The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP), on the other hand, has maintained that the oil and gas industry is not subsidized at all.
In a brief submitted last year to the parliamentary committee, CAPP argued that tax breaks it gets are part of the tax system, “therefore not subsidies.”
Subsidy had better not be defined this way.
I wondered about that and found this article on the subject, which includes:
Canada’s auditor general says that at its most basic level, a subsidy provides an advantage and can include tax measures such as deductions or credits, grants or direct funding (which may be earmarked for things like equipment or R&D), or government loans or loan guarantees (which are often described by the more specific term public financing).
(bolding mine)
So it seems like the CAPP is trying to sell us a false bill of goods, to me.
The NDP are putting pressure on the Liberals to give this some teeth (same link as in CBC article), and because of the Supply & Services Agt. which I think specifically mentions this, have some leverage as well.
Worth encouraging Laurel Collins (NDP critic) to keep at it.
