The Committee resumed consideration of a draft report.

It was agreed, — That the draft report, as amended, be adopted.

It was agreed, — That the report be entitled: "Preserving Canada's Heritage: the Foundation for Tomorrow".

ORDERED, — That the report include an acknowledgement page.

It was agreed, — That the Chair, Clerk and analysts be authorized to make such grammatical and editorial changes as may be necessary without changing the substance of the report.

It was agreed, — That, pursuant to Standing Order 109, the Committee request that the Government table a comprehensive response to the report.

It was agreed, — That dissenting or supplementary opinions be in Calibri 12-point font, left aligned, single-spaced, and be submitted electronically, in both official languages, to the Clerk of the Committee, not later than 10:45 a.m. on Thursday, November 30, 2017.

ORDERED, — That the analysts and the Clerk, in consultation with the Chair, prepare a news release for publication on the Committee's website and for distribution upon presentation of the report to the House.

ORDERED, — That the Chair present the report to the House.

At 9:39 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 9:47 a.m., the sitting resumed in public.

John Aldag moved, — That the Committee report the following to the House:

The Committee is supportive of the principle of Bill C-323 and believes that financial incentives, including tax credits, which encourage investment in the rehabilitation of historic properties and heritage places is necessary; however, the Committee notes the following concerns with the Bill:

• tax changes undertaken outside the budget process make it more difficult to ensure a coherent and consistent approach to fiscal management;
• the effect on federal revenue due to the proposed measure with the Bill containing no upper limit on the amount which can be claimed for tax purposes with the Parliamentary Budget Officer assessing costs at $55 million to $67 million in the first five years and Department of Finance officials stating it could be as high as $90 million a year;
• the lack of accountability tools associated with this measure;
• the restrictive nature of the incentive with not-for-profit entities, Indigenous governments, and municipalities being ineligible;
• the cost to the Federal government to administer the proposed changes to the Income Tax Act and the certification of the work being done for the purposes of the tax credit;
• the incentive not being designed in collaboration with other jurisdictions and partners to ensure its effectiveness;
• the lack of consultation on this measure with tax experts as well as those provinces and territories that are a party to the Canadian Register of Historic Place, as well as municipal and Indigenous governments;

That, in light of the above-noted concerns with the Bill, the Committee, pursuant to Standing Order 97.1, recommends that the House of Commons do not proceed further with Bill C-323, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (rehabilitation of historic property).

The question was put on the motion and it was agreed to, by a show of hands: YEAS: 5; NAYS: 4.

At 10:03 a.m., the sitting was suspended.

At 10:06 a.m., the sitting resumed in camera.

It was agreed, — That the draft news release, as amended, be adopted.