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Results: 31 - 60 of 422
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
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. We exchange information in order to improve services for Quebeckers and Canadians.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, I would like remind the member opposite of something. We were talking about tax evasion earlier. Suddenly the Conservative Party wants to champion fighting tax evasion, although their former national revenue minister, Mr. Blackburn, publicly stated that it was not even a priority for the Conservatives. In our current mandate, we hired 1,300 new auditors to work on combatting tax evasion, and un like the Conservatives, we have invested nearly $1 billion.
I will take no lessons from them regarding services. They cut volunteer services, which help the poorest and most vulnerable members of our society, people who cannot afford to hire accountants. When it comes to services, I will take no lessons from them.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives claim that no jobs will be lost. However, Premier Legault admits that jobs will in fact be lost. I want to come back to the Conservatives' plan. What is the Conservatives' plan for the regions? Yesterday, I met with 1,300 employees, not jobs, but human beings, parents with families. Most of them were women who were scared and worried about losing their jobs. We went there to reassure them, because we need these Quebec employees to serve all of our francophone Canadians. There are francophones in every province and territory. Quebec is home to the largest Canada Revenue Agency division capable of offering bilingual services.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, we are the government that has reinvested the most in the Canada Revenue Agency to improve services to Quebeckers and Canadians. On this side of the House, we have a plan that gets real results.
The Conservatives have no plan when it comes to the single return, just as they have no plan for job losses and tax evasion. Let us not forget climate change. We are not about to see what the Conservatives' plans are on that front. They have been promising one for months.
The Conservative slogan for the 2019 election will be “No Plan”.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, I will always reply to my colleague opposite that I will never be ashamed of speaking French, because—
Some hon. members: Hear, hear!
Hon. Diane Lebouthillier: Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives say that implementing a single tax return involves a simple administrative agreement. Well, that is not the case. Real people work at the Canada Revenue Agency. I was in Shawinigan yesterday and I met the 1,300 employees. They are real people.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, every member of the House has the right to speak in the official language of his or her choice. My colleague's criticism of my choice to speak in French infringes on my rights. What is more, this criticism came from a member who supported the cuts to francophone services made by the Harper and Doug Ford governments. I would ask that he apologize.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
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.
We currently have over 50 ongoing criminal investigations related to offshore tax evasion, and, thanks to our historic investments, we are going to keep working—
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
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.
This morning I delivered a very clear message for our employees and their families, namely that we are investing in Shawinigan because they are important and because we believe in their future. Unlike the Conservatives, we believe in the importance of investing to maintain and create good jobs in Quebec's rural regions.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
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. In the coming months, we are going to see two categories of promises: one for Quebec and one for western Canada. Divide and conquer is their motto. I encourage them to make “Chop, chop, chop” their next campaign slogan.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
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.
Do we ask the provinces and territories to harmonize their system with Quebec's or do we try to require Quebec to harmonize its system with that of the rest of Canada? We will continue to work with our colleagues—
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
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. That said, we are always prepared to work with Revenu Québec to make it easier to file tax returns in Quebec.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
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. We are working for Canadians and Quebeckers.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
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.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
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? Are they asking Quebeckers to harmonize with the rest of Canada, or are they asking the rest of Canada and the provinces to adopt Quebec's definition?
I wonder if they will say the same thing in Toronto and Calgary. On this side of the House, we will continue to invest in Canadians and Quebeckers.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
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—
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
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.
Our employees are bilingual and capable of serving all Canadians. We will be here and we will keep working—
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, it is quite something to listen to the Conservatives, who were in power for 10 years and unable to figure out how the Canada Revenue Agency works.
I can say that we have put in place programs to address tax evasion, unlike the Conservatives who do not want to get in the way of their rich friends.
We have invested $1 billion and hired 1,300 auditors. We have put everything in place to deal with tax evasion and we will continue to work—
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives are making unrealistic promises, I am pleased to tell my colleague and any Canadians who may be listening to us what the Canada Revenue Agency is doing to make life easier for Quebeckers and Canadians.
