Mr. Speaker, I was just seeing if you were paying attention. Thank you for correcting me in that instance. I could not remember the hon. member's riding.
Getting back to the point of taxation, with all these taxes that are there for legitimate reasons, that have been put in place by successive governments and regimes in various parts of the municipal sector, the provincial sector and the federal government, they are there to deliver programs to Canadians. It is a burden, I do not deny that. We hear people talk on the other side that we should just cut taxes, but what they do not talk about is what we do with that tax revenue. What they do not talk about is the fact that I think it is high time that a huge organization like Revenue Canada is reviewed and changed.
This is not about privatization, as the member opposite says. It is about more accountability. Members opposite, particularly in the New Democratic Party, say is it not awful, because they would purport to represent the union involved in this which is frightened for jobs. I do not blame them for being concerned about jobs, but the members opposite should know that there are a number of points that will ensure this place continues to have strong oversight over this agency.
Parliament will review the agency's corporate business plan, just as it now reviews Revenue Canada's plans.
We will also review the agency's annual report regarding its performance during the preceding year. I serve on the public accounts committee and we hope we will see it come to that committee. We will be able to have witnesses come before us from the agency. We will be able to investigate to find out if they are doing their job and serving Canadians well. We will have opportunities for members of parliament to address us at the public accounts committee or speak in this place if constituents have concerns about the efficacy or how they are being dealt with in any way whatsoever.
Before the agency is allowed to spend dime one, parliament will have to approve its appropriations, just as we do now for Revenue Canada. This sky is falling mentality that we are hearing is nonsense.
There is an additional opportunity in this legislation for parliament to review the agency. The legislation requires, for the first time, a full scale review of this legislation five years after it comes into force, and that is not an option. So we know that once this bill is enacted and the agency is set up, it comes before our public accounts committee every year. If we call people we can review their budgets every year. They cannot spend money without the approval of parliament. But we know there is a mandatory five year review of the agency. It is a five year mandatory review but it does not prevent us from reviewing the agency on an ongoing basis if that is what we so desire.
It is interesting to me to hear members talk about less accountability to parliament when in fact this is a bill that will establish an agency that will be more accountable to Canadians, that will be more business friendly to Canadians.