AtticusinCanada and WhiteKat were a successful anti-FATCA presence at Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s press conference in Ottawa yesterday.
Besides handing out leaflets, they spoke with people, one of whom was Globe and Mail reporter Bill Curry, who – although the event was held to announce a three year freeze in unemployment insurance premiums – asked Minister Flaherty about FATCA.
WhiteKat’s sign said: “FATCA: Sequel to the War of 1812” on one side and “FATCA = Extortion by USA of All Canadians” on the other. Atticus’ sign said: US Bullying violates Canadian Charter: Stop FATCA” on one sign and “Google isaacbrocksociety.ca” on the other.
Minister’s Flaherty’s reply is on CTV, beginning around 4.25 min.
WhiteKat and Atticus’ conversation with reporter Curry also resulted in a Globe and Mail article.
Thank you, WhiteKat and Atticus!
Excellent. Good campaign, force of 2 gets media result. With more, it could be more.
Well done – and thank you!
Thanks for the support fellow Brockers. It feels good to have contributed to the anti-FATCA movement, but I really think we need to take our protests to the next level now. There’s no time to waste. A larger scale, more organized protest at parliament hill would be a start with as many people as we can get. If two people can get a little attention, imagine how much say 100 of us could get.
Mosquitoes need to BE SEEN and not heard. Just buzzing on the internet isn’t cutting it. Any day now Flaherty will announce an IGA, and at that point a lot of our momentum will be squashed.
I was very happy to do this and I whole heartedly agree with White Kat. It’s time to be seen. What really got me about yesterday was the people who came interested in what we were out there for. They really listened and once they understood they to a person were against the entire idea of FATCA. The internet is a very useful tool but, boy the results from being seen are so important. For one thing they cannot paint us as millionaire tax cheats living in tax havens or criminals when they SEE us. There was no denying yesterday that we were two “moms” who just average citizens of Canada. Let Canadians SEE what the u.S. is doing and who they are doing it to.
Working class Canadians especially are not going to want to bend over for this FATCA stuff. They already feel the U.S. has more than enough influence here.
I got a call last evening from another Brocker here and BOY did we go on and brainstorm ideas. Thanks for this write up. I’ve got company coming tomorrow. I’m a little rushed this week after all Brock excitement this week.
Thank you very much! You did a great job!
I agree we need to protest on a larger scale.
Good job getting the attention to this issue. Sock it to them!
This line from Flaherty is terrible:
This basically says it is up to each individual to sort out their own American tax problem, even each “accidental” American–those who have little connection with the United States except having been accidentally born there. Meanwhile, the banks and the CRA are about to handover your bank account information to the IRS–so sort out your problems with the IRS yourself, the government of Canada is not going to do it for you.
With an attitude like that, the US doesn’t need to do a land invasion to acquire Canada. Canada’s finance minister has now said it won’t protect its citizens. Flaherty is not Isaac Brock, that’s for sure. Ontario was populated at the time with many Americans who had moved up AFTER the revolution, to farm and to avoid higher taxes in the US. They were also shooting at the Americans as they crossed the waters into Canada. I think most of us so-called “Americans” are ready to fight this thing, but there is no Isaac Brock in the government today, to say the least. And you would think that the Tories would have more grist than this. It is very disappointing.
The main problem that I see is that there are too many individuals that I’ve spoken to who have trouble handling this as an individual problem. They require the protection of the Canadian government. Leaving it to the individual invites destruction of the personal finances of that person because many will do the wrong thing–such as actually pay the stupid taxes and fines to the US. No, they need the protection of the Queen. That’s why I became a Canadian and relinquished my US citizenship–because I required the protection of the Queen in order to solve my US problem. This is a co-out by Flaherty and very disappointing. Very politician like. Not very statesman like. These are weasel words not sign of a leader. Too bad. He started well on the issue of taxes and FBAR.
Atticus, you are so right about the limits of the Internet. It may seem to us that everyone uses forums like this and social media but that’s not really true. A lot of people don’t bother with it and many people only get their news via tv. – if that.
You and White Kat did GREAT yesterday. High fives and huzzas to you both.
Thanks for posting this @pacifica777
Well done. That took some courage which is very much under appreciated. Now will this spark light a flame which will spread to other Americans with their heads in the sand? Time will tell.
For new readers, the other comments regarding this event including some of the planning are
at this thread. I missed it when I first checked in last night..
U.S. unilateralism, be it FATCA global carpet bombing, or Syrian Precision Message Missiles needs to be stopped. Maybe 2 lonely protesters at the Ottawa Camping Trailer grounds might lead the way to broader resistance?
I think Flaherty learned that line at OECD. It’s the same attitude of Sweden and others. Chasing the Golden Egg (the Golden egg is not really money, it is the perception of the majority that the Majority Ruler is chasing after dirty tax cheats).
