[VIDEO] The minister of Finance made “a Mélanie Joly of itself,” said Lisée

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The minister of Finance Carlos Leitao

Marie-Renée Grondin

Thursday, February 8, 2018 12:27

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Thursday, February 8, 2018 12:27

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The leader of the Parti québécois (PQ), Jean-François Lisée, has requested that the minister of Finance Carlos Leitao to stop “making a Mélanie Joly of himself” and, together with his colleague, Nicolas Marceau, has asked the government to take its responsibilities to counter tax avoidance due to e-commerce.

“It was learned yesterday in a document filed by the revenue Agency, the tax losses which are due to the fact that the border is a sieve amounted to $ 1.4 billion for Canada as a whole. We talk about losses in the hundreds of millions for Quebec. In its plan, the minister of Finance refuses to require foreign sellers to register with Revenu Québec, as they have done elsewhere, notably in Japan and in Australia. The minister opts for the purchase of some scanners, the extra will be donated to Ottawa for installation at the border. Mr. Chairman, this approach does not work, and not a few scanners that will suddenly make it effective which is notoriously inefficient. Mr. President, what the minister can tell us why he does half the job, why he opts for an approach that is inefficient, why it is that the québec retailers are at a disadvantage compared to foreign retailers?”, was first asked Mr. Marceau.

“It is at the border that these taxes must be collected, that the border control in Canada, it is the federal government which has the responsibility to do so, Mr. Chairman. The government of Québec cannot be a substitute for the federal government in this area. Then, we continue to insist with the government of Canada for the control of the border is done in a more efficient manner. It requires technological solutions. We are ready to cooperate in this regard”, has subsequently argued the minister of Finance, in ensuring that his government “has a very active role in the fight to tax evasion,” and, recalling the recent creation of a “new squad”, a “new entity” to Revenu Québec to this effect.

Then, Jean-François Lisée took the ball to the leap and asked him to turn the minister Leitao.

“Well, if we talk about the international, I think that the countries of europe, it’s part of the international. From 1 July, they will do what the Party québécois is proposing for our nation. Japan is in the international. They are already doing. Australia, it is in the international they are already doing. So, why is it that those who are ahead are wrong? Justin Trudeau was right. I would like it that the minister of Finance to stop doing a Mélanie Joly of itself and that it is really for the e-commerce”, he launched.

His statement has earned him to be rebuked by the speaker of the national Assembly, Jacques Chagnon.

“I ask you to be careful. You can’t call a member of this House other than by its title, and its title, it is known, he is the minister of Finance, and I am to answer the question as minister of Finance”, he asked.

Then, the minister Leitao stressed that “this is certainly not very elegant, on the part of the leader of the opposition, such statements”, adding “but it is a little used to it.”