We have invested in our call centres, we have simplified tax returns, we have invested in volunteer community programs, we have encouraged low-income non-filers to file their returns, all so that more Canadians can get the money they are owed.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, the CRA employs more than 5,500 people throughout Quebec and is a major economic driver in towns such as Shawinigan and Jonquière.
Unlike the Bloc Québécois and the Conservatives, we are not jeopardizing those jobs. That said, we remain open to working with Revenu Québec to make it easier for Quebeckers to file their tax returns.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, combatting international tax evasion is a priority for our government, as it is for Quebeckers.
Information exchange agreements with our international partners remain essential to tackling international tax evasion. A single revenue administration managed by Quebec would make it harder for Canada to respect its international legal obligations. It could also cause problems when it comes to ratifying international agreements. Quebec is simply not properly equipped to combat international tax evasion.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, the report by the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada confirms that the ill-considered cuts to the agency by the Harper government had devastating consequences.
Thanks to investments of more than $1 billion in the fight against tax evasion, our government has given the agency the resources it needed. Under our leadership, it hired 1,300 new auditors. We have done twice as many audits in three years as the Harper government did in 10 years.
Our plan is working and we are starting to see the results.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, in our last three budgets, we invested over $1 billion to give the Canada Revenue Agency the tools it needs to go after tax cheats.
With respect to the Panama papers, the CRA identified over 3,000 offshore entities associated with over 2,600 beneficial owners that have some link to Canada. The CRA has risk assessed over 80% of them. We also chose to tighten the rules for the voluntary disclosures program. The net is tightening.
An hon. member: Oh, oh!
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, my colleague is attempting to connect me indirectly to the paradise papers. If he wants to play that game, I suggest he look at his own people. Mr. Singh and Mr. Mulcair, as well as the members for Timmins—James Bay and Skeena—Bulkley Valley, all accepted contributions from an individual named in those data leaks. For my part, I will keep doing what we do best, which is work to put a stop to tax evasion.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, these are important opportunities to discuss how we can create jobs and economic growth in every sector across the country.
The discussions will focus on trade diversification, competitiveness, and how climate change and clean energy initiatives stimulate growth.
The agenda will include a discussion on the oil industry and the impact the drop in oil prices is having on our energy sector and its workers. We will always support that sector and its workers.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, each case of misconduct is unacceptable and in no way reflects the professionalism of the tens of thousands of CRA employees who do good work every day.
The CRA has some of the strictest employee conduct rules in the Government of Canada, and we continue to improve on them.
I can confirm that the individual in question is no longer employed at the CRA. He worked there when the Conservatives were in power, I should point out.
Since this case is currently before the courts, I cannot give—
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, each case of misconduct is unacceptable and in no way reflects the professionalism of the tens of thousands of CRA employees.
Our government has strengthened CRA surveillance technology by investing $10 million to implement solutions for business management errors.
Our investments are paying off. The increase in the number of privacy breaches that have been reported is directly tied to the CRA's ability to detect unauthorized access. All allegations of misconduct are taken seriously and systematically investigated.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, every case of misconduct is unacceptable and in no way reflects the professionalism of the tens of thousands of employees at the Canada Revenue Agency.
I am very pleased that our government has invested more than $10 million, something the Conservatives across the way did not do when they were in government. Imagine all the cases that went undetected under their government.
We are taking this information very seriously. Protecting Canadians' privacy is a priority of the Canada Revenue Agency.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, again, for my colleague's information, the government has invested $10 million for the public's protection and safety. We will not be like the government of the people across the way who kept their heads in the sand for 10 years.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, our government has chosen to invest in a fair and equitable tax system that meets the needs of all Canadians. I have no lessons to learn from the Conservatives. The Harper government cut jobs and training and never invested in services. We have appointed a chief service officer in order to provide the best service to the public. She will use a client-centred approach.
View Diane Lebouthillier Profile
Lib. (QC)
Madam Speaker, my colleague opposite is comparing apples and oranges. Fighting tax evasion, especially abroad, is a priority for our government, as is service to Canadians. The Conservatives are in no position to lecture this side of the House considering the cuts made to the Canada Revenue Agency when they were in power.
We are working on it. People will receive the credits and benefits to which they are entitled.
Results: 31 - 60 of 422 | Page: 2 of 15

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