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Results: 1 - 15 of 1459
View Ed Fast Profile
CPC (BC)
View Ed Fast Profile
2021-07-20 14:09
With respect, Mr. Chair, you know what he's doing. He's not answering the question. I asked who, and he will not provide me with that answer.
All we want to know is this: Who's the decision-maker who made the decision to issue the press release that reflected the government's decision not to respect the will of Parliament?
Trevor McGowan
View Trevor McGowan Profile
Trevor McGowan
2021-07-20 14:09
Thank you.
I just want it to be clear that in terms of the press release, we're being clear on specifically what it did. In terms of who made the decision, the press release stated that the “government” proposes to introduce legislation. That is a reference to the elected Government of Canada and its intention to table a bill. That is a proposal of the Government of Canada and not—
View Pat Kelly Profile
CPC (AB)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. McGowan, Mr. Fast asked you many times in his opening statement who authorized the announcement or who decided to put that announcement out. The first several times, you didn't answer the question, merely referring to the regular process. The final time, you spoke of members of the elected government as making the decision on this announcement. By that I presume you mean the Prime Minister, other members of his cabinet, or the members of their offices who serve them.
Can you tell the committee who in the elected government decided to put out the first notice on June 30 to announce that you were not implementing a law passed by Parliament?
Trevor McGowan
View Trevor McGowan Profile
Trevor McGowan
2021-07-20 14:39
Thank you for the opportunity to continue that. I apologize if my answers were a bit long-winded in getting to the point. To your question on who decided to announce that the amendments would apply as of June 30, as I said, it was an announcement of the Government of Canada. It's something that the department officials briefed on, the minister made her decision, and it was implemented—
View Pat Kelly Profile
CPC (AB)
Mere hours before this committee meeting was scheduled to begin, where parliamentarians could demand answers as to why this announcement of June 30 went out, there was a clarification to backpedal this announcement.
Again, the question I really want clarity around is this: Whose idea was it in the first place to delay? The June 30 announcement is pretty clear. It talks about the absence of an application date. It talks about implementing on January 1 following amendments. You said “the minister” in your last answer to me. Can you clarify that you meant the Minister of Finance?
Miodrag Jovanovic
View Miodrag Jovanovic Profile
Miodrag Jovanovic
2021-07-20 14:41
I think it's instrumental to understanding the decision process, because what happened in this instance is no different from what happens in all other instances where the elected government announces that it intends to table legislation, if Parliament approves, to modify existing legislation.
Just to be clear, this is exactly what happened here with the announcement on June 30. It's no different. The process we follow is that typically we provide advice and options to the government. It's frank and impartial advice. The government deliberates. At the political level, it has its own set of considerations. We don't necessarily participate in those discussions. The government makes a decision, and we have to implement that. As part of the implementation, we continue to provide advice to make sure—
View Lindsay Mathyssen Profile
NDP (ON)
Thank you so much.
If I may ask, what consultations have been done by the department, not on these exact amendments, but again, as you indicated, in terms of general questions on the amendments put forward in the press release from yesterday?
Trevor McGowan
View Trevor McGowan Profile
Trevor McGowan
2021-07-20 14:54
The press release announced a set of issues that would be considered as part of the consultations. It announced an intention to release draft legislative proposals in the near term. I believe the language was that they would be “forthcoming”. It put out the ideas under consideration in terms of how best to define a genuine intergenerational business transfer. Shortly, there would be a release of draft legislative proposals, which would provide—of course, as they would be legislative in nature—more specificity as to what those would look like. That release would be followed by another consultation period before, ultimately, final proposals were released. That would provide for a number of rounds of public consultation on the best way to define a genuine intergenerational business transfer.
That's coming out of yesterday's release.
View Luc Berthold Profile
CPC (QC)
Why can't you tell us the name of the minister?
Tell me the name of the act that prevents you from revealing the name of the minister who approved the news release, or at least tell me why you can't. Your colleague mentioned her name a while ago.
I used to be a chief of staff, so I know major press releases like that don't go out without the prior approval of the most senior ministerial staff. What is stopping you from telling us the name? Why are you so reluctant to confirm that the Minister of Finance approved the news release that went out on June 30?
That is why we are here today.
Miodrag Jovanovic
View Miodrag Jovanovic Profile
Miodrag Jovanovic
2021-07-20 15:22
Mr. Chair, it seems the member is trying to put words in our mouths.
What we want to explain is that a process is in place for any government decision. It is not for us to reveal which member of Parliament made the decision. It was a decision made by the government. We provide advice to the Minister of Finance, which is probably why Mr. McGowan gave the answer he did.
The fact remains that it was a government decision. It is not within our authority. In any case, we probably don't have the information the member is looking for. We are not necessarily involved in political debates or discussions.
View Larry Maguire Profile
CPC (MB)
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
In regard to Ms. Bendayan's comment, I just have to add that the reason Mr. Kelly was able to put out those kind comments was that the government was forced to appear before our committee today.
I want to thank you, Mr. Chair, for calling this meeting, because without it yesterday's press release just wouldn't have happened.
An hon. member: [Inaudible—Editor]
Mr. Larry Maguire: There's no use hiding the fact that the government recused its decision from June 30 in yesterday's press release. Mr. Kelly is quite right to say that they're pleased, but as Mr. Ste-Marie said, for 527 days the government fought this bill, and fought it hard, not only on its own—
If it was such a good bill, why didn't the government members vote for it in the House?
Nineteen of your colleagues, Mr. Chair, you included, got the fact that small businesses in your constituencies, in every constituency in Canada, are the predominant private sector employers in those constituencies.
I just want to reiterate that without the attention brought to this bill.... The government fought this all the way until yesterday, when it decided, well, this isn't very popular among small business people in Canada, so we'd better change our minds on this.
I have just a couple of quick questions, Mr. Chair. I know we still have a bit of time.
Mr. McGowan, before yesterday's press release was issued that stated the obvious, that the law is the law, were you consulted on the language in the updated release?
Trevor McGowan
View Trevor McGowan Profile
Trevor McGowan
2021-07-20 15:43
Were Department of Finance officials involved in the production of the July 19 release? Yes. We were involved in that.
View Jaime Battiste Profile
Lib. (NS)
Okay. If that's all, then, I want to touch on education a little bit. We're talking about commemoration and we're talking about raising awareness. A lot of the education components of moving forward on the calls to action [Technical difficulty—Editor] provinces and federal collaboration. Now with the truth and reconciliation day of September 30, can you talk a little about what opportunities exist around heritage in terms of how we can create more awareness and education around the Indian residential schools?
Feel free to chime in, anyone.
View Jaime Battiste Profile
Lib. (NS)
Okay.
How can we in Canada, with our provincial governments, create more awareness and education around the Indian residential schools?
Melanie Kwong
View Melanie Kwong Profile
Melanie Kwong
2021-06-18 13:26
Sure.
In terms of education for the national day, we look forward to the first opportunity this year, now that we have the confirmation of the statutory holiday, to work with organizations nationally but also to engage to see where we can all work together on this important day. Using some of the work we've done to date in terms of commemorating a number of projects, we are continuing to work with contacts across the country. We look forward to continuing to build on the success to date.
With respect to the provinces, as you mentioned, there is a component for education. We will explore all avenues to see how we can best work together on that.
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