Re Millions of Canadians get their carbon tax rebates today. So why do many not believe it?
David Amos<david.raymond.amos333@gmail.com> |  Mon, Jan 15, 2024 at 2:25 PM |
| To: "blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, "kris.austin" <kris.austin@gnb.ca>, "Mike.Comeau" <Mike.Comeau@gnb.ca>, PABMINMAILG@cra-arc.gc.ca, "fin.dcu-ucm.fin" <fin.dcu-ucm.fin@canada.ca>, fin.minfinance-financemin.fin@canada.ca, info@greenparty.ca, "pierre.poilievre" <pierre.poilievre@parl.gc.ca>, pm <pm@pm.gc.ca>, jan.jensen@justice.gc.ca, mcu <mcu@justice.gc.ca>, Diane.Lebouthillier@parl.gc.ca, "Nathalie.G.Drouin" <Nathalie.G.Drouin@pco-bcp.gc.ca>, "Katie.Telford" <Katie.Telford@pmo-cpm.gc.ca>, premier <premier@ontario.ca>, PREMIER <PREMIER@gov.ns.ca>, Office of the Premier <scott.moe@gov.sk.ca>, premier <premier@gov.nl.ca>, premier <premier@leg.gov.mb.ca>, premier <premier@gov.bc.ca>, premier <premier@gov.yk.ca>, premier <premier@gov.pe.ca>, prmibullrun <prmibullrun@gmail.com>, premier <premier@gov.nt.ca> | |
| Cc: robson.fletcher@cbc.ca, brenda.paquette@cra-arc.gc.ca, Chrystia.Freeland@fin.gc.ca, Lethbridge.newsroom@pattisonmedia.com, premier <premier@gov.ab.ca>, ab.director@taxpayer.com, news@everythinggp.com | |
Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher@mas.to
Data journalist with CBC Calgary. Views my own and subject to change, especially in light of new evidence. robson.fletcher@cbc.ca
- Joined
- Nov 04, 2022
- Verified Journalist ℠
- https://www.verifiedjournalist.org/people/@robsonfletcher@mas.to
- Personal Website
- https://robsonfletcher.com/
Monday 15 January 2024
Millions of Canadians get their carbon tax rebates today. So why do
many not believe it?
Millions of Canadians get their carbon tax rebates today. So why do many not believe it?
Lack of communication, vague bank statements, unfiled taxes contribute to confusion
About $2.3 billion in federal carbon-tax rebates will be paid out to roughly 12 million Canadians today, even though many of them may not realize it.
The quarterly payments go out to every tax-filing adult household in the eight provinces where the federal carbon tax applies: Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Canada Revenue Agency says 81 per cent of those folks will get their money via direct deposit, while cheques will be mailed to the other 19 per cent.
And yet, many Canadians who are eligible for the rebates don't believe they actually receive them, according to recent polling by the Angus Reid Institute. (Not to mention the plethora of online comments whenever the carbon tax is in the news.)
The rebates range in value depending on the size of your household and where you live. A single adult living in P.E.I. gets $120 every three months, while a a family of four living in rural Alberta gets $425.
So why do many people not believe it?
Experts say a few factors are likely at play. Either these folks are actually missing out because they haven't filed their income taxes, or they're simply not noticing the money when it arrives, or they're mistaking it for some other type of payment from the government.
If you're married or have a common-law partner, the rebate goes to only one spouse in the household. So it's also possible some spouses are receiving the funds without the other spouse knowing.
Underpinning all this is "a failure at the most basic level of retail political communication" by the federal Liberal government about one its flagship policies, says Shachi Kurl, president of the Angus Reid Institute.
'What we have here is a failure to communicate'
The ins and outs of carbon pricing policy are complex, but the fact that people are getting a substantial amount of money from the government every three months shouldn't be that hard to get across, in Kurl's view.
She believes the federal Liberals have not done that effectively, choosing rather to focus their communication efforts on the environmental aspects of the policy rather than its financial aspects.
She says that may have been a good strategy in 2019, when Canadians saw climate change as a top priority, but the Liberals have failed to adapt their message to 2024, when the cost of living has become a more pressing concern.
Meanwhile, the federal Conservatives have been relentlessly attacking the federal carbon tax in financial terms.
Partisanship can often affect beliefs, and the Angus Reid polling indeed found that people who said they had voted Conservative in the last federal election were more likely than those who voted Liberal or NDP to believe they are paying more in carbon tax than they are receiving in rebates (even though economists say the opposite is true for most households.)
But when it came to the poll's question about whether people received a rebate at all, there wasn't as much variation between Conservative, Liberal and NDP voters.
Regardless of party support, Kurl said the polling data shows "a massive number of Canadians who either believe that they are not receiving a rebate when they are, or don't know if they're receiving a rebate or not."
"It could be as simple as what we have here is a failure to communicate on part of the federal government in terms of what people are actually receiving," she said.
Part of that may be due to how the funds arrive.
'EFT Deposit from CANADA'
For years now, Canadians have been confused by deposits showing up in their bank accounts under nondescript names like "CANADA FED" or "DN CANADA FED/FED" or "EFT Deposit from CANADA".
Many people didn't realize these were carbon tax rebates. Some even thought they might be some type of scam.
Exactly how the rebates appeared varies from bank to bank.
In 2022, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault asked Canadian banks to refer to them as climate action incentive payments, which is the official term the federal government uses. Still, variation in the labelling persisted.
A spokesperson with the Canada Revenue Agency said banks are provided with descriptions of transactions from the federal government but the banks "are under no obligation to implement the description text exactly as provided."
An example of an online bank statement showing a carbon-tax rebate direct deposit from 2022. (Screenshot)
Not everyone receives the rebates via direct deposit, either. Some people still get cheques in the mail, and that, too, can be a source of confusion.
"If you changed your address during the year, maybe you didn't receive the cheque," said Yannick Lemay, a senior tax specialist with H&R Block. "Maybe the cheque got lost."
He said it is possible to log in to your Canada Revenue Agency account online to see if you have any uncashed cheques owed to you — or have a tax consultant do that for you.
And for those who actually haven't received a rebate because they've neglected to file their taxes, he says there's some good news — those rebates are still owed to you and you can still claim them when you file your taxes for past years.
"That's money that people leave on the table if they do not file their taxes," Lemay said.
Who's eligible, exactly?
Virtually everybody who lives in the eight provinces where the federal carbon tax applies is eligible for the rebates.
British Columbia and Quebec are excluded because they have their own carbon-pricing systems. The territories also have different systems when it comes to carbon pricing and rebates.
Everywhere else in the country, there are only a few criteria you must meet in order to be eligible:
- You must be at least 19 years old.
- If you are under 19 but are or were married, or had a common-law partner, or have a child whom you have lived with, you also qualify.
- You must be a resident of Canada in the month prior to the payment.
- You must be a resident of an applicable province on the first day of the payment month.
Canadian residents don't need to apply for the rebates; they only need to file their incomes taxes for the previous year (even if they have no income to report) in order for the payments to be sent.
Newcomers to Canada must fill out a form to become eligible for the rebates.
"If you have a spouse or common-law partner, only one of you can get the payment for the family," the Canada Revenue Agency notes on its website. "It will be paid to the person who files their tax return first."
The federal rebates are also unaffected by income. This is sometimes another point of confusion, because income does affect the carbon tax rebates in British Columbia's provincial system. (Income was also a factor for rebates under the now-defunct provincial carbon tax that Alberta had from 2017 to 2019.)
Rural residents — defined as anyone who lives outside a census metropolitan area (CMA) — get a 10-per-cent supplement on top of what residents of CMAs receive.
The payments are issued quarterly. The money typically goes out on the 15th of January, April, July and October, unless the 15th falls on a Saturday or Sunday or federal holiday, in which case payments are issued on the last business day prior to the 15th.
You can use the interactive tool below to calculate the monthly value of your rebate, as well as estimate your monthly carbon tax costs.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Posted by MotorcycleManiacLtd at 12:36
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2024 17:14:30 -0400
Subject: Fwd: I thank you for your correspondence, which she received
on October 8, 2023. 2023-006285 and 2023-006287.
To: "blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, "kris.austin"
<kris.austin@gnb.ca>, "Mike.Comeau" <Mike.Comeau@gnb.ca>
https://davidraymondamos3.
Thursday 4 January 2024
I thank you for your correspondence, which she received on October 8,
2023. 2023-006285 and 2023-006287.
Deja Vu Anyone???
---------- Original message ----------
From: Chrystia Freeland <Chrystia.Freeland@fin.gc.ca>
Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2024 21:40:42 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Deja Vu Anyone???
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
The Department of Finance acknowledges receipt of your electronic
correspondence. Please be assured that we appreciate receiving your
comments.
Le ministère des Finances Canada accuse réception de votre courriel.
Nous vous assurons que vos commentaires sont les bienvenus.
David Amos
<david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
To: news@everythinggp.com
Cc: Lethbridge.newsroom@
<premier@gov.ab.ca>, ab.director@taxpayer.com
Kris Sims
Alberta Director
Office Location:
Mailing address: PO Box 38029 RPO Capilano, Edmonton, AB T6A 3Y6
Cell:
604.997.1798
Email:
ab.director@taxpayer.com
https://everythinggp.com/2023/
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has outlined some changes to taxes
in 2024. (Photo: Photopal604 | Dreamstime.com)
Some taxes set to increase in Alberta in 2024: report
Dec 19, 2023 | 11:44 AM
By David Opinko
LETHBRIDGE, AB – Albertans are set to see some tax changes in the new year.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) has released its report
titled, “2024 New Year’s Tax Changes,” highlighting the provincial and
federal levies that will change.
CTF Federal Director Franco Terrazzano said tax hikes will give
Canadians a whole new kind of hangover in the new year.
“Canadians need help with the rising cost of living, but the feds will
be reaching deeper into our pockets with major tax hikes in 2024,”
said Terrazzano.
Some of the federal taxes that are set to go up include:
Carbon tax
From $65 per tonne to $80 per tonne on April 1, 2024
Estimated to cost families $12.32 more each time they will up
a 70-litre minivan
Alcohol tax
4.7 per cent increase in the federal excise tax on beer, wine
and spirits in 2024.
Estimated to cost Canadians $100 million in 2024-25
Digital services tax
New tax on large tech companies like Amazon, Google, Facebook,
Uber, and Airbnb. CTF predicts costs will be passed onto consumers
Estimated to cost Canadians $1.2 billion in 2024
Payroll taxes
Increasing mandatory contributions to Canada Pension Plan and
Employment Insurance
Estimated to cost workers up to $347 more in 2024
The Government of Alberta will also be implementing some tax changes next year.
Of particular concern to CTF Alberta Director Kris Sims is that the
provincial fuel tax is being partially reintroduced after having been
suspended for all of 2023.
“Premier Danielle Smith did the right thing one year ago when she
fully suspended the Alberta fuel tax because people are struggling
with affordability so it’s mindboggling that she would hike the fuel
tax back up now,” said Sims. “With the Trudeau government hiking its
federal carbon tax in a few weeks and with so many still people
struggling to afford food and home heating, increasing the Alberta
fuel tax is the wrong way for the Smith government to go.”
Some of the provincial taxes that are set to change include:
Fuel tax
Part of the 13-cent-per-litre fuel tax will be reintroduced.
The government said drivers will still have at least four cents per
litre, depending on the price of West Texas Intermediate oil
Estimated to cost $10-$15 more each time you fill up your vehicle
Personal income tax
The province has pledged to create a new lower-income tax
bracket for the first $59,999 of income, going from 10 per cent to
eight per cent
Estimated to save workers $760 annually
The full report can be read on the Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s website.
READ MORE: Alberta fuel tax to partially return in 2024
—
If you have a news tip, question or concern, please email
Lethbridge.newsroom@
by David Opinko
#202 9817 101 Ave
Grande Prairie, AB
Canada T8V 0X6
Newsroom Phone: (780) 539-6397
news@everythinggp.com
David Amos
<david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
To: brenda.paquette@cra-arc.gc.ca, Chrystia.Freeland@fin.gc.ca
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Chrystia Freeland <Chrystia.Freeland@fin.gc.ca>
Date: Sun, 8 Oct 2023 21:55:14 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Re The CRA in the news again Deja Vu anyone???
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
The Department of Finance acknowledges receipt of your electronic
correspondence. Please be assured that we appreciate receiving your
comments.
Le ministère des Finances Canada accuse réception de votre courriel.
Nous vous assurons que vos commentaires sont les bienvenus.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2024 17:14:30 -0400
Subject: Fwd: I thank you for your correspondence, which she received
on October 8, 2023. 2023-006285 and 2023-006287.
To: "blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, "kris.austin"
<kris.austin@gnb.ca>, "Mike.Comeau" <Mike.Comeau@gnb.ca>
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Min.Mail / Courrier.Min (CRA/ARC)" <PABMINMAILG@cra-arc.gc.ca>
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2024 17:15:24 +0000
Subject: I thank you for your correspondence, which she received on
October 8, 2023. 2023-006285 and 2023-006287.
