FINA Committee Report
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The Official Opposition agrees with the report of the Standing Committee on Finance coming from its study on cost recovery. The study and the subsequent report were the result of an initiative by the Official Opposition Finance team comprised of Ken Epp, Paul Forseth, Dick Harris, Gary Lunn, and Monte Solberg. In fact Opposition Finance Critic and Member of Parliament for Medicine Hat, Monte Solberg, tabled Private Members’ bills in the House of Commons in 1996, 1997, and 1999 to address the concerns of ranchers and farmers in his riding as well as business people across the country who are faced with paying these charges. All too frequently, representatives from agriculture and industry raised the frustrations they faced trying to comply with usurious federal user fees and a cumbersome cost-recovery policy. As a starting point to undertaking the recommendations contained in the report, the Canadian Alliance would encourage government officials, business leaders, and members of the public to review the Private Members’ Bill mentioned above and outlined below.
Entitled, "An act to provide for Parliamentary scrutiny and approval of user fees set by federal authority and to require public disclosure of the amount collected as user fees," the Bill would require scrutiny by the appropriate standing committee of the House of Commons before any user fee may be set or increased. The regulating authority must submit a proposal to the committee before any user fee is established or increased. The enactment would also require the Public Accounts and other government documents that identify sources of revenue to identify the amount of revenue obtained from user fees.
Since Canadian businesses already operate in a high tax environment compared to our major trading partners, it is essential we develop policies which will give Canadian industry an edge rather than penalize them with unfair and unreasonable fees. It is imperative that government operate efficiently in order that taxes and user fees can be lowered significantly to allow the private sector to generate prosperity for all Canadians.