Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, the federal government, nine provinces and the three territories have harmonized their definitions of income. As I said in my speech, Quebec has a different definition, different rules and different exemptions. For Quebec to have a single tax return, the nine other provinces and the three territories would have to amend their framework or else Quebec would have to amend its own.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, there was no condescension on my part. As a Quebecker, I will also not be condescending towards myself. If my colleague has listened carefully to what I said, he knows that we have worked with Revenu Québec for 30 years. We held two joint consultations with Quebec small businesses, one in 2016 and another in 2018.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, this initiative is a key component of the government's export diversification strategy, and it provides irrefutable proof of our support for Quebec's artificial intelligence sector. As part of our efforts to improve infrastructure across Canada, we plan to invest upwards of $7.5 billion in major infrastructure projects in Quebec over the next decade.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservatives are playing politics by making empty promises that they have no intention of fulfilling. My colleague from Mégantic—L'Érable—who, I should point out, was mayor of a single-industry town in a region of Quebec that was hit hard by a difficult employment situation—has been accusing me these past few days of fearmongering regarding the single tax return.

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I have a question for my colleague. He is talking about a single tax return for Quebec. We are talking about more than 5,500 Canada Revenue Agency employees, most of whom work in the regions of Quebec. How do the Conservatives plan to save the more than 5,500 CRA jobs in Quebec?

Intergovernmental Relations  Mr. Speaker, I was in Shawinigan this morning, along with my colleagues, the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, to announce the construction of a new building that will accommodate the 1,300 or more Canada Revenue Agency employees in Mauricie.

Intergovernmental Relations  Mr. Speaker, there was no shortage of fearmongering in Gaspé and the Magdalen Islands in 2011 when the Harper Conservatives brought in their EI reform. The Maritimes and eastern Quebec were terrified. The Harper Conservatives and today's Conservatives are doing exactly the same thing.

Intergovernmental Relations  Mr. Speaker, had the Conservatives done their homework during the 10 years they were in power, they probably would now have a better understanding of how things work at the Canada Revenue Agency. The federal government, representing nine provinces and three territories, harmonized its definition of “income”, while Quebec has retained a different definition.

Canada Revenue Agency  Mr. Speaker, allow me to disagree with my NDP colleague. Unlike the Conservatives and the NDP, our government sees tax evasion as a priority. With respect to offshore tax evasion, under our leadership, the Canada Revenue Agency has done twice as many audits in three years as the Harper Conservatives did in 10 years.

Intergovernmental Relations  Mr. Speaker, again, we see that the Conservatives are playing petty politics making empty promises they have no intention of keeping. The CRA employs more than 5,500 employees throughout Quebec and is a major economic driver in towns like Shawinigan and Jonquière. Unlike the Conservatives, we will not put these jobs in jeopardy.

Intergovernmental Relations  Mr. Speaker, what Quebeckers will remember when the next election rolls around is the “chop, chop, chop” of the Conservatives' axe falling during the 10 years they were in power. Here is what we have done over the past three years. We have invested in the Canada Revenue Agency and its call centres, simplified tax returns, invested in community volunteer programs, and encouraged low-income non-filers to file a return.

Intergovernmental Affairs  Mr. Speaker, the Harper Conservatives had 10 years to help Canadians and Quebeckers when it comes to filing their tax returns. What did they do? They cut services and staff without evaluating the consequences. Chop, chop, chop. We on this side will continue to invest in services in order to really improve the lives of all Quebeckers and Canadians.

Intergovernmental Affairs  Mr. Speaker, it is ironic that the Conservatives, who claim to be great champions of spending cuts, are also saying that they are prepared to pay more for work that the CRA is already doing. Quebec and Canada do not have the same definition of revenue. What is the Conservatives' real plan?

Intergovernmental Affairs  Mr. Speaker, the Harper Conservatives or today's Conservatives, it is all the same. In the next few months, the Conservatives will be making two sets of promises: one for Quebec and one for the rest of Canada Divide and conquer. That is the same tactic they used in 2015. With respect to the single tax return, I would invite my Conservative colleagues to follow the NDP's lead and do their homework—

Taxation  Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservatives are stooping to petty politics by making empty promises they have absolutely no intention of keeping. The Canada Revenue Agency employs over 5,500 people in Quebec. It is an economic driver in places like Shawinigan, Gaspé, Rimouski, Quebec City and Montreal.