To: "david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Cc: "fin.dcu-ucm.fin@canada.ca" <fin.dcu-ucm.fin@canada.ca>
David Raymond Amos
david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Dear David Raymond Amos:
On behalf of the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of National
Revenue, I thank you for your correspondence, which she received on
October 8, 2023.
I assure you that the concerns you expressed have been carefully
considered. The Canada Revenue Agency administers the tax system and
applies the current tax legislation, while the Department of Finance
Canada develops federal tax policy and amends the legislation. I am
therefore sending a copy of your correspondence to the Honourable
Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Finance, for her consideration.
Thank you again for writing.
Yours sincerely,
BPaquette
Brenda Paquette
Director
Executive Correspondence and
Language Services Division
Canada Revenue Agency
c.c.: Hon. Chrystia Freeland' P.C.' M.P.
Minister of Finance
2 attachments — Scan and download all attachments
In 2004 I wished Broadbent good luck as I ran against him and his
cohorts. However it did not take long for me to discover my respect
for him was misplaced..msg
270K Scan and download
Re The CRA in the news again Deja Vu anyone {SSN partially redacted).pdf
2724K View as HTML Scan and download
RE I thank you for your correspondence, which she received on October
8, 2023. 2023-006285 and 2023-006287.
David Amos
<david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
To: PABMINMAILG@cra-arc.gc.ca, fin.dcu-ucm.fin@canada.ca
Cc: fin.minfinance-financemin.fin@
http://davidraymondamos3.
Monday, 25 June 2018
Canada Revenue Agency falling behind as uncollected taxes owed rise to
$44 billion
https://www.cbc.ca/news/
---------- Original message ----------
From: "MinFinance / FinanceMin (FIN)" <fin.minfinance-financemin.
Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2017 20:48:25 +0000
Subject: RE: Your various correspondence about abusive tax schemes - 2017-02631
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
The Department of Finance acknowledges receipt of your electronic
correspondence. Please be assured that we appreciate receiving your
comments.
Le ministère des Finances accuse réception de votre correspondance
électronique. Soyez assuré(e) que nous apprécions recevoir vos
commentaires.
---------- Original message ----------
From: Green Party of Canada | Parti vert du Canada <info@greenparty.ca>
Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2017 20:48:45 +0000
Subject: Re: Fwd: Your various correspondence about abusive tax
schemes - 2017-02631
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
-- Please reply above this line --
(Français à suivre)
Thank you for contacting the Green Party of Canada. Due to the high
volume of email we receive, we cannot guarantee that all inquiries
will be answered. With our small team, we do our best to respond as
staffing and resources permit.
In the meantime, you might find the answer you're looking for in
Vision Green [1], which lays out our plan to move Canada forward.
---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2017 16:48:20 -0400
Subject: Fwd: Your various correspondence about abusive tax schemes - 2017-02631
To: Doug.Gaetz@cra-arc.gc.ca, "Diane.Lebouthillier"
<Diane.Lebouthillier@cra-arc.
"andrew.scheer" <andrew.scheer@parl.gc.ca>, leader
<leader@greenparty.ca>, lisa <lisa@daisygroup.ca>
Cc: David Amos <david.raymond.amos@gmail.com>
<Bill.Morneau@canada.ca>, "bill.pentney" <bill.pentney@justice.gc.ca>,
"jan.jensen" <jan.jensen@justice.gc.ca>
---------- Original message ----------
From: Diane.Lebouthillier@parl.gc.ca
Date: Fri, 26 May 2017 22:23:12 +0000
Subject: Réponse automatique : YO Jean-Yves Duclos Re My Old Age
pension etc Well May 24th came and went and I just called you (819 654
5546) and your Deputy Ms Levonian (819 9535603) about my right to to
sue you and your minions in Federal Court
To: motomaniac333@gmail.com
Merci d'avoir écrit à l'honorable Diane Lebouthillier, députée de
Gaspésie - Îles-de-la-Madeleine. Votre courriel recevra toute
l'attention voulue.
Thank you for writing to the Hon. Diane Lebouthillier, Member of
Parliament for Gaspésie - îles-de-la-Madeleine. Please be assured that
your correspondence will receive every consideration.
---------- Original message ----------
From: "Min.Mail / Courrier.Min (CRA/ARC)" <PABMINMAILG@cra-arc.gc.ca>
Date: Wed, 24 May 2017 13:10:52 +0000
Subject: Your various correspondence about abusive tax schemes - 2017-02631
To: "motomaniac333@gmail.com" <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Mr. David Raymond Amos
motomaniac333@gmail.com
Dear Mr. Amos:
Thank you for your various correspondence about abusive tax schemes,
and for your understanding regarding the delay of this response.
This is an opportunity for me to address your concerns about the way
the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) deals with aggressive tax planning,
tax avoidance, and tax evasion by targeting individuals and groups
that promote schemes intended to avoid payment of tax. It is also an
opportunity for me to present the Government of Canada’s main
strategies for ensuring fairness for all taxpayers.
The CRA’s mission is to preserve the integrity of Canada’s tax system,
and it is taking concrete and effective action to deal with abusive
tax schemes. Through federal budget funding in 2016 and 2017, the
government has committed close to $1 billion in cracking down on tax
evasion and combatting tax avoidance at home and through the use of
offshore transactions. This additional funding is expected to generate
federal revenues of $2.6 billion over five years for Budget 2016, and
$2.5 billion over five years for Budget 2017.
More precisely, the CRA is cracking down on tax cheats by hiring more
auditors, maintaining its underground economy specialist teams,
increasing coverage of aggressive goods and service tax/harmonized
sales tax planning, increasing coverage of multinational corporations
and wealthy individuals, and taking targeted actions aimed at
promoters of abusive tax schemes.
On the offshore front, the CRA continues to develop tools to improve
its focus on high‑risk taxpayers. It is also considering changes to
its Voluntary Disclosures Program following the first set of program
recommendations received from an independent Offshore Compliance
Advisory Committee. In addition, the CRA is leading international
projects to address the base erosion and profit shifting initiative of
the G20 and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development, and is collaborating with treaty partners to address the
Panama Papers leaks.
These actions are evidence of the government’s commitment to
protecting tax fairness. The CRA has strengthened its intelligence and
technical capacities for the early detection of abusive tax
arrangements and deterrence of those who participate in them. To
ensure compliance, it has increased the number of actions aimed at
promoters who use illegal schemes. These measures include increased
audits of such promoters, improved information gathering, criminal
investigations where warranted, and better communication with
taxpayers.
To deter potential taxpayer involvement in these schemes, the CRA is
increasing notifications and warnings through its communications
products. It also seeks partnerships with tax preparers, accountants,
and community groups so that they can become informed observers who
can educate their clients.
The CRA will assess penalties against promoters and other
representatives who make false statements involving illegal tax
schemes. The promotion of tax schemes to defraud the government can
lead to criminal investigations, fingerprinting, criminal prosecution,
court fines, and jail time.
Between April 1, 2011, and March 31, 2016, the CRA’s criminal
investigations resulted in the conviction of 42 Canadian taxpayers for
tax evasion with links to money and assets held offshore. In total,
the $34 million in evaded taxes resulted in court fines of $12 million
and 734 months of jail time.
When deciding to pursue compliance actions through the courts, the CRA
consults the Department of Justice Canada to choose an appropriate
solution. Complex tax-related litigation is costly and time consuming,
and the outcome may be unsuccessful. All options to recover amounts
owed are considered.
More specifically, in relation to the KPMG Isle of Man tax avoidance
scheme, publicly available court records show that it is through the
CRA’s efforts that the scheme was discovered. The CRA identified many
of the participants and continues to actively pursue the matter. The
CRA has also identified at least 10 additional tax structures on the
Isle of Man, and is auditing taxpayers in relation to these
structures.
To ensure tax fairness, the CRA commissioned an independent review in
March 2016 to determine if it had acted appropriately concerning KPMG
and its clients. In her review, Ms. Kimberley Brooks, Associate
Professor and former Dean of the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie
University, examined the CRA’s operational processes and decisions in
relation to the KPMG offshore tax structure and its efforts to obtain
the names of all taxpayers participating in the scheme. Following this
review, the report, released on May 5, 2016, concluded that the CRA
had acted appropriately in its management of the KPMG Isle of Man
file. The report found that the series of compliance measures the CRA
took were in accordance with its policies and procedures. It was
concluded that the procedural actions taken on the KPMG file were
appropriate given the facts of this particular case and were
consistent with the treatment of taxpayers in similar situations. The
report concluded that actions by CRA employees were in accordance with
the CRA’s Code of Integrity and Professional Conduct. There was no
evidence of inappropriate interaction between KPMG and the CRA
employees involved in the case.
Under the CRA’s Code of Integrity and Professional Conduct, all CRA
employees are responsible for real, apparent, or potential conflicts
of interests between their current duties and any subsequent
employment outside of the CRA or the Public Service of Canada.
Consequences and corrective measures play an important role in
protecting the CRA’s integrity.
The CRA takes misconduct very seriously. The consequences of
misconduct depend on the gravity of the incident and its repercussions
on trust both within and outside of the CRA. Misconduct can result in
disciplinary measures up to dismissal.
All forms of tax evasion are illegal. The CRA manages the Informant
Leads Program, which handles leads received from the public regarding
cases of tax evasion across the country. This program, which
coordinates all the leads the CRA receives from informants, determines
whether there has been any non-compliance with tax law and ensures
that the information is examined and conveyed, if applicable, so that
compliance measures are taken. This program does not offer any reward
for tips received.
The new Offshore Tax Informant Program (OTIP) has also been put in
place. The OTIP offers financial compensation to individuals who
provide information related to major cases of offshore tax evasion
that lead to the collection of tax owing. As of December 31, 2016, the
OTIP had received 963 calls and 407 written submissions from possible
informants. Over 218 taxpayers are currently under audit based on
information the CRA received through the OTIP.
With a focus on the highest-risk sectors nationally and
internationally and an increased ability to gather information, the
CRA has the means to target taxpayers who try to hide their income.
For example, since January 2015, the CRA has been collecting
information on all international electronic funds transfers (EFTs) of
$10,000 or more ending or originating in Canada. It is also adopting a
proactive approach by focusing each year on four jurisdictions that
raise suspicion. For the Isle of Man, the CRA audited 3,000 EFTs
totalling $860 million over 12 months and involving approximately 800
taxpayers. Based on these audits, the CRA communicated with
approximately 350 individuals and 400 corporations and performed 60
audits.
In January 2017, I reaffirmed Canada’s important role as a leader for
tax authorities around the world in detecting the structures used for
aggressive tax planning and tax evasion. This is why Canada works
daily with the Joint International Tax Shelter Information Centre
(JITSIC), a network of tax administrations in over 35 countries. The
CRA participates in two expert groups within the JITSIC and leads the
working group on intermediaries and proponents. This ongoing
collaboration is a key component of the CRA’s work to develop strong
relationships with the international community, which will help it
refine the world-class tax system that benefits all Canadians.
The CRA is increasing its efforts and is seeing early signs of
success. Last year, the CRA recovered just under $13 billion as a
result of its audit activities on the domestic and offshore fronts.
Two-thirds of these recoveries are the result of its audit efforts
relating to large businesses and multinational companies.
But there is still much to do, and additional improvements and
investments are underway.
Tax cheats are having a harder and harder time hiding. Taxpayers who
choose to promote or participate in malicious and illegal tax
strategies must face the consequences of their actions. Canadians
expect nothing less. I invite you to read my most recent statement on
this matter at canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/
statement_from_
Thank you for taking the time to write. I hope the information I have
provided is helpful.
Sincerely,
The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier
Minister of National Revenue
I thank you for your correspondence, which she received on October 8,
2023. 2023-006285 and 2023-006287.
Min.Mail / Courrier.Min (CRA/ARC)
<PABMINMAILG@cra-arc.gc.ca> AttachmentWed, Jan 3, 2024 at 1:15 PM
To: "david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Cc: "fin.dcu-ucm.fin@canada.ca" <fin.dcu-ucm.fin@canada.ca>
David Raymond Amos
david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Dear David Raymond Amos:
On behalf of the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of National
Revenue, I thank you for your correspondence, which she received on
October 8, 2023.
I assure you that the concerns you expressed have been carefully
considered. The Canada Revenue Agency administers the tax system and
applies the current tax legislation, while the Department of Finance
Canada develops federal tax policy and amends the legislation. I am
therefore sending a copy of your correspondence to the Honourable
Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Finance, for her consideration.
Thank you again for writing.
Yours sincerely,
BPaquette
Brenda Paquette
Director
Executive Correspondence and
Language Services Division
Canada Revenue Agency
c.c.: Hon. Chrystia Freeland‚ P.C.‚ M.P.
Minister of Finance
2 attachments — Scan and download all attachments
In 2004 I wished Broadbent good luck as I ran against him and his
cohorts. However it did not take long for me to discover my respect
for him was misplaced..msg
270K Scan and download
Re The CRA in the news again Deja Vu anyone {SSN partially redacted).pdf
2724K View as HTML Scan and download
Follow Up. Completed on Monday, October 23, 2023
Extra line breaks in this message were removed.
