After hearing hundreds of submissions during a series of hearings across the country, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance released its pre-budget report. When there is a majority government, this report is often a useful guide to the sorts of measures one can expect when the Minister of Finance tables the federal budget in early spring. But with a minority governnment, the document will likely have plenty of suggestions the Finance Minister will likely reject.
In addition to the report which would have been adopted the committee — the Conservatives do not have a majority on the committee — each party has filed a “minority report”.
The committee issued a press release today:
“We have made recommendations about health, education, and incentives to work and to save that will ensure our people are productive. Recommendations about Canada’s infrastructure and the environment, as well as about charitable giving, volunteerism and support for our arts and cultural sector will help to ensure competitive communities. Finally, businesses would be more competitive with the adoption of our recommendations in such areas as corporate taxation, support for R&D and innovation, regulation and international trade,” [said Conservative MP and Finance Committee chair Brian] Pallister.