{"time": "2021-12-13 19:25:00", "attribution": {"en": "Mr. Greg McLean", "fr": "M. Greg McLean"}, "content": {"en": "

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

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Thank you, Mr. Chambers.

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I propose that we strike out the last part, the second part of the amendment here to Bill C-2, NDP-3, paragraph (b). We could strike that out because there is a problem with retroactivity. If we took out the retroactive clause there, \u201cSubsection (18.1) is deemed to have come into force on March 15, 2020\u201d, I would propose that to my colleague from the New Democratic Party. I think the intent of that would be clear, that companies cannot access the benefits if they are paying dividends or increasing the payouts to their executives.

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We would like to have language in there that includes share buybacks as well, because it's all about income distribution one way or another and access to these programs should not be benefiting shareholders at the expense of taxpayers. I think we all agree on that. I think it's a flaw in the initial bill that went through that we have this. Nevertheless, there are companies that followed the rules and applied those rules to make sure they survived that period. Retroactively.... The programs were not loans at that point in time. The programs were, \u201cHere's a program to make sure you hang on to your employees and that your employees have the sustenance required.\u201d Some of those companies have since emerged as dividend-paying companies.

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I want to make sure that the timing on this is very clear, that we're talking about the go-forward plan, with no retroactive element involved in this that would require all kinds of financial restatements and all kinds of public market shenanigans that would happen at that point in time. I do appreciate very much the intent of the bill as far as matching revenues with expenses goes.

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Thank you, Mr. Chair. I would propose that as a friendly amendment.

", "fr": "

Merci, monsieur le pr\u00e9sident.

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Merci, monsieur Chambers.

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Je propose que nous supprimions la deuxi\u00e8me partie de l'amendement NDP\u20113 au projet de loi C\u20112, soit le paragraphe b). Nous pourrions le supprimer parce que la r\u00e9troactivit\u00e9 fait probl\u00e8me. Je propose \u00e0 mon coll\u00e8gue du Nouveau Parti d\u00e9mocratique que nous supprimions la clause de r\u00e9troactivit\u00e9: \u00ab Le paragraphe (18.1) est r\u00e9put\u00e9 \u00eatre entr\u00e9 en vigueur le 15 mars 2020. \u00bb Je pense que l'intention serait claire: les entreprises ne peuvent pas avoir acc\u00e8s \u00e0 la subvention si elles versent des dividendes ou augmentent la r\u00e9mun\u00e9ration de leurs dirigeants.

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Nous aimerions que la proposition porte \u00e9galement sur le rachat d'actions, parce qu'il s'agit d'une fa\u00e7on ou d'une autre d'une distribution de revenu et que l'acc\u00e8s \u00e0 ces programmes ne devrait pas profiter aux actionnaires aux d\u00e9pens des contribuables. Nous sommes tous d'accord l\u00e0\u2011dessus. C'est une lacune du projet de loi initial. N\u00e9anmoins, il y a des entreprises qui ont suivi les r\u00e8gles et qui les ont appliqu\u00e9es pour s'assurer de survivre \u00e0 cette p\u00e9riode. R\u00e9troactivement... Les programmes n'\u00e9taient pas des pr\u00eats. Les programmes devaient permettre aux entreprises de garder leurs employ\u00e9s et assurer \u00e0 ceux\u2011ci les moyens de subsistance n\u00e9cessaires. Certaines de ces entreprises ont ensuite \u00e9t\u00e9 en mesure de verser des dividendes.

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Que tout soit bien clair au sujet de l'application de la proposition dans le temps: elle s'appliquera \u00e0 l'avenir, sans aucun \u00e9l\u00e9ment de r\u00e9troactivit\u00e9 qui n\u00e9cessiterait toutes sortes de redressements des \u00e9tats financiers et toutes sortes d'entourloupettes sur le march\u00e9 public. Je comprends tr\u00e8s bien l'intention qui sous-tend le projet de loi en ce qui concerne la correspondance entre les revenus et les d\u00e9penses.

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Merci, monsieur le pr\u00e9sident. Je pr\u00e9sente cette proposition comme amendement favorable.

"}, "url": "/committees/finance/44-1/9/greg-mclean-2/", "politician_url": "/politicians/greg-mclean/", "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/4568/", "procedural": false, "source_id": "11459137", "document_url": "/committees/finance/44-1/9/", "related": {"document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fcommittees%2Ffinance%2F44-1%2F9%2F"}}