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Sent: Mon 10/9/ 2023 12:41 AM
To: Min.Mail / Courrier.Min (CRA/ARC) <PABMINMAILG@cra-arc.gc.ca>;
marie-claude.bibeau@parl.gc.ca
OTO-Media Relations / BOC-Relations avec les médias (OTO/BOC)
<MediaRelations-
premier <premier@ontario.ca>; Newsroom <Newsroom@globeandmail.com>;
jagmeet.singh <jagmeet.singh@parl.gc.ca>; Bill.Blair
<Bill.Blair@parl.gc.ca>; nathalie.sturgeon@globalnews.
Jason.Proctor <Jason.Proctor@cbc.ca>; John.Williamson
<John.Williamson@parl.gc.ca>; Ross.Wetmore <Ross.Wetmore@gnb.ca>;
blaine.higgs <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>; rob.moore <rob.moore@parl.gc.ca>;
Robert. Jones <Robert.Jones@cbc.ca>; Melanie.Joly
<Melanie.Joly@parl.gc.ca>; Mark.Blakely <Mark.Blakely@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>;
martin.gaudet <martin.gaudet@fredericton.ca>
<megan.mitton@gnb.ca>; michael.macdonald
<michael.macdonald@
<sheilagunnreid@gmail.com>; silas.brown <silas.brown@globalnews.ca>;
Jaime.Battiste@parl.gc.ca; Kody.Blois@parl.gc.ca;
Andy.Fillmore@parl.gc.ca; Darren.Fisher@parl.gc.ca;
Sean.Fraser@parl.gc.ca; Mike.Kelloway@parl.gc.ca;
Darrell.Samson@parl.gc.ca; heather.bradley
<heather.bradley@parl.gc.ca>; kelly@kellyregan.ca;
Sean.Casey@parl.gc.ca; Robert.Morrissey@parl.gc.ca;
lawrence.macaulay@parl.gc.ca; Mike.Comeau <Mike.Comeau@gnb.ca>;
Holland, Mike (LEG) <mike.holland@gnb.ca>; Gudie.Hutchings@parl.gc.ca;
Yvonne.Jones@parl.gc.ca; Ken.McDonald@parl.gc.ca;
Seamus.ORegan@parl.gc.ca
Cc: motomaniac333; fin.minfinance-financemin.fin; mcu; Katie.Telford;
Nathalie.G.Drouin;
NightTimePodcast; nsinvestigators; pierre.poilievre; paulpalango
Subject: In 2004 I wished Broadbent good luck as I ran against him and
his cohorts. However it did not take long for me to discover my
respect for him was misplaced.
***ATTENTION***
This email originated from outside of the Government of Canada. Do not
click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and
believe the content is safe. For more information regarding reporting
suspicious emails, please visit the KnowHow webpage: Suspicious emails
- how to report<http://druid/KnowHow/
Ce courriel provient de l'extérieur du Gouvernement du Canada. Ne
cliquez pas sur les liens et n’ouvrez pas les pièces jointes, à moins
de connaître l'expéditeur et croire que le contenu est sécuritaire.
Pour de plus amples renseignements sur la façon de signaler les
courriels suspects, veuillez consulter la page Web SavoirFaire:
Courriels suspects – Comment
signaler<http://druid/
https://davidraymondamos3.
Sunday, 8 October 2023
NDP should have pushed for a shorter supply and confidence deal with
the Liberals, Broadbent says
https://www.cbc.ca/news/
NDP should have pushed for a shorter supply and confidence deal with
the Liberals, Broadbent says
Former NDP leader also says 2008 Liberal-NDP coalition agreement was 'a mistake'
Brennan MacDonald · CBC News · Posted: Oct 08, 2023 5:00 AM ADT
An old man in a plaid shirt and blazer sits in a studio, smiling.
Former NDP leader Ed Broadbent sits down with Rosemary Barton for an
interview on his new book Seeking Social Democracy: Seven Decades in
the Fight for Equality. (Jean-Francois Benoit/CBC)
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh should have pushed for a supply and
confidence agreement with the Liberal government that was a year
shorter, says former NDP leader and social democratic stalwart Ed
Broadbent.
The party and the Liberals signed an agreement in March 2022 that
secures NDP support for the minority Liberal government in exchange
for a commitment to act on key NDP priorities. That agreement is
slated to be in place until 2025.
In an interview on Rosemary Barton Live airing Sunday, Broadbent said
that bumps up close against the next scheduled federal election.
"It's a 'getting credit' issue," he told CBC chief political
correspondent Rosemary Barton of the deal. "The good things that are
there, and there are many good things, Liberals of course will be
taking credit."
"It's a matter of having time for us, for the NDP, to make its voice
known. So maybe if the agreement were a year shorter, it might be a
little better."
'Extremely fluid': Liberals and NDP haven't yet agreed on promised
pharmacare bill
NDP looks to take advantage of Liberals' polling slump by pushing
for policy wins: sources
The supply and confidence agreement includes, among other initiatives,
commitments to act on dental care, universal national pharmacare and
housing.
Broadbent does, however, praise Singh and Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau for building security mechanisms into the agreement that, he
says, were sorely missed in the failed 2008 coalition agreement
between the NDP and the Liberals that he helped negotiate.
The current agreement includes quarterly meetings between Singh and
Trudeau and monthly 'stock-take' meetings by an oversight group tasked
with monitoring overall progress on key commitments.
2008 deal 'a mistake'
Broadbent sat down with Barton to discuss his new book Seeking Social
Democracy: Seven Decades in the Fight for Equality, which includes a
frank assessment of the 2008 Liberal-NDP coalition agreement.
"I have since come to think that the coalition agreement was a
mistake," Broadbent says in the book.
"We saw an opening to oust Stephen Harper and bring in a progressive
agenda in response to the economic situation, which in principle
seemed like a good idea," said Broadbent. "But we got it wrong."
Following then-Conservative Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's fall
economic update in 2008, the Liberals and the NDP negotiated a
coalition agreement to oust the minority Conservatives from power.
That agreement included a written pledge of support from the Bloc
Québécois because the Liberals and the NDP didn't have enough combined
seats to form a majority government.
But before the three parties could bring down the government in a vote
of confidence, Governor General Michaëlle Jean, at the request of
Prime Minister Harper, agreed to prorogue Parliament, effectively
delaying the vote of confidence.
A man in a suit sits at a table, looking forward. Two Canadian flags
are behind him. The proroguing of Parliament and resignation of
Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion ended any prospect of a Liberal-NDP
coalition government in 2008. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
By the time Parliament resumed, Stéphane Dion had resigned as Liberal
leader and his successor, Michael Ignatieff, had agreed to support a
new Conservative budget — ending any prospect of a Liberal-NDP
coalition government.
"With all the advantage of hindsight, it probably was a mistake to try
to negotiate with someone that was in such a weak political position,"
Broadbent told Barton, referring to Dion.
Broadbent also writes in the book that the parties involved in the
coalition attempt failed to predict Harper's "wicked and misleading
attack on the agreement."
Harper was "practising very devious politics indeed when he attacked
that process as being illegitimate," Broadbent said in the interview.
"He portrayed them as being anti-democratic and that's totally
ridiculous. Coalitions are very democratic."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brennan MacDonald
Parliamentary bureau
Brennan MacDonald is a producer for CBC's national television program
Power & Politics.
Follow Brennan on Twitter
CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices
889 Comments
David R. Amos
Content Deactivated
Way back in 2004 I wished Ed Broadbent good luck in writing as I ran
against him and his cohorts. However it did not take long for me to
discover my respect for him was misplaced.
That time former NDP Leader Ed Broadbent made a comeback with a rap video
Social Sharing
He stepped down as Leader in 1989, but came out of retirement for 2004
federal election
CBC Archives · Posted: Jun 15, 2019 9:30 AM ADT
Michael Maynard
CBC targeting IP addresses for deactivation.
David R. Amos
Reply to Michael Maynard
Hmmm
Grant Bryck.
Reply to Michael Maynard
They have to be. Nobody can be a speed reader with a deactivation
immediately after posting.
Michael Maynard
Reply to Grant Bryck
Exactly. Any historic deactivation they are watching.
Don Corey
Content Deactivated
Who cares what Broadbent has to say? He was no different from the
politicians of today's era.....they're all in it for (1) themselves
and (2) the party.
Forget about what's best for Canada, and hard working/tax paying Canadians.
Norm Mohamid
Reply to Don Corey
As a retired civil servant, the longest line for handouts from 'hard
working/ tax paying Canadians' was always businesses; large and small.
The amounts of $$ were never small - $3rd of a billion for an internet
cable network that never got built (Mike Harris); 100$ of millions in
tax writeoffs for developers for low cost housing that never got built
(Mike Harris and Dalton McGuinty); $800 million for private nursing
home construction (Doug Ford) - the list is endless.
Ed Wallis
Reply to Norm Mohamid
The longest lineups for handouts were your union and the billions that
civil servants costs to have 10 people do the job that one could do in
the private sector.
Alexandros Papadiamandis
Reply to Ed Wallis
Taxation is a protection racket. Period.
David R. Amos
Reply to Ed Wallis
Amen
Don Corey
Reply to Norm Mohamid
Hope you're enjoying retirement, with your generous civil servant
indexed pension. Do you think you guys come free of charge to
taxpayers?
As to the business handouts, who do you think approves them? Answer =
politicians representing the stripe of the day. They all do it.
https://www.cbc.ca/archives/
That time former NDP Leader Ed Broadbent made a comeback with a rap video
He stepped down as Leader in 1989, but came out of retirement for 2004
federal election
CBC Archives · Posted: Jun 15, 2019 9:30 AM ADT
Featured VideoFifteen years after he stepped down as NDP leader, Ed
Broadbent took a run at an Ottawa seat in the 2004 election.
After 15 years out of politics, Ed Broadbent was making a return in
2004 and running for election as an MP again. And the 68-year-old even
had a song to go with it.
"Float like a butterfly/Sting like a bee/It's time for voting NDP,"
the former NDP leader rapped in the video for Ed's Back!, which could
be seen on his campaign's website.
Carol MacIvor, a worker at Broadbent's Ottawa campaign office, said
website hits had gone "through the roof" since the rap video had been
posted a week earlier. (Canada Now/CBC Archives)
The video had originally been made by an independent production
company for the CBC program This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
"But the Ed's Back! video never made it to air because of concerns it
lacked balance," explained CBC reporter Danny Globerman.
The NDP campaign, however, was happy to use the video on its website,
sending traffic "through the roof," according to campaign worker Carol
MacIvor.
"Reaction to it has been absolutely amazing," she said.
According to the Globe and Mail, the video had been downloaded from
NDP websites 13,000 times in four days — almost as much as the party
platform had been.
Conservative call-out
In the riding, Ottawa Centre, opponent Mike Murphy's Conservative
campaign had a beef with Broadbent.
"The true market cost of that video is at a number significantly in
excess of a campaign contribution limit," said Tom Thompson, a staffer
for Conservative candidate Mike Murphy. (Canada Now/CBC Archives)
"The true market cost of that video is significantly at a number in
excess of the campaign contribution limit," said staffer Tom Thompson.
Murphy's team had registered a complaint regarding the video with the
Chief Electoral Officer — but the video's creator said no money had
changed hands.
"It's a business transaction, a licensing issue," said Barry Caplan of
TV Factory.
"We would normally just charge a small fee for someone to put it up on
their website, but since Ed [appeared in the video] for nothing, we
decided to give it to him for nothing."
Back at Broadbent HQ, MacIvor threw shade on the Murphy team's gambit.
"Frankly, we know we're ahead. And they're behind," she said. "They're
trying to sling some mud and it's not working."
According to the Globe and Mail, Broadbent "handily" won the seat in
Ottawa Centre in the election of June 28, 2004.
Posted by MotorcycleManiacLtd at 21:37
https://davidraymondamos3.
Saturday, 7 October 2023
Is the carbon tax an easy scapegoat for high food prices?
Re The CRA in the news again Deja Vu anyone???
Ministerial Correspondence Unit - Justice Canada
<mcu@justice.gc.ca> Sun, Oct 8, 2023 at 6:55 PM
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Thank you for writing to the Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of
Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
Due to the volume of correspondence addressed to the Minister, please
note that there may be a delay in processing your email. Rest assured
that your message will be carefully reviewed.
We do not respond to correspondence that contains offensive language.
-------------------
Merci d'avoir écrit à l'honorable Arif Virani, ministre de la Justice
et procureur général du Canada.
En raison du volume de correspondance adressée au ministre, veuillez
prendre note qu'il pourrait y avoir un retard dans le traitement de
votre courriel. Nous tenons à vous assurer que votre message sera lu
avec soin.
Nous ne répondons pas à la correspondance contenant un langage offensant.
Chrystia Freeland
<Chrystia.Freeland@fin.gc.ca> Sun, Oct 8, 2023 at 6:55 PM
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
The Department of Finance acknowledges receipt of your electronic
correspondence. Please be assured that we appreciate receiving your
comments.
