PBO report suggests Liberals misled parliament

OTTAWA — NDP MP Guy Caron (Rimouski – Neigette – Témiscouata – Les Basques) is pointing to a report published this morning from the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) that suggests Finance Department misled Members of Parliament by overinflating the cost of Caron’s bill C-274. The proposal would have made it easier to transfer family-owned small businesses, farms or fishery companies between members of the same family by modifying the Income Tax Act.

“This bill would have supported small businesses, farmers and fishermen and it was only defeated by a margin of 12 votes,” said Caron. “Why did the Liberal government push false information? Was it perhaps in order to control the message and make sure their backbenchers tow the party line?”

The PBO report puts the fiscal revenue shortfall between 126 and 249 million dollars but the government claimed that the bill could have led to fiscal losses of up to 1.2 billion. Only members of the Liberal caucus voted against the bill.

“I know many Liberal MPs initially supported this bill and if it had not been for government’s grossly exaggerated claim, it could have moved forward to become law,” said Mr. Caron. “The Finance Minister must now explain why his department disseminated such false information.”