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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 187

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 28, 2023 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 187 - Apr/28/23
Hon. Karina Gould (Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Lib.)
  • Apr/28/23 11:22:58 a.m.
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Actually, Madam Speaker, when the country was on fire, so to speak, because we were experiencing the biggest health and economic challenge in a generation because of the COVID pandemic, our government came with a fire extinguisher. We were there to support millions of Canadians, whether through the Canada emergency response benefit, whether through the Canada emergency business account or whether was through the Canada emergency wage subsidy. What about the millions of vaccines that we provided to Canadians and the additional support we provided to provinces and territories to get us through the pandemic?
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Context: House Hansard - 187 - Apr/28/23
Mr. Daniel Blaikie (Elmwood—Transcona, NDP)
  • Apr/28/23 1:28:02 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I have heard the member for Winnipeg North make reference several times today to the resources that have been dedicated to the CRA in order to fight tax evasion and other things of that kind. However, what we have seen from the CRA is a very persistent focus on Canadians in difficult financial situations, who availed themselves of CERB when the government encouraged them to do that at the height of the pandemic but do not have the money to pay the government back. This means that the time and resources spent on pursuing that debt will not yield a return. Meanwhile, as we heard in debate earlier today with respect to the Panama papers and other revelations about global tax fraud, we see Canada really not comparing at all to our allies in recovering that tax debt. When we talk about the Canada emergency wage subsidy, we know that there were companies that took money that they were supposed to pay directly to workers and, in some cases, they locked out their workers after getting the wage subsidy. The government has not tried to get any of that money back. How does giving more resources to the CRA help with the problem if it just means the CRA is going to pursue the poor and let the big fish off the hook?
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