Public Accounts Committee Appearance Cancelled

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES OFFICE--Public Accounts Committee Appearance Cancelled

The provincial public accounts committee will consider whether it needs to subpoena representatives of Canada Customs and Revenue Agency in order to get answers to questions about enforcement issues with the harmonized sales tax.

Graham Steele, chair of the committee, expressed the committee's surprise and disappointment today, Nov. 8, that agency officials cancelled plans to appear before the committee at a meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Nov 10.

"We have been trying for many months to get representatives of Canada Customs and Revenue Agency to appear to speak about enforcement issues with the HST," said Mr. Steele. "The HST is a major revenue item for the provincial government and we deserve some accountability from the agency that collects it. The agency's cancellation, less than a week before the scheduled hearing, is puzzling."

Representatives of Canada Customs and Revenue Agency sent a letter on Thursday, Nov. 4, declining to appear before the public accounts committee until there could be a joint appearance with the provincial Department of Finance. The letter also reiterated the agency's request that the meeting be closed to the public, a request the public accounts committee has previously refused.

"We have previously posed questions about HST enforcement to officials from the provincial Department of Finance, and their response has always been that Canada Customs and Revenue Agency has the answers," said Mr. Steele. "I do not understand why representatives of Canada Customs and Revenue Agency now feel that a joint session with the provincial Department of Finance is a precondition to their appearance.

"The committee will attempt to reschedule the meeting with Canada Customs and Revenue Agency as soon as possible," he said. "In the meantime, we will be re-visiting the question of whether we need to issue a subpoena in order to get Canada Customs and Revenue Agency to answer our questions."