FINA Committee Report

Supplementary opinion of the New Democratic Party of Canada

New Democrats are pleased with many of the committee’s recommendations. We regret that the committee was not able to travel to meet with Canadians in their own communities and look forward to establishing a better, more accessible process for next year’s pre-budget consultations.

The recommendation to implement a CERB Low-Income Repayment Amnesty is of particular importance, as the Canada Revenue Agency continues to waste resources by chasing people for debt who are simply to poor to pay. The process is doing harm to people in difficult circumstances without accruing any benefit to the public purse. The CRA should focus its attention on those who have the resources to repay and/or committed identity theft or other forms of fraud to receive the benefit.

We also welcome recommendations for funding dentalcare, pharmacare and better long-term care for Canadians that need it. These initiatives will greatly improve the health of Canadians and ensure Canadians have access to health services essential to a good quality of life based on their need, not their ability to pay. These recommendations should be fulfilled in a way that expands and improves public delivery of health services, rather than using public funds to increase private profits.

It is too hard for Canadians to find a home they can afford. The federal government should use the tools at its disposal to fight further financialization of the housing market. Indigenous peoples face additional challenges in securing housing. This is why it is important to resource a For Indigenous – By Indigenous Urban/Rural/Northern housing strategy. We encourage the government to make this a priority in the upcoming budget.

There are many fossil fuel subsidies that pad the profits of one of Canada’s most profitable industries. Oil and gas companies should pay their fair share in Canada. Eliminating fossil fuel subsidies and investing the additional revenue in projects to lower Canada’s carbon emissions, like the Kivalliq Hydro Link, is a way for Canada to do its part in the battle against climate change while creating good jobs.

In a similar vein, Canada should require more industries to pay their fair share. Canada should not compete to have the lowest corporate tax rate when we have so many other competitive advantages attractive to investors. We should raise the corporate tax rate and institute a windfall profit tax in the current context where corporate price hikes are a significant driver of inflation while companies in certain sectors are making record profits. It would be as simple as extending the Canada Recovery Dividend, which New Democrats already successfully forced the government to implement.