Pierre-Luc Dusseault - 16:03

Lib. (QC)
Pierre-Luc Dusseault - 16:03

Lib. (QC)
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It was an excellent report. The committee's analysis was done in cooperation with the Canada Revenue Agency. I can assure you that the 14 recommendations are going to be implemented.
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Pierre-Luc Dusseault - 16:03
Pierre-Luc Dusseault - 16:04

Lib. (QC)
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Last January we decided not to open any more investigations. The 12 investigations on organizations that are ongoing currently had already begun. It's also simply a matter of fairness toward the other organizations that were investigated. We want to finish the work we started.
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Pierre-Luc Dusseault - 16:06

Lib. (QC)
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I would say it depends on the individuals, on their income and on what they own. We are trying to simplify the return forms. We are working on Auto-fill my Return, which is a form for people on fixed incomes. By this I mean people who receive a Canada pension or social assistance, for example. The objective of Auto-fill my Return is to make things simpler for those people.
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Pierre-Luc Dusseault - 16:07

Lib. (QC)
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As we said earlier, amendments to the act are really up to the Department of Finance. The Canada Revenue Agency is entrusted with its application.
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Pierre-Luc Dusseault - 16:08
Pierre-Luc Dusseault - 16:08

Lib. (QC)
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I agree with you completely.
The Canada Revenue Agency is working very closely with the Department of Finance on the matter. A number of factors indeed need to be considered. The wealthy are able to look after their needs. In my view, and I would say the government's as well, what really matters is making things better for the middle class. We want to make it accessible to people and offer tax credits and benefits to those who need them most.
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Hon. Wayne Easter - 16:10
Francesco Sorbara - 16:10

Lib. (QC)
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It's important to understand that the majority of Canadians pay their fair share of taxes. As we mentioned in our presentation, we have to work on identifying those who set up schemes and encourage taxpayers to use them to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.
Mr. Gallivan can speak at greater length about what the agency and our government are doing to deal with the issue.
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Ted Gallivan - 16:12
Robert-Falcon Ouellette - 16:22

Lib. (QC)
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As I said earlier, we want to improve client service and are focusing our efforts on specific areas. Our goal is always to become more effective and efficient.
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Robert-Falcon Ouellette - 16:23

Lib. (QC)
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Right now, in fact, we are working with the Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs. We have set up pilot projects to reach out to all indigenous communities. We are also working with Service Canada to get the poorest Canadians, those who were not receiving their benefits or who were not aware of what was available to them, the money they are owed.
I am particularly concerned about indigenous communities, people who live in the regions, Inuit, seniors, those with little education, and homeless people struggling with mental health issues. They are groups I was asked to pay particular attention to. They are all clients of the agency and need to receive the benefits they are entitled to. A number of departments have been mobilized in an effort to reach these groups.
Mr. Ouellette, you were there when we met with people who were working on pilot projects targeting indigenous communities. Through those efforts, mothers were able to get up to $20,000 in family allowance benefits. These are measures people didn't even know were accessible to them. Getting the right people the money they are owed is important.
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Robert-Falcon Ouellette - 16:25

Lib. (QC)
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In Canada, 51% of the population is functionally illiterate. These are people who have trouble understanding our forms, and that's why it is so important to simplify forms with the auto-fill service. The people who really need the tax benefits have to be able to complete the necessary forms and receive the money they are due.
At the agency, we keep track of everything and we are results-oriented. We want to make sure we have comparative data for each year, so we can measure the real impact of the pilot projects and their success rates in indigenous and other communities where people need access to their benefits.
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Robert-Falcon Ouellette - 16:27
Roch Huppé - 16:28

Lib. (QC)
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I would just like to add that, as part of my mandate, at the beginning of the year, I started visiting all of the CRA's offices, precisely to reach out to employees, see what's happening, and find out what they think. I can tell you that staff are very proud of the work they're doing, and everyone is glad to do their part to achieve improvements.
In fact, when I visited the Winnipeg office, you had an opportunity to see just how much people cared about their work, wanted to do a good job, and make a contribution, whether they were involved in the small business support program or other programs.
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Robert-Falcon Ouellette - 16:29

Lib. (QC)
Hon. Wayne Easter - 16:29
Dan Albas - 16:31

Lib. (QC)
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I can talk campgrounds with you. It's an area of activity where everything is calculated on a service basis. The businesses that are entitled to deductions provide water and sewer services, Wi-Fi access, and so on. Measures are really based on the services provided. We assess situations on a case-by-case basis.
It only makes sense that an owner of a wilderness campground in the middle of nowhere who does not offer customers any services can't necessarily take advantage of the same deductions as a campground owner who provides services, engages in business development, and hires staff.
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Dan Albas - 16:32

Lib. (QC)
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I encourage you to check the agency's website because we have received requests about that. We've posted all the information pertaining to campgrounds on the agency's website.
I've also spoken with chambers of commerce about the matter. On the Canada Revenue Agency's website, you can access detailed information about camping-related services.
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Dan Albas - 16:33
Raj Grewal - 16:34

Lib. (QC)
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In terms of the amounts being sought, we really want to focus on improving client services and response times to lessen that feeling of insecurity people have.
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Ted Gallivan - 16:36