Le ministère des Finances Canada accuse réception de votre courriel.
Nous vous assurons que vos commentaires sont les bienvenus.
Duguid, Terry - M.P.
<Terry.Duguid@parl.gc.ca> Sun, Oct 8, 2023 at 6:55 PM
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
This is an automated message to acknowledge that we are in receipt of
your email.
Thank you for contacting the office of Terry Duguid, Member of
Parliament for Winnipeg South. Our office reads all incoming email
however due to the high volume we receive, not every email will
receive a reply and priority is given to those residing in Winnipeg
South.
For immigration casework inquiries, please check the processing time
of your application here:
https://www.canada.ca/en/
Our office will only be able to open a case for you if your
application has gone past processing time.
You can check on the status of your application at the IRCC portal:
https://ircc-tracker-suivi.
suggest the following online services that might be helpful to you:
Check your application status - You may either:
Sign in to your online account to check your application status,
Create an online account and link your application to it, or
Use the online tool (Client Application Status (CAS))
Change of address
Find application forms and guides
Help Centre - To find answers, you may consult the different
sections or type keywords related to your question.
Yours sincerely,
Office of Terry Duguid, M.P
Winnipeg South
Premier of Ontario | Premier ministre de l’Ontario
<Premier@ontario.ca> Sun, Oct 8, 2023 at 6:55 PM
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Thank you for your email. Your thoughts, comments and input are greatly valued.
You can be assured that all emails and letters are carefully read,
reviewed and taken into consideration.
There may be occasions when, given the issues you have raised and the
need to address them effectively, we will forward a copy of your
correspondence to the appropriate government official. Accordingly, a
response may take several business days.
Thanks again for your email.
______
Merci pour votre courriel. Nous vous sommes très reconnaissants de
nous avoir fait part de vos idées, commentaires et observations.
Nous tenons à vous assurer que nous lisons attentivement et prenons en
considération tous les courriels et lettres que nous recevons.
Dans certains cas, nous transmettrons votre message au ministère
responsable afin que les questions soulevées puissent être traitées de
la manière la plus efficace possible. En conséquence, plusieurs jours
ouvrables pourraient s’écouler avant que nous puissions vous répondre.
Merci encore pour votre courriel.
Newsroom
<newsroom@globeandmail.com> Sun, Oct 8, 2023 at 6:55 PM
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Thank you for contacting The Globe and Mail.
If your matter pertains to newspaper delivery or you require technical
support, please contact our Customer Service department at
1-800-387-5400 or send an email to customerservice@globeandmail.
If you are reporting a factual error please forward your email to
publiceditor@globeandmail.com
Letters to the Editor can be sent to letters@globeandmail.com
This is the correct email address for requests for news coverage and
press releases.
David Amos
<david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
To: PABMINMAILG@cra-arc.gc.ca, marie-claude.bibeau@parl.gc.ca
Diane.Lebouthillier@parl.gc.ca
MediaRelations-
premier <premier@ontario.ca>, Newsroom <Newsroom@globeandmail.com>,
"jagmeet.singh" <jagmeet.singh@parl.gc.ca>, "Bill.Blair"
<Bill.Blair@parl.gc.ca>, nathalie.sturgeon@globalnews.
"Jason.Proctor" <Jason.Proctor@cbc.ca>, "John.Williamson"
<John.Williamson@parl.gc.ca>, "Ross.Wetmore" <Ross.Wetmore@gnb.ca>,
"blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, "rob.moore"
<rob.moore@parl.gc.ca>, "Robert. Jones" <Robert.Jones@cbc.ca>,
"Melanie.Joly" <Melanie.Joly@parl.gc.ca>, "Mark.Blakely"
<Mark.Blakely@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, "martin.gaudet"
<martin.gaudet@fredericton.ca>
<megan.mitton@gnb.ca>, "michael.macdonald"
<michael.macdonald@
<sheilagunnreid@gmail.com>, "silas.brown" <silas.brown@globalnews.ca>,
Jaime.Battiste@parl.gc.ca, Kody.Blois@parl.gc.ca,
Andy.Fillmore@parl.gc.ca, Darren.Fisher@parl.gc.ca,
Sean.Fraser@parl.gc.ca, Mike.Kelloway@parl.gc.ca,
Darrell.Samson@parl.gc.ca, "heather.bradley"
<heather.bradley@parl.gc.ca>, kelly@kellyregan.ca,
Sean.Casey@parl.gc.ca, Robert.Morrissey@parl.gc.ca,
lawrence.macaulay@parl.gc.ca, "Mike.Comeau" <Mike.Comeau@gnb.ca>,
"Holland, Mike (LEG)" <mike.holland@gnb.ca>,
Gudie.Hutchings@parl.gc.ca, Yvonne.Jones@parl.gc.ca,
Ken.McDonald@parl.gc.ca, Seamus.ORegan@parl.gc.ca,
Churence.Rogers@parl.gc.ca, scott.simms@parl.gc.ca,
Dan.Vandal@parl.gc.ca, kevin.lamoureux@parl.gc.ca,
Terry.Duguid@parl.gc.ca, Larry.Bagnell@parl.gc.ca,
Michael.McLeod@parl.gc.ca
Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>,
"fin.minfinance-financemin.
<fin.minfinance-financemin.
"Katie.Telford" <Katie.Telford@pmo-cpm.gc.ca>, "Nathalie.G.Drouin"
<Nathalie.G.Drouin@pco-bcp.gc.
<NightTimePodcast@gmail.com>, nsinvestigators
<nsinvestigators@gmail.com>, "pierre.poilievre"
<pierre.poilievre@parl.gc.ca>, paulpalango
<paulpalango@protonmail.com>
https://www.cbc.ca/news/
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Sent: October 8, 2023 05:53 PM
To: Min.Mail / Courrier.Min (CRA/ARC); marie-claude.bibeau@parl.gc.ca
Diane.Lebouthillier@parl.gc.ca
avec les médias
(OTO/BOC); pm; premier; Newsroom; jagmeet.singh; Bill.Blair;
nathalie.sturgeon@globalnews.
blaine.higgs; rob.moore; Robert. Jones; Melanie.Joly; Mark.Blakely;
martin.gaudet; Mitton,
Megan (LEG); michael.macdonald; sheilagunnreid; silas.brown;
Jaime.Battiste@parl.gc.ca;
Kody.Blois@parl.gc.ca; Andy.Fillmore@parl.gc.ca; Darren.Fisher@parl.gc.ca;
Sean.Fraser@parl.gc.ca; Mike.Kelloway@parl.gc.ca; Darrell.Samson@parl.gc.ca;
heather.bradley; kelly@kellyregan.ca; Sean.Casey@parl.gc.ca;
Robert.Morrissey@parl.gc.ca;
lawrence.macaulay@parl.gc.ca; Mike.Comeau; Holland, Mike (LEG);
Gudie.Hutchings@parl.gc.ca; Yvonne.Jones@parl.gc.ca; Ken.McDonald@parl.gc.ca;
Seamus.ORegan@parl.gc.ca; Churence.Rogers@parl.gc.ca; scott.simms@parl.gc.ca;
Dan.Vandal@parl.gc.ca; kevin.lamoureux@parl.gc.ca; Terry.Duguid@parl.gc.ca;
Larry.Bagnell@parl.gc.ca; Michael.McLeod@parl.gc.ca
Cc: motomaniac333; fin.minfinance-financemin.fin; mcu; Katie.Telford;
Nathalie.G.Drouin;
NightTimePodcast; nsinvestigators; pierre.poilievre; paulpalango
Subject: Re The CRA in the news again Deja Vu anyone???
Attachments: IRS.jpg; Form 211.jpg
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Completed
***ATTENTION***
This email originated from outside of the Government of Canada. Do not
click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and
believe the content is safe. For more information regarding reporting
suspicious emails, please visit the KnowHow webpage: Suspicious emails
- how to report<http://druid/KnowHow/
Ce courriel provient de l'extérieur du Gouvernement du Canada. Ne
cliquez pas sur les liens et n’ouvrez pas les pièces jointes, à moins
de connaître l'expéditeur et croire que le contenu est sécuritaire.
Pour de plus amples renseignements sur la façon de signaler les
courriels suspects, veuillez consulter la page Web SavoirFaire:
Courriels suspects – Comment
signaler<http://druid/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/
Is the carbon tax an easy scapegoat for high food prices?
Affordability arguments in favour of killing the tax ignore the impact
climate change has on food prices
Aaron Wherry · CBC News · Posted: Oct 07, 2023 5:00 AM ADT
A grocery store aisle. The Summerhill Market in Toronto on Wednesday
February 2, 2022. The affordability argument against carbon pricing
ignores some inconvenient facts. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)
Seven years ago this week, Justin Trudeau stood in the House of
Commons and announced that his government would implement a national
price on carbon emissions.
It remains one of the boldest and most consequential decisions of his
time in office. It's also one of the most loudly contested — even
after two federal elections that might have been expected to settle
the issue.
This week, the House voted on yet another Conservative motion calling
on MPs to condemn the carbon tax — the Official Opposition's fifth
such motion in the last 12 months. This time, the Conservatives were
able to win the support of one Liberal backbencher — Ken McDonald, who
represents the Newfoundland riding of Avalon — illustrating the public
consternation Liberal climate policies are facing in Atlantic Canada.
But the Conservatives are also hammering away with television ads that
blame the carbon tax for the high price of groceries, an argument that
might hold particular power as Canadians prepare to celebrate
Thanksgiving.
Pierre Poilievre speaks from the podium Conservative Leader Pierre
Poilievre's statements about the impact carbon pricing has on
affordability ignore one big factor: the rebates. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
"Mr. Speaker, when one taxes the fuel of the farmers who make the food
and the fuel of the truckers who ship the food, then one taxes all
those who buy the food," Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre told the
House this week, ably reenacting his party's ads.
This period of high inflation certainly presents a fresh political
test for any climate policy that creates a new cost for industry or
consumers. But in the debate about food prices, the carbon tax is
being saddled with an outsized and undeserved role — one that,
ironically, distracts from the very real impact climate change and
extreme weather are having, and will have, on the cost of groceries.
What's really driving up food prices?
It's not that the carbon tax has no impact on food prices and
inflation. It's just not obvious that it is having a particularly
large impact.
The Bank of Canada has estimated that the carbon tax increases
inflation by 0.15 per cent. Trevor Tombe, an economist at the
University of Calgary who has studied the impact of the carbon price
on consumer costs, points to Statistics Canada data that suggests its
impact on food prices is less than one per cent.
That's not nothing, and every dollar counts when it comes to the cost
of essentials, particularly for those on low incomes.
But concerns about the impact of the carbon tax also tend to ignore
the fact that the policy has two parts — a fuel charge collected by
the federal government and a rebate that returns 90 per cent of the
revenue generated by the levy to Canadian households. (The remaining
10 per cent is directed toward businesses, farmers and Indigenous
communities.)
N.L. Liberal MP votes against carbon tax a 2nd time, says
Guilbeault wrong messenger for policy
Analysis
Are we voting with our wallets to overheat the planet?
'Best-before date' looms over Liberals if Canadians don't get a
break, says MP Ken McDonald
Unlike any number of other federal and provincial policies that might
be said to contribute to the cost of food — from corporate taxes to
food safety regulations — the federal carbon tax comes with a rebate.
The parliamentary budget officer has consistently found that nearly
all households receive more from the rebate than they pay in direct
and indirect costs. Only households in the highest income quintile are
projected to pay out more than they receive — because they consume
more. Repealing the carbon tax could actually leave many Canadians
worse off.
Recent polling suggests a sizeable number of Canadians like the idea
of reducing or eliminating the carbon tax. Maybe the same would be
true of a poll about any kind of tax. Regardless, the Liberals might
need to redouble efforts now to make the case for one of Trudeau's
signature policies.
But any discussion of food prices has to include the impact of climate
change — the very problem that the carbon tax is meant to help combat.
An analysis from Statistics Canada published last November linked
"erratic weather" — including droughts, heat waves, flooding and heavy
rainfall — with increases in the prices of meat, fruit, vegetables,
sugar and coffee. In June, economists at RBC reported that, while food
price inflation was expected to slow, a return to pre-pandemic prices
was unlikely — in part because "extreme weather events are becoming
more frequent across different regions and could meaningfully limit
farm production."
An aerial view of a flood-damaged farm. Mud and debris covers a farm
on the Nicola River that was destroyed by flooding in November, west
of Merritt, B.C., on Wednesday, March 23, 2022. (Darryl Dyck/The
Canadian Press)
Other sources of inflation cited by RBC include Russia's invasion of
Ukraine, supply chain disruptions and labour shortages. And Canada is
hardly alone in feeling the impact on food prices.
Kelleen Wiseman, academic director of the master of food and resource
economics program at the University of British Columbia, said price
increases from extreme weather events typically are temporary. But
Mike von Massow, a professor of food economics at the University of
Guelph, said "the impact of climate [on food prices] is at least an
order of magnitude bigger than the impact of the carbon tax."
