinces and businesses have put to the minister but remain unanswered. I would like to know why the minister does not want to sit down with the provinces and why he does not want to examine how Quebec manages to harmonize the GST with the QST and then send what we owe to Ottawa.
We now know where we stand in Quebec, in this respect. The Heritage Minister often talks about “victims” in the House. However if there are concrete and positive achievements, why not draw from their example? Why always try to interfere with something that works in Quebec or another province? The federal father or grandfather is always explaining to his children that they did well, but he is capable of doing better. He will crush the work of a province, a municipality or a region to prove he is the best.
Members of the Bloc Quebecois are speaking on behalf of revenue employees, small businesses and individuals, and they are saying to the minister: “Listen. Listen to us. Listen to them. Stop the juggernaut of tax collection. Let us work together on changes that will bring harmony”. But for the federal government “harmony” means to implement what we have decided, because anything we decide is good for you.
Quebeckers have had enough for a long time, but now we are hearing the same thing from other provinces which are saying: “That's enough. Hold everything and listen to us”.