House of Commons Hansard #27 of the 37th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was disabled.

Topics

Goods and Services TaxOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Bill Casey Progressive Conservative Cumberland—Colchester, NS

Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue just said they are going to investigate the GST scam perpetrated by crooked car dealers and prosecute. Over four years ago car dealers came to me to bring it to my attention. I in turn brought it to Revenue Canada's attention and four years ago it told me it was going to investigate and prosecute then. Now four years later CBC reports that this growth industry has climbed to $1 billion.

I ask the Minister of National Revenue, why does she not stop the scam now and then go back and investigate and prosecute?

Goods and Services TaxOral Question Period

2:25 p.m.

Vancouver Kingsway B.C.

Liberal

Sophia Leung LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his concern. We are all concerned. We are going to put more resources toward looking into this matter and investigating it. If we detect any fraud we will definitely prosecute without any hesitation.

Goods and Services TaxOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Progressive Conservative

Bill Casey Progressive Conservative Cumberland—Colchester, NS

Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, we have detected things wrong for a long time, years and years now. This affects consumers, taxpayers and legitimate car dealers. Somebody has to take action.

Government documents we have obtained through access to information indicate that there is $26 billion in input tax credits each year. Will the Minister of National Revenue inform the House how much of the $26 billion could be or is suspected of being a product of fraudulent claims?

Goods and Services TaxOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Vancouver Kingsway B.C.

Liberal

Sophia Leung LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue

Mr. Speaker, I am not able to tell the member the specific number. We are very interested in this matter. In the meantime, we will put additional resources toward looking into this matter. We will review this matter again and again. We want to assure Canadians that we are very interested in clarifying this.

Goods and Services TaxOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

John Williams Canadian Alliance St. Albert, AB

Mr. Speaker, I am glad that the parliamentary secretary is interested in this situation, but it is a lot worse than that. It requires prosecution. It requires real effort by the government to achieve something that it has known about and has seen coming for a long time.

In 1990 the government was warned by New Zealand that this was a potential problem. In 1996 when it revised the GST act, the government was told it was a problem. Instead of taking action, it chose to operate on the honour system and millions of dollars of taxpayers' money went out the door.

Why did the government choose to ignore the warnings that the GST input--

Goods and Services TaxOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

The Speaker

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue.

Goods and Services TaxOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Vancouver Kingsway B.C.

Liberal

Sophia Leung LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue

Mr. Speaker, we definitely did not overlook this.

As we have said, CCRA officials are very dedicated and work very hard. There will be additional resources and personnel in order to investigate all the cases. In the meantime, if we find there is true fraud involved, we will prosecute and impose punishment and fines.

Goods and Services TaxOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

John Williams Canadian Alliance St. Albert, AB

Mr. Speaker, last week CCRA did prosecute Tom and Helen Brouwer for $72,000 tax on money they received to raise 82 foster kids. The Brouwers were making a tremendous contribution to our society. They thought they were following the rules.

Now we find that the criminals and fraudsters are breaking every rule, stealing millions of taxpayer dollars, defrauding the GST and getting away with it.

Will the minister tell us why she prosecutes people who raise our homeless kids but at the same time lets the fraudsters rob us blind?

Goods and Services TaxOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Vancouver Kingsway B.C.

Liberal

Sophia Leung LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue

Mr. Speaker, I am glad the hon. member changed the topic.

As the member knows, we are not able to discuss individual cases, but we will investigate the whole thing.

HealthOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Bloc

Réal Ménard Bloc Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, QC

Mr. Speaker, in a study submitted to the Romanow commission, researchers from Queen's University stated that Ottawa's involvement would only further split up the health sector. They added that the provinces realize that the system is not truly integrated and they are trying to improve the situation. Introducing a new player into the system would, the researchers feel, only make the situation more difficult.

Could the Minister of Health give us a commitment that there is no way that the federal government will interfere with the management of health care?

HealthOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I can reply on behalf of the minister, who is not here. I think that the federal government itself has such an important responsibility regarding health with first nations and the territories, that it is the fourth largest provider of health care services in the country. We want to work with the provinces, and this is what we are doing.

We are waiting for the report by a former premier on health services. We intend to meet with provincial premiers to discuss this report in early 2003.

HealthOral Question Period

2:30 p.m.

Bloc

Réal Ménard Bloc Hochelaga—Maisonneuve, QC

Mr. Speaker, the study also contends that taking a part of this system, whether it is home care or pharmacare, and putting it under the responsibility of the federal government would only make the existing system more cumbersome.