"I think that there is little doubt that extreme weather, the
increasing frequency and severity, is not only causing food price
inflation but will lead to ongoing greater instability in food
prices," vow Massow said. "It'll be much more difficult to predict
where we're going because of the unpredictability of these weather
events."
In hopes of containing prices, the federal government has put its
focus on major retailers. Von Massow said that what's really needed is
a broader "food system discussion" that brings all the players
together to talk about building a resilient, integrated system that
can withstand the forces that climate change is unleashing.
Why is the carbon tax taking the blame?
Tombe, who has also dismissed the utility of blaming retailers, has
suggested it would make more sense to look at dismantling the supply
management system for dairy and poultry in Canada. Regardless of how
one feels about that proposal, it's at least interesting to note that
no political party is choosing to make supply management a target
right now — while scorn is being heaped on the carbon tax.
Across the federal parties, support for supply management is virtually
unanimous. Killing it might lower prices of milk, eggs and chicken for
consumers. But the major parties apparently have calculated that the
political and practical benefits of the system outweigh its costs —
that the trade-offs are worth it.
About 30 cows crowd around to investigate the camera in an outdoor
pasture at Tiny Acres Holsteins. A tractor and some of the Bryantons'
fields are visible in the background. Supply management retains broad
support in mainstream Canadian politics, even though it drives up the
cost of food. (Nicola MacLeod/CBC)
The presence of the rebate minimizes the degree to which the federal
carbon tax requires any kind of trade-off. But to the degree carbon
pricing does increase costs for fuel and other goods, the trade-off is
reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.
Economists have long argued that putting a price on carbon is the
least expensive way to drive emissions down. And Trudeau is hardly
alone in accepting that logic. According to the World Bank, 23 per
cent of global emissions are now covered by some kind of pricing
policy — up from 13 per cent in 2016.
The federal carbon tax might someday come to be as politically
untouchable as supply management. For now, the Conservatives seem to
believe it's in their interests to direct anger at the carbon tax —
even while they seem unable to say what they would do instead to
reduce emissions.
But if climate policy is going to be scapegoated every time the price
of groceries goes up, Canada is going to have a very hard time
sustaining a serious response to climate change.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aaron Wherry
Senior writer
Aaron Wherry has covered Parliament Hill since 2007 and has written
for Maclean's, the National Post and the Globe and Mail. He is the
author of Promise & Peril, a book about Justin Trudeau's years in
power.
CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices
6444 Comments
Don Corey
The carbon tax provides a source of funds to pay for another Trudeau
income redistribution scheme. There has been no demonstrable impact on
reducing carbon emissions (contrary to what some here are saying), so
it is a tax that does nothing other than to add to our daily cost of
living. Scrap it!
Ted Thompson
Reply to Don Corey
Bingo....the defenders here say removing the tax will hurt low income
and seniors = wealth distribution.
Jon Moddle
Reply to Ted Thompson
So you're against helping low income families and giving back to those in need?
Don Corey
Reply to Ted Thompson
Exactly. I'm a senior, but I'll survive without Trudeau's so called
carbon cheque.
Brad Hansen
Reply to Jon Moddle
Why not let them keep their money in the first place? Why the shell game?
Jon Moddle
Reply to Brad Hansen
They get more back this way, why are you against that?
Brad Hansen
Reply to Jon Moddle
You keep believing that...carry on.
Jon Moddle
Reply to Brad Hansen
It's a fact, so yes I will.
Brad Hansen
Reply to Jon Moddle
Not according to the PBO.
Jon Moddle
Reply to Brad Hansen
You should read that again.
David R. Amos
Reply to Don Corey
Me too but I have no choice in the matter without a SIN
https://www.cbc.ca/news/
N.L. Liberal MP votes against carbon tax a 2nd time, says Guilbeault
wrong messenger for policy
Ken McDonald was the only member of Parliament to break rank during
the vote on Wednesday
Alex Kennedy · CBC News · Posted: Oct 05, 2023 6:17 PM ADT
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2024 17:14:30 -0400
Subject: Fwd: I thank you for your correspondence, which she received
on October 8, 2023. 2023-006285 and 2023-006287.
To: "blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, "kris.austin"
<kris.austin@gnb.ca>, "Mike.Comeau" <Mike.Comeau@gnb.ca>
https://davidraymondamos3.
Thursday 4 January 2024
I thank you for your correspondence, which she received on October 8,
2023. 2023-006285 and 2023-006287.
Deja Vu Anyone???
---------- Original message ----------
From: Chrystia Freeland <Chrystia.Freeland@fin.gc.ca>
Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2024 21:40:42 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Deja Vu Anyone???
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
The Department of Finance acknowledges receipt of your electronic
correspondence. Please be assured that we appreciate receiving your
comments.
Le ministère des Finances Canada accuse réception de votre courriel.
Nous vous assurons que vos commentaires sont les bienvenus.
David Amos
<david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
To: news@everythinggp.com
Cc: Lethbridge.newsroom@
<premier@gov.ab.ca>, ab.director@taxpayer.com
Kris Sims
Alberta Director
Office Location:
Mailing address: PO Box 38029 RPO Capilano, Edmonton, AB T6A 3Y6
Cell:
604.997.1798
Email:
ab.director@taxpayer.com
https://everythinggp.com/2023/
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has outlined some changes to taxes
in 2024. (Photo: Photopal604 | Dreamstime.com)
Some taxes set to increase in Alberta in 2024: report
Dec 19, 2023 | 11:44 AM
By David Opinko
LETHBRIDGE, AB – Albertans are set to see some tax changes in the new year.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) has released its report
titled, “2024 New Year’s Tax Changes,” highlighting the provincial and
federal levies that will change.
CTF Federal Director Franco Terrazzano said tax hikes will give
Canadians a whole new kind of hangover in the new year.
“Canadians need help with the rising cost of living, but the feds will
be reaching deeper into our pockets with major tax hikes in 2024,”
said Terrazzano.
Some of the federal taxes that are set to go up include:
Carbon tax
From $65 per tonne to $80 per tonne on April 1, 2024
Estimated to cost families $12.32 more each time they will up
a 70-litre minivan
Alcohol tax
4.7 per cent increase in the federal excise tax on beer, wine
and spirits in 2024.
Estimated to cost Canadians $100 million in 2024-25
Digital services tax
New tax on large tech companies like Amazon, Google, Facebook,
Uber, and Airbnb. CTF predicts costs will be passed onto consumers
Estimated to cost Canadians $1.2 billion in 2024
Payroll taxes
Increasing mandatory contributions to Canada Pension Plan and
Employment Insurance
Estimated to cost workers up to $347 more in 2024
The Government of Alberta will also be implementing some tax changes next year.
Of particular concern to CTF Alberta Director Kris Sims is that the
provincial fuel tax is being partially reintroduced after having been
suspended for all of 2023.
“Premier Danielle Smith did the right thing one year ago when she
fully suspended the Alberta fuel tax because people are struggling
with affordability so it’s mindboggling that she would hike the fuel
tax back up now,” said Sims. “With the Trudeau government hiking its
federal carbon tax in a few weeks and with so many still people
struggling to afford food and home heating, increasing the Alberta
fuel tax is the wrong way for the Smith government to go.”
Some of the provincial taxes that are set to change include:
Fuel tax
Part of the 13-cent-per-litre fuel tax will be reintroduced.
The government said drivers will still have at least four cents per
litre, depending on the price of West Texas Intermediate oil
Estimated to cost $10-$15 more each time you fill up your vehicle
Personal income tax
The province has pledged to create a new lower-income tax
bracket for the first $59,999 of income, going from 10 per cent to
eight per cent
Estimated to save workers $760 annually
The full report can be read on the Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s website.
READ MORE: Alberta fuel tax to partially return in 2024
—
If you have a news tip, question or concern, please email
Lethbridge.newsroom@
by David Opinko
#202 9817 101 Ave
Grande Prairie, AB
Canada T8V 0X6
Newsroom Phone: (780) 539-6397
news@everythinggp.com
David Amos
<david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
To: brenda.paquette@cra-arc.gc.ca, Chrystia.Freeland@fin.gc.ca
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Chrystia Freeland <Chrystia.Freeland@fin.gc.ca>
Date: Sun, 8 Oct 2023 21:55:14 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: Re The CRA in the news again Deja Vu anyone???
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
The Department of Finance acknowledges receipt of your electronic
correspondence. Please be assured that we appreciate receiving your
comments.
Le ministère des Finances Canada accuse réception de votre courriel.
Nous vous assurons que vos commentaires sont les bienvenus.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2024 17:14:30 -0400
Subject: Fwd: I thank you for your correspondence, which she received
on October 8, 2023. 2023-006285 and 2023-006287.
To: "blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, "kris.austin"
<kris.austin@gnb.ca>, "Mike.Comeau" <Mike.Comeau@gnb.ca>
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Min.Mail / Courrier.Min (CRA/ARC)" <PABMINMAILG@cra-arc.gc.ca>
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2024 17:15:24 +0000
Subject: I thank you for your correspondence, which she received on
October 8, 2023. 2023-006285 and 2023-006287.
To: "david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Cc: "fin.dcu-ucm.fin@canada.ca" <fin.dcu-ucm.fin@canada.ca>
David Raymond Amos
david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Dear David Raymond Amos:
On behalf of the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of National
Revenue, I thank you for your correspondence, which she received on
October 8, 2023.
I assure you that the concerns you expressed have been carefully
considered. The Canada Revenue Agency administers the tax system and
applies the current tax legislation, while the Department of Finance
Canada develops federal tax policy and amends the legislation. I am
therefore sending a copy of your correspondence to the Honourable
Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Finance, for her consideration.
Thank you again for writing.
Yours sincerely,
BPaquette
Brenda Paquette
Director
Executive Correspondence and
Language Services Division
Canada Revenue Agency
c.c.: Hon. Chrystia Freeland' P.C.' M.P.
Minister of Finance
2 attachments — Scan and download all attachments
In 2004 I wished Broadbent good luck as I ran against him and his
cohorts. However it did not take long for me to discover my respect
for him was misplaced..msg
270K Scan and download
Re The CRA in the news again Deja Vu anyone {SSN partially redacted).pdf
2724K View as HTML Scan and download
RE I thank you for your correspondence, which she received on October
8, 2023. 2023-006285 and 2023-006287.
David Amos
<david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
To: PABMINMAILG@cra-arc.gc.ca, fin.dcu-ucm.fin@canada.ca
Cc: fin.minfinance-financemin.fin@
http://davidraymondamos3.
Monday, 25 June 2018
Canada Revenue Agency falling behind as uncollected taxes owed rise to
$44 billion
https://www.cbc.ca/news/
---------- Original message ----------
From: "MinFinance / FinanceMin (FIN)" <fin.minfinance-financemin.
Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2017 20:48:25 +0000
Subject: RE: Your various correspondence about abusive tax schemes - 2017-02631
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
The Department of Finance acknowledges receipt of your electronic
correspondence. Please be assured that we appreciate receiving your
comments.
Le ministère des Finances accuse réception de votre correspondance
électronique. Soyez assuré(e) que nous apprécions recevoir vos
commentaires.
---------- Original message ----------
From: Green Party of Canada | Parti vert du Canada <info@greenparty.ca>
Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2017 20:48:45 +0000
Subject: Re: Fwd: Your various correspondence about abusive tax
schemes - 2017-02631
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
-- Please reply above this line --
(Français à suivre)
Thank you for contacting the Green Party of Canada. Due to the high
volume of email we receive, we cannot guarantee that all inquiries
will be answered. With our small team, we do our best to respond as
staffing and resources permit.
In the meantime, you might find the answer you're looking for in
Vision Green [1], which lays out our plan to move Canada forward.
---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2017 16:48:20 -0400
Subject: Fwd: Your various correspondence about abusive tax schemes - 2017-02631
To: Doug.Gaetz@cra-arc.gc.ca, "Diane.Lebouthillier"
<Diane.Lebouthillier@cra-arc.
"andrew.scheer" <andrew.scheer@parl.gc.ca>, leader
<leader@greenparty.ca>, lisa <lisa@daisygroup.ca>
Cc: David Amos <david.raymond.amos@gmail.com>
<Bill.Morneau@canada.ca>, "bill.pentney" <bill.pentney@justice.gc.ca>,
"jan.jensen" <jan.jensen@justice.gc.ca>
---------- Original message ----------
From: Diane.Lebouthillier@parl.gc.ca
Date: Fri, 26 May 2017 22:23:12 +0000
Subject: Réponse automatique : YO Jean-Yves Duclos Re My Old Age
pension etc Well May 24th came and went and I just called you (819 654
5546) and your Deputy Ms Levonian (819 9535603) about my right to to
sue you and your minions in Federal Court
To: motomaniac333@gmail.com
Merci d'avoir écrit à l'honorable Diane Lebouthillier, députée de
Gaspésie - Îles-de-la-Madeleine. Votre courriel recevra toute
l'attention voulue.
Thank you for writing to the Hon. Diane Lebouthillier, Member of
Parliament for Gaspésie - îles-de-la-Madeleine. Please be assured that
your correspondence will receive every consideration.