@Mark Twain, I just told another Brocker the same thing last night. That sounds exactly like a propaganized line learned at OECD too!. Something the U.S. would love for our officials to say about this. I tweeted Flaherty and Bill Curry last night. “Thank you for your interest today. No one wants our gov. to take care of our personal affairs for us. Just our Rights”
I copied to Bill Curry because I wanted him to see that point too. Canned responses about what the U.S. is doing to families around the world is not going to cut it. We can see through it. It’s a deflection and demeaning to those of us going through this. I kind of felt sorry for him since I still don’t think he likes FATCA and I think he held out as long as possible. He’s come a long way from the newspaper ad letter to the U.S. to today. The arm twisting must be very painful. I think in the end he will have to fold. At that point it is time to step up efforts even more.
Atticus and I must be in each others head space because we each posted separate, but similar comments to the globe and mail article at the same time, directed towards mr. flahety…almost looks like we synchronized them purposely.
Brilliant! Thanks to both of you for your courage & congratulations on getting in the newspaper.
I also want to thank the ladies. I used this example to show my teen daughters the power of an individual to bring attention to an issue.
Congratulation AtticusinCanada and Whitekat for staging Canada’s first FATCA demonstration! You’ve proven that to be effective, size doesn’t matter.
I don’t expect Mr Flaherty to do my tax return for me, but I also don’t expect my government to hand me over either.
@bubblebustin, what a NOT well thought out comment by Flaherty. I was boiling after I heard that. It is obvious our government is about to throw us under the proverbial bus.
Actually, I thought Flaherty did very well. This was not the subject of his presser so the question was from left field. His answer on an IGA was reasonable. On tax returns, what else could he say?
Correction: first FATCA demonstration in the world, I think 🙂
Flaherty referring to Treasury: “They clearly understand the Canadian position that we want to avoid any disadvantages to persons who happen to be citizens of both countries.”
Does not include permanent residents in Canada. Chilling for those who don’t have Canadian citizenship.
I am in awe. Way to go Atticus and Whitekat! You guys are my heroes. That took a lot of guts and it’s an inspiration for the rest of us.
With that in mind….
Any Brockers here in Europe want to give it a try? Surely we can find the right time/place if we just put our heads together.
@Kalc,
I will respectively agree to disagree. Flaherty answered the question, literally, but effectively bypassed the true meaning of the question that was hidden behind the words…kind of wimpy if you ask me.
How AMAZING! Who would have thought so much could be accomplished by two people!!Thanks WhiteKat and Atticus, for your efforts. I still can’t believe it. I just went over to G&M to leave comments. The article is stilll the most viewed right now (on the investing page).
I agree, the time has come to organize similar protests, wherever possible.
I agree with everyone who say that we should expand our protests. Atticus and Whitekat have demonstrated that it’s best to plan for them to take place where there will be press coverage of a Canadian government official, regardless of what the event is.
The Dept of Finance press announcements are here, which one can sign up to receive bulletins for (somewhere on the site) Watch for one in your area:
http://www.fin.gc.ca/news-nouvelles/notices-avis-eng.asp
@bubblebustin, I agree, but a couple people continuing to show up at various press releases might just get ignored after a time. I think we need to think BIGGER…like 100+ people at parliament hill.
Yes, and BEFORE winter!
This a prime time to write to Flaherty referring to his comments. I just did so, with cc to LIberal, NDP, Green leadership and opposition Finance critics. It began:
Dear Mr. Flaherty,
As a Canadian citizen I’m writing to express deep concern about Canadian involvement in an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) enforcing the U.S. law FATCA in Canada. Many financial institutions, legal professionals, and Canadians oppose FATCA. In the past, you have voiced opposition to FATCA as well in a public letter. However, on Monday September 9, you stated that Canada expects to enter into a FATCA IGA “before too long”. What are your intentions regarding the hundreds of thousands Canadian citizens who would be harmed by FATCA – especially Canadian citizens whose only U.S. tie is place of birth? And how do you intend protect our sovereign interests in this matter?
…. AND CONCLUDED…
It’s estimated that up to 1 million Canadians could be so-called “U.S. persons”. That’s potentially 3% of Canada’s population – plus their families, partners and business associates.
U.S.-born Canadians are not disposable collateral. They are looking to you and your government for sovereign and moral leadership. If our government does not resist FATCA, it is inevitable that many Canadians will take ultimately their case to Canada’s courts. Forcing Canadian citizens to resort to a Charter challenge to resist their own government’s attempt to enforce a foreign state’s ill-conceived and extra-jurisdictional law would be shameful. What is our government’s intention in this matter? Personally, I believe that in your heart you know FATCA is wrong.
Wonderful letter, Wondering. You made it personal for both him and yourself.