Madam Chair, I have given the Prime Minister ample opportunity to do the right thing. I have made it as easy as possible for him. All he had to do was take that opportunity. The solution was right in front of him. I am therefore astounded to hear him say that the government will do nothing to ensure that the businesses it is helping act morally or ethically.
For the most part, we all agree that some of the money should go to businesses, but there are “businesses”, and then there are “businesses”. Some businesses, some small local businesses, fight for survival every day and are having a lot of trouble. Other businesses have no trouble at all. They pay little or no tax in Canada but pay tax elsewhere because it is cheaper. Can those businesses be excluded because they do not need help?
We are going to have to get out of this at some point, but we cannot ask taxpayers to pay more because some businesses are not paying. That seems like a basic ethical issue to me. The scandalous part is that it is legal. Our tax system makes tax avoidance legal, but over the course of the crisis, we will be billions of dollars short, and that money will make its way to tax havens.
Does the Prime Minister agree that it is irresponsible not to go get legitimate cash from those places?