---------- Original message ----------
From: "Min.Mail / Courrier.Min (CRA/ARC)" <PABMINMAILG@cra-arc.gc.ca>
Date: Wed, 24 May 2017 13:10:52 +0000
Subject: Your various correspondence about abusive tax schemes - 2017-02631
To: "motomaniac333@gmail.com" <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Mr. David Raymond Amos
motomaniac333@gmail.com
Dear Mr. Amos:
Thank you for your various correspondence about abusive tax schemes,
and for your understanding regarding the delay of this response.
This is an opportunity for me to address your concerns about the way
the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) deals with aggressive tax planning,
tax avoidance, and tax evasion by targeting individuals and groups
that promote schemes intended to avoid payment of tax. It is also an
opportunity for me to present the Government of Canada’s main
strategies for ensuring fairness for all taxpayers.
The CRA’s mission is to preserve the integrity of Canada’s tax system,
and it is taking concrete and effective action to deal with abusive
tax schemes. Through federal budget funding in 2016 and 2017, the
government has committed close to $1 billion in cracking down on tax
evasion and combatting tax avoidance at home and through the use of
offshore transactions. This additional funding is expected to generate
federal revenues of $2.6 billion over five years for Budget 2016, and
$2.5 billion over five years for Budget 2017.
More precisely, the CRA is cracking down on tax cheats by hiring more
auditors, maintaining its underground economy specialist teams,
increasing coverage of aggressive goods and service tax/harmonized
sales tax planning, increasing coverage of multinational corporations
and wealthy individuals, and taking targeted actions aimed at
promoters of abusive tax schemes.
On the offshore front, the CRA continues to develop tools to improve
its focus on high‑risk taxpayers. It is also considering changes to
its Voluntary Disclosures Program following the first set of program
recommendations received from an independent Offshore Compliance
Advisory Committee. In addition, the CRA is leading international
projects to address the base erosion and profit shifting initiative of
the G20 and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development, and is collaborating with treaty partners to address the
Panama Papers leaks.
These actions are evidence of the government’s commitment to
protecting tax fairness. The CRA has strengthened its intelligence and
technical capacities for the early detection of abusive tax
arrangements and deterrence of those who participate in them. To
ensure compliance, it has increased the number of actions aimed at
promoters who use illegal schemes. These measures include increased
audits of such promoters, improved information gathering, criminal
investigations where warranted, and better communication with
taxpayers.
To deter potential taxpayer involvement in these schemes, the CRA is
increasing notifications and warnings through its communications
products. It also seeks partnerships with tax preparers, accountants,
and community groups so that they can become informed observers who
can educate their clients.
The CRA will assess penalties against promoters and other
representatives who make false statements involving illegal tax
schemes. The promotion of tax schemes to defraud the government can
lead to criminal investigations, fingerprinting, criminal prosecution,
court fines, and jail time.
Between April 1, 2011, and March 31, 2016, the CRA’s criminal
investigations resulted in the conviction of 42 Canadian taxpayers for
tax evasion with links to money and assets held offshore. In total,
the $34 million in evaded taxes resulted in court fines of $12 million
and 734 months of jail time.
When deciding to pursue compliance actions through the courts, the CRA
consults the Department of Justice Canada to choose an appropriate
solution. Complex tax-related litigation is costly and time consuming,
and the outcome may be unsuccessful. All options to recover amounts
owed are considered.
More specifically, in relation to the KPMG Isle of Man tax avoidance
scheme, publicly available court records show that it is through the
CRA’s efforts that the scheme was discovered. The CRA identified many
of the participants and continues to actively pursue the matter. The
CRA has also identified at least 10 additional tax structures on the
Isle of Man, and is auditing taxpayers in relation to these
structures.
To ensure tax fairness, the CRA commissioned an independent review in
March 2016 to determine if it had acted appropriately concerning KPMG
and its clients. In her review, Ms. Kimberley Brooks, Associate
Professor and former Dean of the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie
University, examined the CRA’s operational processes and decisions in
relation to the KPMG offshore tax structure and its efforts to obtain
the names of all taxpayers participating in the scheme. Following this
review, the report, released on May 5, 2016, concluded that the CRA
had acted appropriately in its management of the KPMG Isle of Man
file. The report found that the series of compliance measures the CRA
took were in accordance with its policies and procedures. It was
concluded that the procedural actions taken on the KPMG file were
appropriate given the facts of this particular case and were
consistent with the treatment of taxpayers in similar situations. The
report concluded that actions by CRA employees were in accordance with
the CRA’s Code of Integrity and Professional Conduct. There was no
evidence of inappropriate interaction between KPMG and the CRA
employees involved in the case.
Under the CRA’s Code of Integrity and Professional Conduct, all CRA
employees are responsible for real, apparent, or potential conflicts
of interests between their current duties and any subsequent
employment outside of the CRA or the Public Service of Canada.
Consequences and corrective measures play an important role in
protecting the CRA’s integrity.
The CRA takes misconduct very seriously. The consequences of
misconduct depend on the gravity of the incident and its repercussions
on trust both within and outside of the CRA. Misconduct can result in
disciplinary measures up to dismissal.
All forms of tax evasion are illegal. The CRA manages the Informant
Leads Program, which handles leads received from the public regarding
cases of tax evasion across the country. This program, which
coordinates all the leads the CRA receives from informants, determines
whether there has been any non-compliance with tax law and ensures
that the information is examined and conveyed, if applicable, so that
compliance measures are taken. This program does not offer any reward
for tips received.
The new Offshore Tax Informant Program (OTIP) has also been put in
place. The OTIP offers financial compensation to individuals who
provide information related to major cases of offshore tax evasion
that lead to the collection of tax owing. As of December 31, 2016, the
OTIP had received 963 calls and 407 written submissions from possible
informants. Over 218 taxpayers are currently under audit based on
information the CRA received through the OTIP.
With a focus on the highest-risk sectors nationally and
internationally and an increased ability to gather information, the
CRA has the means to target taxpayers who try to hide their income.
For example, since January 2015, the CRA has been collecting
information on all international electronic funds transfers (EFTs) of
$10,000 or more ending or originating in Canada. It is also adopting a
proactive approach by focusing each year on four jurisdictions that
raise suspicion. For the Isle of Man, the CRA audited 3,000 EFTs
totalling $860 million over 12 months and involving approximately 800
taxpayers. Based on these audits, the CRA communicated with
approximately 350 individuals and 400 corporations and performed 60
audits.
In January 2017, I reaffirmed Canada’s important role as a leader for
tax authorities around the world in detecting the structures used for
aggressive tax planning and tax evasion. This is why Canada works
daily with the Joint International Tax Shelter Information Centre
(JITSIC), a network of tax administrations in over 35 countries. The
CRA participates in two expert groups within the JITSIC and leads the
working group on intermediaries and proponents. This ongoing
collaboration is a key component of the CRA’s work to develop strong
relationships with the international community, which will help it
refine the world-class tax system that benefits all Canadians.
The CRA is increasing its efforts and is seeing early signs of
success. Last year, the CRA recovered just under $13 billion as a
result of its audit activities on the domestic and offshore fronts.
Two-thirds of these recoveries are the result of its audit efforts
relating to large businesses and multinational companies.
But there is still much to do, and additional improvements and
investments are underway.
Tax cheats are having a harder and harder time hiding. Taxpayers who
choose to promote or participate in malicious and illegal tax
strategies must face the consequences of their actions. Canadians
expect nothing less. I invite you to read my most recent statement on
this matter at canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/
statement_from_
Thank you for taking the time to write. I hope the information I have
provided is helpful.
Sincerely,
The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier
Minister of National Revenue
I thank you for your correspondence, which she received on October 8,
2023. 2023-006285 and 2023-006287.
Min.Mail / Courrier.Min (CRA/ARC)
<PABMINMAILG@cra-arc.gc.ca> AttachmentWed, Jan 3, 2024 at 1:15 PM
To: "david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Cc: "fin.dcu-ucm.fin@canada.ca" <fin.dcu-ucm.fin@canada.ca>
David Raymond Amos
david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Dear David Raymond Amos:
On behalf of the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of National
Revenue, I thank you for your correspondence, which she received on
October 8, 2023.
I assure you that the concerns you expressed have been carefully
considered. The Canada Revenue Agency administers the tax system and
applies the current tax legislation, while the Department of Finance
Canada develops federal tax policy and amends the legislation. I am
therefore sending a copy of your correspondence to the Honourable
Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Finance, for her consideration.
Thank you again for writing.
Yours sincerely,
BPaquette
Brenda Paquette
Director
Executive Correspondence and
Language Services Division
Canada Revenue Agency
c.c.: Hon. Chrystia Freeland‚ P.C.‚ M.P.
Minister of Finance
2 attachments — Scan and download all attachments
In 2004 I wished Broadbent good luck as I ran against him and his
cohorts. However it did not take long for me to discover my respect
for him was misplaced..msg
270K Scan and download
Re The CRA in the news again Deja Vu anyone {SSN partially redacted).pdf
2724K View as HTML Scan and download
Follow Up. Completed on Monday, October 23, 2023
Extra line breaks in this message were removed.
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Sent: Mon 10/9/ 2023 12:41 AM
To: Min.Mail / Courrier.Min (CRA/ARC) <PABMINMAILG@cra-arc.gc.ca>;
marie-claude.bibeau@parl.gc.ca
OTO-Media Relations / BOC-Relations avec les médias (OTO/BOC)
<MediaRelations-
premier <premier@ontario.ca>; Newsroom <Newsroom@globeandmail.com>;
jagmeet.singh <jagmeet.singh@parl.gc.ca>; Bill.Blair
<Bill.Blair@parl.gc.ca>; nathalie.sturgeon@globalnews.
Jason.Proctor <Jason.Proctor@cbc.ca>; John.Williamson
<John.Williamson@parl.gc.ca>; Ross.Wetmore <Ross.Wetmore@gnb.ca>;
blaine.higgs <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>; rob.moore <rob.moore@parl.gc.ca>;
Robert. Jones <Robert.Jones@cbc.ca>; Melanie.Joly
<Melanie.Joly@parl.gc.ca>; Mark.Blakely <Mark.Blakely@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>;
martin.gaudet <martin.gaudet@fredericton.ca>
<megan.mitton@gnb.ca>; michael.macdonald
<michael.macdonald@
<sheilagunnreid@gmail.com>; silas.brown <silas.brown@globalnews.ca>;
Jaime.Battiste@parl.gc.ca; Kody.Blois@parl.gc.ca;
Andy.Fillmore@parl.gc.ca; Darren.Fisher@parl.gc.ca;
Sean.Fraser@parl.gc.ca; Mike.Kelloway@parl.gc.ca;
Darrell.Samson@parl.gc.ca; heather.bradley
<heather.bradley@parl.gc.ca>; kelly@kellyregan.ca;
Sean.Casey@parl.gc.ca; Robert.Morrissey@parl.gc.ca;
lawrence.macaulay@parl.gc.ca; Mike.Comeau <Mike.Comeau@gnb.ca>;
Holland, Mike (LEG) <mike.holland@gnb.ca>; Gudie.Hutchings@parl.gc.ca;
Yvonne.Jones@parl.gc.ca; Ken.McDonald@parl.gc.ca;
Seamus.ORegan@parl.gc.ca
Cc: motomaniac333; fin.minfinance-financemin.fin; mcu; Katie.Telford;
Nathalie.G.Drouin;
NightTimePodcast; nsinvestigators; pierre.poilievre; paulpalango
Subject: In 2004 I wished Broadbent good luck as I ran against him and
his cohorts. However it did not take long for me to discover my
respect for him was misplaced.
***ATTENTION***
This email originated from outside of the Government of Canada. Do not
click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and
believe the content is safe. For more information regarding reporting
suspicious emails, please visit the KnowHow webpage: Suspicious emails
- how to report<http://druid/KnowHow/
Ce courriel provient de l'extérieur du Gouvernement du Canada. Ne
cliquez pas sur les liens et n’ouvrez pas les pièces jointes, à moins
de connaître l'expéditeur et croire que le contenu est sécuritaire.
Pour de plus amples renseignements sur la façon de signaler les
courriels suspects, veuillez consulter la page Web SavoirFaire:
Courriels suspects – Comment
signaler<http://druid/
https://davidraymondamos3.
Sunday, 8 October 2023
NDP should have pushed for a shorter supply and confidence deal with
the Liberals, Broadbent says
https://www.cbc.ca/news/
NDP should have pushed for a shorter supply and confidence deal with
the Liberals, Broadbent says
Former NDP leader also says 2008 Liberal-NDP coalition agreement was 'a mistake'
Brennan MacDonald · CBC News · Posted: Oct 08, 2023 5:00 AM ADT
An old man in a plaid shirt and blazer sits in a studio, smiling.
Former NDP leader Ed Broadbent sits down with Rosemary Barton for an
interview on his new book Seeking Social Democracy: Seven Decades in
the Fight for Equality. (Jean-Francois Benoit/CBC)
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh should have pushed for a supply and
confidence agreement with the Liberal government that was a year
shorter, says former NDP leader and social democratic stalwart Ed
Broadbent.
