Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the opportunity to reopen the debate on tax havens. I would again like to talk about the Bloc Québécois experience with this issue under the former Liberal government. It was understandable that the former Liberal finance minister, who subsequently became prime minister, would object to eliminating tax havens. According to some reports in the electronic media, several did not even fit the definition of a tax haven. For example, the one in question was supposed to have a corporate office and employees working there.
I remember very well that the tax haven where the company of the prime minister and finance minister—he served in both positions—was domiciled was the subject of a television report. The journalist went down there and found only one or two individuals and virtually no signage. When the journalist arrived, the individual telephoned the head office here in Canada and asked what they should do. It was obvious that they wanted to shelter from tax the wealth of the then prime minister, the former minister of finance. The Bloc Québécois denounced this state of affairs. What happened was wrong because in order to save himself he said he was going to eliminate tax havens. He eliminated them all, except for Barbados. A few months before shutting them down he transferred all his money to Barbados. He then said he was a great man because he had shut down 80% of tax havens, except for Barbados. We later learned that he had transferred his money to Barbados. He kept Barbados and shut down the others. Citizens are not fools and find such action unacceptable.