Kevin O'Reilly

Merci, Monsieur le President. I want to thank the Minister for that. No, there's a lot of good stuff there. I get her passion on this, and I too want us to get over the finish line.

But there's one other outstanding issue when it comes to northern residents tax deduction. It's the lack of indexing of the northern, the residency amount. I believe it has only ever been raised once in 36 years. So can the Minister tell us what has been done to fix this problem for northern taxpayers? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Thanks, Madam Chair. Now we're coming to my favourite part of the Infrastructure budget. I've been patiently waiting hours. Marine Transportation Services Revolving Fund, and it's on page 281. Oh, she's going to rats.

Thanks, Madam Chair. I guess I would I think this is probably as good a place as any to ask, but where are we at with the government renewal initiative for this department? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Merci, Monsieur le President. I could probably make a pun there about pilots and planes and tax deductions. I won't go there, Mr. Speaker, but when I raised this issue of the lack of figures for the lowest northern airfare from CRA, our Minister of Finance committed to talk to her territorial colleagues in the Yukon and Nunavut in February 2021. So can the Minister confirm whether those discussions ever took place and whether there was any followup action? Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.

Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. I would be I'll be very concerned if this government continues to push and then actually apply for the road while the regional study's going on. I just don't think that's a good idea. The whole idea of a regional study is to actually allow some time to carefully consider the future of the area. So proceeding with regulatory applications, getting into an environmental assessment while that is on, not a good idea. So does this what's the position of this government on proceeding with that and getting it into permitting/licensing and possibly a separate EA...

Yeah, no, thanks. I think there's also something around the cycle that we use for road and culvert inspection or replacement. There was some changes there. Could the Minister speak to that as well? Thank you.

Merci, Monsieur le President. Confusion continues to reign for northern taxpayers despite the Canada Revenue Agency having finally published lowest airfare rates for the Northern Resident Travel Deduction. The deduction is set by regulation and has been in place since 1987 with continuous problems ever since.

I've been raising this issue for years in this House, trying to get successive territorial finance ministers, to step up and work with the other territorial finance ministers to slay this dragon.

After a CBC story about how Northerners were being audited three times as much as our southern...

Thanks. How much of that's carried over? Thanks, Madam Chair.

Okay. Yeah, that's kind of not what my notes show but we're doing the same number, that's great. If we're not, I guess I'd like to understand why. Maybe I'll just ask if the Minister could double check. Thanks.

Merci, Madam la Presidente. I thought we'd never get here. I move that this committee defer further consideration of the estimates for the Department of Infrastructure at this time. Mahsi, Madam Chair.