The party and the Liberals signed an agreement in March 2022 that
secures NDP support for the minority Liberal government in exchange
for a commitment to act on key NDP priorities. That agreement is
slated to be in place until 2025.
In an interview on Rosemary Barton Live airing Sunday, Broadbent said
that bumps up close against the next scheduled federal election.
"It's a 'getting credit' issue," he told CBC chief political
correspondent Rosemary Barton of the deal. "The good things that are
there, and there are many good things, Liberals of course will be
taking credit."
"It's a matter of having time for us, for the NDP, to make its voice
known. So maybe if the agreement were a year shorter, it might be a
little better."
'Extremely fluid': Liberals and NDP haven't yet agreed on promised
pharmacare bill
NDP looks to take advantage of Liberals' polling slump by pushing
for policy wins: sources
The supply and confidence agreement includes, among other initiatives,
commitments to act on dental care, universal national pharmacare and
housing.
Broadbent does, however, praise Singh and Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau for building security mechanisms into the agreement that, he
says, were sorely missed in the failed 2008 coalition agreement
between the NDP and the Liberals that he helped negotiate.
The current agreement includes quarterly meetings between Singh and
Trudeau and monthly 'stock-take' meetings by an oversight group tasked
with monitoring overall progress on key commitments.
2008 deal 'a mistake'
Broadbent sat down with Barton to discuss his new book Seeking Social
Democracy: Seven Decades in the Fight for Equality, which includes a
frank assessment of the 2008 Liberal-NDP coalition agreement.
"I have since come to think that the coalition agreement was a
mistake," Broadbent says in the book.
"We saw an opening to oust Stephen Harper and bring in a progressive
agenda in response to the economic situation, which in principle
seemed like a good idea," said Broadbent. "But we got it wrong."
Following then-Conservative Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's fall
economic update in 2008, the Liberals and the NDP negotiated a
coalition agreement to oust the minority Conservatives from power.
That agreement included a written pledge of support from the Bloc
Québécois because the Liberals and the NDP didn't have enough combined
seats to form a majority government.
But before the three parties could bring down the government in a vote
of confidence, Governor General Michaëlle Jean, at the request of
Prime Minister Harper, agreed to prorogue Parliament, effectively
delaying the vote of confidence.
A man in a suit sits at a table, looking forward. Two Canadian flags
are behind him. The proroguing of Parliament and resignation of
Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion ended any prospect of a Liberal-NDP
coalition government in 2008. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)
By the time Parliament resumed, Stéphane Dion had resigned as Liberal
leader and his successor, Michael Ignatieff, had agreed to support a
new Conservative budget — ending any prospect of a Liberal-NDP
coalition government.
"With all the advantage of hindsight, it probably was a mistake to try
to negotiate with someone that was in such a weak political position,"
Broadbent told Barton, referring to Dion.
Broadbent also writes in the book that the parties involved in the
coalition attempt failed to predict Harper's "wicked and misleading
attack on the agreement."
Harper was "practising very devious politics indeed when he attacked
that process as being illegitimate," Broadbent said in the interview.
"He portrayed them as being anti-democratic and that's totally
ridiculous. Coalitions are very democratic."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brennan MacDonald
Parliamentary bureau
Brennan MacDonald is a producer for CBC's national television program
Power & Politics.
Follow Brennan on Twitter
CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices
889 Comments
David R. Amos
Content Deactivated
Way back in 2004 I wished Ed Broadbent good luck in writing as I ran
against him and his cohorts. However it did not take long for me to
discover my respect for him was misplaced.
That time former NDP Leader Ed Broadbent made a comeback with a rap video
Social Sharing
He stepped down as Leader in 1989, but came out of retirement for 2004
federal election
CBC Archives · Posted: Jun 15, 2019 9:30 AM ADT
Michael Maynard
CBC targeting IP addresses for deactivation.
David R. Amos
Reply to Michael Maynard
Hmmm
Grant Bryck.
Reply to Michael Maynard
They have to be. Nobody can be a speed reader with a deactivation
immediately after posting.
Michael Maynard
Reply to Grant Bryck
Exactly. Any historic deactivation they are watching.
Don Corey
Content Deactivated
Who cares what Broadbent has to say? He was no different from the
politicians of today's era.....they're all in it for (1) themselves
and (2) the party.
Forget about what's best for Canada, and hard working/tax paying Canadians.
Norm Mohamid
Reply to Don Corey
As a retired civil servant, the longest line for handouts from 'hard
working/ tax paying Canadians' was always businesses; large and small.
The amounts of $$ were never small - $3rd of a billion for an internet
cable network that never got built (Mike Harris); 100$ of millions in
tax writeoffs for developers for low cost housing that never got built
(Mike Harris and Dalton McGuinty); $800 million for private nursing
home construction (Doug Ford) - the list is endless.
Ed Wallis
Reply to Norm Mohamid
The longest lineups for handouts were your union and the billions that
civil servants costs to have 10 people do the job that one could do in
the private sector.
Alexandros Papadiamandis
Reply to Ed Wallis
Taxation is a protection racket. Period.
David R. Amos
Reply to Ed Wallis
Amen
Don Corey
Reply to Norm Mohamid
Hope you're enjoying retirement, with your generous civil servant
indexed pension. Do you think you guys come free of charge to
taxpayers?
As to the business handouts, who do you think approves them? Answer =
politicians representing the stripe of the day. They all do it.
https://www.cbc.ca/archives/
That time former NDP Leader Ed Broadbent made a comeback with a rap video
He stepped down as Leader in 1989, but came out of retirement for 2004
federal election
CBC Archives · Posted: Jun 15, 2019 9:30 AM ADT
Featured VideoFifteen years after he stepped down as NDP leader, Ed
Broadbent took a run at an Ottawa seat in the 2004 election.
After 15 years out of politics, Ed Broadbent was making a return in
2004 and running for election as an MP again. And the 68-year-old even
had a song to go with it.
"Float like a butterfly/Sting like a bee/It's time for voting NDP,"
the former NDP leader rapped in the video for Ed's Back!, which could
be seen on his campaign's website.
Carol MacIvor, a worker at Broadbent's Ottawa campaign office, said
website hits had gone "through the roof" since the rap video had been
posted a week earlier. (Canada Now/CBC Archives)
The video had originally been made by an independent production
company for the CBC program This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
"But the Ed's Back! video never made it to air because of concerns it
lacked balance," explained CBC reporter Danny Globerman.
The NDP campaign, however, was happy to use the video on its website,
sending traffic "through the roof," according to campaign worker Carol
MacIvor.
"Reaction to it has been absolutely amazing," she said.
According to the Globe and Mail, the video had been downloaded from
NDP websites 13,000 times in four days — almost as much as the party
platform had been.
Conservative call-out
In the riding, Ottawa Centre, opponent Mike Murphy's Conservative
campaign had a beef with Broadbent.
"The true market cost of that video is at a number significantly in
excess of a campaign contribution limit," said Tom Thompson, a staffer
for Conservative candidate Mike Murphy. (Canada Now/CBC Archives)
"The true market cost of that video is significantly at a number in
excess of the campaign contribution limit," said staffer Tom Thompson.
Murphy's team had registered a complaint regarding the video with the
Chief Electoral Officer — but the video's creator said no money had
changed hands.
"It's a business transaction, a licensing issue," said Barry Caplan of
TV Factory.
"We would normally just charge a small fee for someone to put it up on
their website, but since Ed [appeared in the video] for nothing, we
decided to give it to him for nothing."
Back at Broadbent HQ, MacIvor threw shade on the Murphy team's gambit.
"Frankly, we know we're ahead. And they're behind," she said. "They're
trying to sling some mud and it's not working."
According to the Globe and Mail, Broadbent "handily" won the seat in
Ottawa Centre in the election of June 28, 2004.
Posted by MotorcycleManiacLtd at 21:37
https://davidraymondamos3.
Saturday, 7 October 2023
Is the carbon tax an easy scapegoat for high food prices?
Re The CRA in the news again Deja Vu anyone???
Ministerial Correspondence Unit - Justice Canada
<mcu@justice.gc.ca> Sun, Oct 8, 2023 at 6:55 PM
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Thank you for writing to the Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of
Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
Due to the volume of correspondence addressed to the Minister, please
note that there may be a delay in processing your email. Rest assured
that your message will be carefully reviewed.
We do not respond to correspondence that contains offensive language.
-------------------
Merci d'avoir écrit à l'honorable Arif Virani, ministre de la Justice
et procureur général du Canada.
En raison du volume de correspondance adressée au ministre, veuillez
prendre note qu'il pourrait y avoir un retard dans le traitement de
votre courriel. Nous tenons à vous assurer que votre message sera lu
avec soin.
Nous ne répondons pas à la correspondance contenant un langage offensant.
Chrystia Freeland
<Chrystia.Freeland@fin.gc.ca> Sun, Oct 8, 2023 at 6:55 PM
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
The Department of Finance acknowledges receipt of your electronic
correspondence. Please be assured that we appreciate receiving your
comments.
Le ministère des Finances Canada accuse réception de votre courriel.
Nous vous assurons que vos commentaires sont les bienvenus.
Duguid, Terry - M.P.
<Terry.Duguid@parl.gc.ca> Sun, Oct 8, 2023 at 6:55 PM
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
This is an automated message to acknowledge that we are in receipt of
your email.
Thank you for contacting the office of Terry Duguid, Member of
Parliament for Winnipeg South. Our office reads all incoming email
however due to the high volume we receive, not every email will
receive a reply and priority is given to those residing in Winnipeg
South.
For immigration casework inquiries, please check the processing time
of your application here:
https://www.canada.ca/en/
Our office will only be able to open a case for you if your
application has gone past processing time.
You can check on the status of your application at the IRCC portal:
https://ircc-tracker-suivi.
suggest the following online services that might be helpful to you:
Check your application status - You may either:
Sign in to your online account to check your application status,
Create an online account and link your application to it, or
Use the online tool (Client Application Status (CAS))
Change of address
Find application forms and guides
Help Centre - To find answers, you may consult the different
sections or type keywords related to your question.
Yours sincerely,
Office of Terry Duguid, M.P
Winnipeg South
Premier of Ontario | Premier ministre de l’Ontario
<Premier@ontario.ca> Sun, Oct 8, 2023 at 6:55 PM
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Thank you for your email. Your thoughts, comments and input are greatly valued.
You can be assured that all emails and letters are carefully read,
reviewed and taken into consideration.
There may be occasions when, given the issues you have raised and the
need to address them effectively, we will forward a copy of your
correspondence to the appropriate government official. Accordingly, a
response may take several business days.
Thanks again for your email.
______
Merci pour votre courriel. Nous vous sommes très reconnaissants de
nous avoir fait part de vos idées, commentaires et observations.
Nous tenons à vous assurer que nous lisons attentivement et prenons en
considération tous les courriels et lettres que nous recevons.
Dans certains cas, nous transmettrons votre message au ministère
responsable afin que les questions soulevées puissent être traitées de
la manière la plus efficace possible. En conséquence, plusieurs jours
ouvrables pourraient s’écouler avant que nous puissions vous répondre.
Merci encore pour votre courriel.
Newsroom
<newsroom@globeandmail.com> Sun, Oct 8, 2023 at 6:55 PM
To: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Thank you for contacting The Globe and Mail.
If your matter pertains to newspaper delivery or you require technical
support, please contact our Customer Service department at
1-800-387-5400 or send an email to customerservice@globeandmail.
If you are reporting a factual error please forward your email to
publiceditor@globeandmail.com
Letters to the Editor can be sent to letters@globeandmail.com
This is the correct email address for requests for news coverage and
press releases.
David Amos
<david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
To: PABMINMAILG@cra-arc.gc.ca, marie-claude.bibeau@parl.gc.ca
Diane.Lebouthillier@parl.gc.ca
MediaRelations-
premier <premier@ontario.ca>, Newsroom <Newsroom@globeandmail.com>,
"jagmeet.singh" <jagmeet.singh@parl.gc.ca>, "Bill.Blair"
<Bill.Blair@parl.gc.ca>, nathalie.sturgeon@globalnews.