Will the Prime Minister pledge to take note of the findings of that study and do the only thing that we expect from his government, which is to restore transfer payments to their 1993-94 level?

HealthOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Saint-Maurice Québec

Liberal

Jean Chrétien LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, we are waiting to see what the Romanow report will say. We are waiting for that study.

Mr. Romanow was appointed at the suggestion of the provincial premiers. I was pleased to agree to appoint him to that position. I am sure that he will provide us with a very comprehensive report and we will see what we can do to meet the needs of all Canadians, within the financial limits of our government and of all the other governments.

TerrorismOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Stockwell Day Canadian Alliance Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Deputy Prime Minister gave an evasive answer concerning Maher Arar and his possible terrorist ties. As members know, a few months ago, the Minister of Foreign Affairs proudly announced that there was no reason to deport Mr. Arar. Now we know that the RCMP had received warnings about Mr. Arar weeks, perhaps months ago.

When did the Minister of Foreign Affairs receive these warnings?

TerrorismOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Toronto Centre—Rosedale Ontario

Liberal

Bill Graham LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, as you know very well, we do not discuss in the House specific cases with respect to criminal activity.

I can assure the House and the entire country, however, that we are vigilant when it comes both to repressing terrorism and to protecting the rights of Canadian citizens when necessary.

TerrorismOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

An hon. member

Oh, oh. The lights went out.

TerrorismOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

The Speaker

Order, please. Speculation about what caused the failure of the power is not something we will indulge in during question period. Things may have dimmed a bit but I am sure the questions and the answers will be very stimulating.

TerrorismOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Stockwell Day Canadian Alliance Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC

Somebody up there did not like that response, Mr. Speaker.

There is lack of vigilance in the country on terrorism. Fourteen groups have been banned in the U.S. and in the U.K. but they have free passes here in Canada.

The minister said that he could not talk about security matters but when he thought everything was lovely about this gentleman, he was talking about him all over the place. When he receives some information that he was dangerous, all of a sudden it is “oops, maybe I should not have said something”.

The minister talked about it before and should talk about it now. He should shed some light on it. When did he know about this?

TerrorismOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Malpeque P.E.I.

Liberal

Wayne Easter LiberalSolicitor General of Canada

Mr. Speaker, we take threats very seriously but we do not cancel civil liberties without cause.

As I indicated to the hon. member before, we listed seven entities. We are working on listing others but we will do it based on accurate information, not the latest headline in some paper that the hon. member happens to have read.

Foreign AffairsOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Bloc

Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral Bloc Laval Centre, QC

Mr. Speaker, although the Minister of Revenue has stated publicly that she is totally against an ID card, the Minister of Immigration continues his campaign in favour of a more sophisticated card, which would involve biometric data such as fingerprints and iris images.

Is the Prime Minister aware that, by promoting such a project, the Minister of Immigration is contributing to the imbalance between freedom and security in this country?

Foreign AffairsOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Gatineau Québec

Liberal

Mark Assad LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration

Mr. Speaker, I believe that the minister has stated in this House that this matter will be debated and also, and above all, that no decision has yet been reached by the government.

A debate is a good thing for democracy and I am sure there will be one here in the House.

Foreign AffairsOral Question Period

2:35 p.m.

Bloc

Madeleine Dalphond-Guiral Bloc Laval Centre, QC

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister. I think I will be lucky this time.

Does the Prime Minister admit that the main concern of the Minister of Immigration, with his ID card project, is more with satisfying the excessive demands of the Americans than with guaranteeing the privacy of the people of Quebec and of Canada?

Foreign AffairsOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Gatineau Québec

Liberal

Mark Assad LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member will have an opportunity to express her concerns during a debate in the House. I am sure she will be very pleased with the way her concerns on this will be addressed by the debate.

Port SecurityOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Canadian Alliance

Val Meredith Canadian Alliance South Surrey—White Rock—Langley, BC

Mr. Speaker, in its October response to the Senate report on Canadian security, the government claimed it was taking the necessary steps to secure Canada's ports.

However, in early November, in response to an access request, Transport Canada admitted that it had done no reports or reviews on the security at Canada's ports since September 11, 2001.

How can the government claim to be taking the necessary steps to secure our ports when it has failed to conduct a review of port security in the last 14 months?

Port SecurityOral Question Period

2:40 p.m.

Chicoutimi—Le Fjord Québec

Liberal

André Harvey LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport

Mr. Speaker, Transport Canada is taking the necessary steps, together with all of the departments concerned, to ensure the maximum security at Canadian ports.