Diane Lebouthillier

[Canada Revenue Agency, October 28th, 2016]

Madam Speaker, with regard to the Canada Revenue Agency's services, I can say that, with the historic $444-million investment, we have put all of the necessary measures in place to deal with people who do not pay their fair share of taxes, and we are going to keep our promise.

[Regional Economic Development, October 28th, 2016]

Madam Speaker, I am very surprised by the comments of my colleague opposite when we know that, in 2011, the Conservative Party made changes to employment insurance and was prepared to shut down the Atlantic and Gaspé regions and merge them with other areas.

[Small Business, October 28th, 2016]

Madam Speaker, the Canada Revenue Agency analyzes every situation on a case-by-case basis by verifying eligibility and the small business deduction and it will continue to do so.

We are consulting our partners and the government has not proposed any changes to the current rules. We will continue to work with small and medium-sized enterprises in Canada to ensure that they understand the tax rules that apply to them.

[Small Business, October 28th, 2016]

Madam Speaker, our government is committed to ensuring that all Canadians pay their fair share.

We will continue to support small and medium-sized enterprises across Canada because we recognize the critical role they play in our economy. I want to point out that we have not changed the tax rules and that the same provisions on source of income still apply.

[Taxation, October 24th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Châteauguay—Lacolle for her question.

Canadians engaging in tax avoidance is unacceptable. Our government has redoubled its efforts to stop them. Over the past year, the Canada Revenue Agency has conducted real estate audits in British Columbia and Ontario and collected $240 million in unpaid taxes and over $12 million in penalties.

I can also report that the agency stepped up its efforts in the Vancouver area. We now have 70 auditors looking into real estate transactions in British Columbia and Ontario.

Our government is working hard to defend the interests of middle-class Canadians—

[Small Business, October 4th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, the Canada Revenue Agency is currently working with tourism businesses and we will continue to enforce the law.

[Canada Revenue Agency, September 28th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, our government understands that charitable organizations play a key role in our society, and I am committed to being responsive to the needs of this sector. Therefore, I am proud to have announced the official launch of our consultations to clarify charitable organizations' involvement in political activities.

Our government knows that it must work with this sector. That is what we promised, and that is what we will do.

[Canada Revenue Agency, September 26th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, our government understands that middle-class Canadians are paying their fair share and that some wealthy taxpayers are evading their obligations. This must stop.

The Panama Papers issue has a global reach. In April, I instructed officials to provide me with a complete list of the Canadian taxpayers who are implicated in this. I can announce that the agency is currently conducting over 2,500 audits and that it has identified 85 taxpayers who will be subject to further review. We will continue to work on this.

[Canada Revenue Agency, September 23rd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. Middle-class Canadians are paying their fair share, but a few taxpayers are finding ways to avoid paying what they owe, and that is unacceptable. That is why our government invested $444 million to give the CRA the best tools to combat tax evasion.

That is what we promised and that is what we will do.

[Canada Revenue Agency, September 22nd, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Laurentides—Labelle for his important question.

The Agency is sensitive to situations involving fraud. In this type of situation, the Agency usually sets up special teams to centralize the cases and ensure fair and equitable treatment. Therefore, I encourage the taxpayers affected to contact and work with the Agency.

We will work with the individuals involved to solve their problems as information comes to light. We are following this situation very closely.