Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is “too busy” to mind her budget bill, according to opposition MPs..“The government and this finance minister are too occupied with other issues,” said Conservative MP Dan Albas (Central Okanagan-Similkameen, BC). “We have suggested to delete, delete, delete,” added Albas..According to Blacklock's Reporter, Conservative, New Democrat and Bloc Québécois MPs on the finance committee rewrote whole pages of Bill C-19..Revisions included broadening eligibility for diabetes patients applying for the Disability Tax Credit, repealing an excise tax on mead and apple cider and deleting a September 1 deadline to impose a 10% luxury tax on six-figure boats, personal aircraft, and automobiles..“I have never seen a finance minister present a bill to the House of Commons to have it referred to committee where it was literally chopped apart by committee,” Albas said. There was “amendment after amendment after amendment,” he said..“There is blood on the proverbial floor,” said Albas. “I think the finance minister is probably too busy with her other duties as deputy prime minister.”.“The minister of finance is too busy to do the job,” said Bloc MP Gabriel Ste-Marie (Joliette, QC). “Dozens and dozens of pages have been cut from this bill.”.New Democrat MP Daniel Blaikie (Elmwood-Transcona, MB) said critics “managed to bring a number of important changes to this budget which looks quite different coming out of committee than it did going in.” Blaikie called it “meaningful input” in the minority parliament..Finance Minister Freeland did not comment. Cabinet on Friday moved to cut short debate on Bill C-19..“Can the Conservatives finally support the budget?” asked Liberal MP Rachel Bendayan (Outremont, QC), the parliamentary secretary for finance. “The way it is going, not a chance,” replied Conservative MP Jeremy Patzer (Cypress Hills-Grasslands, SK)..Opposition MPs last June 22 accomplished the rare feat of rewriting the Income Tax Act with a private bill that cut millions in taxes on farm sales. Bill C-208 An Act To Amend The Income Tax Act allowed net profits on the sale of property to family to be taxed at a 25% capital gains rate instead of the previous 45% taxable dividend rate, a measure worth $178 million a year by Budget Office estimates..“Parliament has spoken and it is the law,” Conservative MP Larry Maguire (Brandon-Souris, MB), sponsor of Bill C-208, earlier said in an interview. “The only one to oppose it was the department of finance.”