"Jason.Proctor" <Jason.Proctor@cbc.ca>, "John.Williamson"
<John.Williamson@parl.gc.ca>, "Ross.Wetmore" <Ross.Wetmore@gnb.ca>,
"blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>, "rob.moore"
<rob.moore@parl.gc.ca>, "Robert. Jones" <Robert.Jones@cbc.ca>,
"Melanie.Joly" <Melanie.Joly@parl.gc.ca>, "Mark.Blakely"
<Mark.Blakely@rcmp-grc.gc.ca>, "martin.gaudet"
<martin.gaudet@fredericton.ca>
<megan.mitton@gnb.ca>, "michael.macdonald"
<michael.macdonald@
<sheilagunnreid@gmail.com>, "silas.brown" <silas.brown@globalnews.ca>,
Jaime.Battiste@parl.gc.ca, Kody.Blois@parl.gc.ca,
Andy.Fillmore@parl.gc.ca, Darren.Fisher@parl.gc.ca,
Sean.Fraser@parl.gc.ca, Mike.Kelloway@parl.gc.ca,
Darrell.Samson@parl.gc.ca, "heather.bradley"
<heather.bradley@parl.gc.ca>, kelly@kellyregan.ca,
Sean.Casey@parl.gc.ca, Robert.Morrissey@parl.gc.ca,
lawrence.macaulay@parl.gc.ca, "Mike.Comeau" <Mike.Comeau@gnb.ca>,
"Holland, Mike (LEG)" <mike.holland@gnb.ca>,
Gudie.Hutchings@parl.gc.ca, Yvonne.Jones@parl.gc.ca,
Ken.McDonald@parl.gc.ca, Seamus.ORegan@parl.gc.ca,
Churence.Rogers@parl.gc.ca, scott.simms@parl.gc.ca,
Dan.Vandal@parl.gc.ca, kevin.lamoureux@parl.gc.ca,
Terry.Duguid@parl.gc.ca, Larry.Bagnell@parl.gc.ca,
Michael.McLeod@parl.gc.ca
Cc: motomaniac333 <motomaniac333@gmail.com>,
"fin.minfinance-financemin.
<fin.minfinance-financemin.
"Katie.Telford" <Katie.Telford@pmo-cpm.gc.ca>, "Nathalie.G.Drouin"
<Nathalie.G.Drouin@pco-bcp.gc.
<NightTimePodcast@gmail.com>, nsinvestigators
<nsinvestigators@gmail.com>, "pierre.poilievre"
<pierre.poilievre@parl.gc.ca>, paulpalango
<paulpalango@protonmail.com>
https://www.cbc.ca/news/
From: David Amos <david.raymond.amos333@gmail.
Sent: October 8, 2023 05:53 PM
To: Min.Mail / Courrier.Min (CRA/ARC); marie-claude.bibeau@parl.gc.ca
Diane.Lebouthillier@parl.gc.ca
avec les médias
(OTO/BOC); pm; premier; Newsroom; jagmeet.singh; Bill.Blair;
nathalie.sturgeon@globalnews.
blaine.higgs; rob.moore; Robert. Jones; Melanie.Joly; Mark.Blakely;
martin.gaudet; Mitton,
Megan (LEG); michael.macdonald; sheilagunnreid; silas.brown;
Jaime.Battiste@parl.gc.ca;
Kody.Blois@parl.gc.ca; Andy.Fillmore@parl.gc.ca; Darren.Fisher@parl.gc.ca;
Sean.Fraser@parl.gc.ca; Mike.Kelloway@parl.gc.ca; Darrell.Samson@parl.gc.ca;
heather.bradley; kelly@kellyregan.ca; Sean.Casey@parl.gc.ca;
Robert.Morrissey@parl.gc.ca;
lawrence.macaulay@parl.gc.ca; Mike.Comeau; Holland, Mike (LEG);
Gudie.Hutchings@parl.gc.ca; Yvonne.Jones@parl.gc.ca; Ken.McDonald@parl.gc.ca;
Seamus.ORegan@parl.gc.ca; Churence.Rogers@parl.gc.ca; scott.simms@parl.gc.ca;
Dan.Vandal@parl.gc.ca; kevin.lamoureux@parl.gc.ca; Terry.Duguid@parl.gc.ca;
Larry.Bagnell@parl.gc.ca; Michael.McLeod@parl.gc.ca
Cc: motomaniac333; fin.minfinance-financemin.fin; mcu; Katie.Telford;
Nathalie.G.Drouin;
NightTimePodcast; nsinvestigators; pierre.poilievre; paulpalango
Subject: Re The CRA in the news again Deja Vu anyone???
Attachments: IRS.jpg; Form 211.jpg
Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Completed
***ATTENTION***
This email originated from outside of the Government of Canada. Do not
click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and
believe the content is safe. For more information regarding reporting
suspicious emails, please visit the KnowHow webpage: Suspicious emails
- how to report<http://druid/KnowHow/
Ce courriel provient de l'extérieur du Gouvernement du Canada. Ne
cliquez pas sur les liens et n’ouvrez pas les pièces jointes, à moins
de connaître l'expéditeur et croire que le contenu est sécuritaire.
Pour de plus amples renseignements sur la façon de signaler les
courriels suspects, veuillez consulter la page Web SavoirFaire:
Courriels suspects – Comment
signaler<http://druid/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/
Is the carbon tax an easy scapegoat for high food prices?
Affordability arguments in favour of killing the tax ignore the impact
climate change has on food prices
Aaron Wherry · CBC News · Posted: Oct 07, 2023 5:00 AM ADT
A grocery store aisle. The Summerhill Market in Toronto on Wednesday
February 2, 2022. The affordability argument against carbon pricing
ignores some inconvenient facts. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)
Seven years ago this week, Justin Trudeau stood in the House of
Commons and announced that his government would implement a national
price on carbon emissions.
It remains one of the boldest and most consequential decisions of his
time in office. It's also one of the most loudly contested — even
after two federal elections that might have been expected to settle
the issue.
This week, the House voted on yet another Conservative motion calling
on MPs to condemn the carbon tax — the Official Opposition's fifth
such motion in the last 12 months. This time, the Conservatives were
able to win the support of one Liberal backbencher — Ken McDonald, who
represents the Newfoundland riding of Avalon — illustrating the public
consternation Liberal climate policies are facing in Atlantic Canada.
But the Conservatives are also hammering away with television ads that
blame the carbon tax for the high price of groceries, an argument that
might hold particular power as Canadians prepare to celebrate
Thanksgiving.
Pierre Poilievre speaks from the podium Conservative Leader Pierre
Poilievre's statements about the impact carbon pricing has on
affordability ignore one big factor: the rebates. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
"Mr. Speaker, when one taxes the fuel of the farmers who make the food
and the fuel of the truckers who ship the food, then one taxes all
those who buy the food," Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre told the
House this week, ably reenacting his party's ads.
This period of high inflation certainly presents a fresh political
test for any climate policy that creates a new cost for industry or
consumers. But in the debate about food prices, the carbon tax is
being saddled with an outsized and undeserved role — one that,
ironically, distracts from the very real impact climate change and
extreme weather are having, and will have, on the cost of groceries.
What's really driving up food prices?
It's not that the carbon tax has no impact on food prices and
inflation. It's just not obvious that it is having a particularly
large impact.
The Bank of Canada has estimated that the carbon tax increases
inflation by 0.15 per cent. Trevor Tombe, an economist at the
University of Calgary who has studied the impact of the carbon price
on consumer costs, points to Statistics Canada data that suggests its
impact on food prices is less than one per cent.
That's not nothing, and every dollar counts when it comes to the cost
of essentials, particularly for those on low incomes.
But concerns about the impact of the carbon tax also tend to ignore
the fact that the policy has two parts — a fuel charge collected by
the federal government and a rebate that returns 90 per cent of the
revenue generated by the levy to Canadian households. (The remaining
10 per cent is directed toward businesses, farmers and Indigenous
communities.)
N.L. Liberal MP votes against carbon tax a 2nd time, says
Guilbeault wrong messenger for policy
Analysis
Are we voting with our wallets to overheat the planet?
'Best-before date' looms over Liberals if Canadians don't get a
break, says MP Ken McDonald
Unlike any number of other federal and provincial policies that might
be said to contribute to the cost of food — from corporate taxes to
food safety regulations — the federal carbon tax comes with a rebate.
The parliamentary budget officer has consistently found that nearly
all households receive more from the rebate than they pay in direct
and indirect costs. Only households in the highest income quintile are
projected to pay out more than they receive — because they consume
more. Repealing the carbon tax could actually leave many Canadians
worse off.
Recent polling suggests a sizeable number of Canadians like the idea
of reducing or eliminating the carbon tax. Maybe the same would be
true of a poll about any kind of tax. Regardless, the Liberals might
need to redouble efforts now to make the case for one of Trudeau's
signature policies.
But any discussion of food prices has to include the impact of climate
change — the very problem that the carbon tax is meant to help combat.
An analysis from Statistics Canada published last November linked
"erratic weather" — including droughts, heat waves, flooding and heavy
rainfall — with increases in the prices of meat, fruit, vegetables,
sugar and coffee. In June, economists at RBC reported that, while food
price inflation was expected to slow, a return to pre-pandemic prices
was unlikely — in part because "extreme weather events are becoming
more frequent across different regions and could meaningfully limit
farm production."
An aerial view of a flood-damaged farm. Mud and debris covers a farm
on the Nicola River that was destroyed by flooding in November, west
of Merritt, B.C., on Wednesday, March 23, 2022. (Darryl Dyck/The
Canadian Press)
Other sources of inflation cited by RBC include Russia's invasion of
Ukraine, supply chain disruptions and labour shortages. And Canada is
hardly alone in feeling the impact on food prices.
Kelleen Wiseman, academic director of the master of food and resource
economics program at the University of British Columbia, said price
increases from extreme weather events typically are temporary. But
Mike von Massow, a professor of food economics at the University of
Guelph, said "the impact of climate [on food prices] is at least an
order of magnitude bigger than the impact of the carbon tax."
"I think that there is little doubt that extreme weather, the
increasing frequency and severity, is not only causing food price
inflation but will lead to ongoing greater instability in food
prices," vow Massow said. "It'll be much more difficult to predict
where we're going because of the unpredictability of these weather
events."
In hopes of containing prices, the federal government has put its
focus on major retailers. Von Massow said that what's really needed is
a broader "food system discussion" that brings all the players
together to talk about building a resilient, integrated system that
can withstand the forces that climate change is unleashing.
Why is the carbon tax taking the blame?
Tombe, who has also dismissed the utility of blaming retailers, has
suggested it would make more sense to look at dismantling the supply
management system for dairy and poultry in Canada. Regardless of how
one feels about that proposal, it's at least interesting to note that
no political party is choosing to make supply management a target
right now — while scorn is being heaped on the carbon tax.
Across the federal parties, support for supply management is virtually
unanimous. Killing it might lower prices of milk, eggs and chicken for
consumers. But the major parties apparently have calculated that the
political and practical benefits of the system outweigh its costs —
that the trade-offs are worth it.
About 30 cows crowd around to investigate the camera in an outdoor
pasture at Tiny Acres Holsteins. A tractor and some of the Bryantons'
fields are visible in the background. Supply management retains broad
support in mainstream Canadian politics, even though it drives up the
cost of food. (Nicola MacLeod/CBC)
The presence of the rebate minimizes the degree to which the federal
carbon tax requires any kind of trade-off. But to the degree carbon
pricing does increase costs for fuel and other goods, the trade-off is
reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.
Economists have long argued that putting a price on carbon is the
least expensive way to drive emissions down. And Trudeau is hardly
alone in accepting that logic. According to the World Bank, 23 per
cent of global emissions are now covered by some kind of pricing
policy — up from 13 per cent in 2016.
The federal carbon tax might someday come to be as politically
untouchable as supply management. For now, the Conservatives seem to
believe it's in their interests to direct anger at the carbon tax —
even while they seem unable to say what they would do instead to
reduce emissions.
But if climate policy is going to be scapegoated every time the price
of groceries goes up, Canada is going to have a very hard time
sustaining a serious response to climate change.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aaron Wherry
Senior writer
Aaron Wherry has covered Parliament Hill since 2007 and has written
for Maclean's, the National Post and the Globe and Mail. He is the
author of Promise & Peril, a book about Justin Trudeau's years in
power.
CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices
6444 Comments
Don Corey
The carbon tax provides a source of funds to pay for another Trudeau
income redistribution scheme. There has been no demonstrable impact on
reducing carbon emissions (contrary to what some here are saying), so
it is a tax that does nothing other than to add to our daily cost of
living. Scrap it!
Ted Thompson
Reply to Don Corey
Bingo....the defenders here say removing the tax will hurt low income
and seniors = wealth distribution.
Jon Moddle
Reply to Ted Thompson
So you're against helping low income families and giving back to those in need?
Don Corey
Reply to Ted Thompson
Exactly. I'm a senior, but I'll survive without Trudeau's so called
carbon cheque.
Brad Hansen
Reply to Jon Moddle
Why not let them keep their money in the first place? Why the shell game?
Jon Moddle
Reply to Brad Hansen
They get more back this way, why are you against that?
Brad Hansen
Reply to Jon Moddle
You keep believing that...carry on.
Jon Moddle
Reply to Brad Hansen
It's a fact, so yes I will.
Brad Hansen
Reply to Jon Moddle
Not according to the PBO.
Jon Moddle
Reply to Brad Hansen
You should read that again.
David R. Amos
Reply to Don Corey
Me too but I have no choice in the matter without a SIN
https://www.cbc.ca/news/
N.L. Liberal MP votes against carbon tax a 2nd time, says Guilbeault
wrong messenger for policy
Ken McDonald was the only member of Parliament to break rank during
the vote on Wednesday
Alex Kennedy · CBC News · Posted: Oct 05, 2023 6:17 PM ADT
No comments:
Post a Comment