Finance committee  It's generally correct.

Finance committee  For every measure, there's a decision that's taken as to whether or not to continue to do it, to not do it, or to change it in some fashion. I can only speak to the fact that the government has decided to continue this credit on an annual basis. I'm not aware of any study to look at the specific kind of impact that you're talking about.

Finance committee  In terms of how this credit is assessed, there are the relevant commodity prices and there's the global strength of the industry and the levels of investment that are being undertaken by firms in the industry, which we would think of as the general economic conditions applicable.

Finance committee  The medical expense tax credit has changed in two ways under this bill. The first is to add service animals for people with severe diabetes. They are called diabetes alert dogs. The cost of acquiring these dogs, the associated training and travel, and the care and maintenance of these dogs will be eligible for the medical expense tax credit.

Finance committee  Sure. Maybe my colleague might make some further comments on the particular credit itself, but the change that's being proposed in this bill is actually fairly simple. The adoption expense tax credit is a non-refundable credit that's indexed to inflation each year and without this amendment the expense limit for the credit would be on the order of about $11,800.

Finance committee  I'll just address that briefly. What it does, because non-refundable credits are creditable at 15%, is it offers approximately $500 in tax relief.

Finance committee  I'll just answer your second question first. My colleague can respond to your first question. That is exactly right. Even if they do have 200 hours of search and rescue volunteer hours of service, plus 200 hours of volunteer firefighting, they would only claim one credit.

Finance committee  With respect to refundability, I would first note that refundable tax credits are used in very limited circumstances in our income tax system, when there is a clear policy rationale to do so. The working income tax benefit, for instance, is refundable because it is directed at low-income individuals.

Finance committee  With regard to the pension transfer limits, under the current rule it requires two main things of importance. One is that the employer is insolvent and also that the pension plan is being wound up. That will no longer be required if the reduction in the pension benefits is allowed under the relevant pension standards legislation.

Finance committee  I'm happy to do that. With respect to the mineral exploration tax credit, it relates to flow-through share investors. Under a flow-through share investment agreement a person can purchase shares from what's generally a junior mining company. Junior mining companies very often do not have enough revenue to fully offset their expenses, so under a flow-through share agreement those expenses can be renounced by the junior mining company to the flow-through share investor.

Finance committee  With respect to the search and rescue volunteer tax credit, if an individual provides 200 hours or more of eligible search and rescue volunteer services and the services are provided to an eligible search and rescue organization, then that individual will be able to claim a non-refundable tax credit that is based on the amount of $3,000.

Finance committee  Sorry, I'm not familiar with the other program. Is there one that's not in part 1, 2, 3, or 4?

Finance committee  I think I know the program you are talking about, the existing program with CRA, so I'll explain a little bit about that. Then, I'll explain in more detail the OTIP, which is actually contained in the budget. The Canada Revenue Agency currently has what they call the leads program, which is voluntary disclosure of tax non-compliance that people do on a voluntary basis.

Finance committee  I'm unaware of any intention by the CRA to eliminate the leads program. As I've indicated, the new program only relates to more significant tax non-compliance and taxes in excess of $100,000 that have an international component. Those are not limitations under the leads program.

Finance committee  In terms of closing tax loopholes and improving the fairness of the tax system, the six-year total projected by economic action plan 2013 is $4.4 billion. That's a global figure, and of course we talked with the committee about the various aspects of it: character conversion transactions, synthetic dispositions, and giving the CRA additional tools in terms of being allowed additional years when someone has failed to file an appropriate form T1135 and has failed to report foreign income.