Wish I’d seen this sooner but Justin Trudeau is answering questions live this afternoon at 4 pm edt. You can log in and ask a question. Maybe about FATCA progress or what the government response might be in banks in Canada start shunning Canadians with dual US citizenship. Or anything else really.
I’m in. Two questions posed to him about FATCA already, one from me.
http://www.liberal.ca/live/?utm_source=liberal.ca&utm_medium=blog_post&utm_campaign=live_qa_economy_20130917
Log in to join the conversation and ask your questions.
Gah! I can’t log in. Apparently I already have an account but for the life of me I don’t remember creating it or what the effin password is.
However, two FATCA questions have made it into the queue and the debate is about to start and is up for the next hour.
If anyone can still get in (I am going to keep trying), don’t forget to ask about RSDP’s and RSEP’s and the like and to focus on the collateral damage to spouses, employers and such who are not USC’s and shouldn’t be subject to this.
Yoga Girl get your password resent. I had to.
Okay, emailed in three questions. Let’s see what happens.
I was watching the pre-discussion chatter and the moderator made it sound as though this kind of thing is regular for them even if Trudeau is always on the panel. Probably something we should look into. Wonder if the NDP has anything like this? I have vainly searching for something for the Conservatives but they aren’t the touchy-feely reach out to the people type or so it seems from a virtual perspective.
So are he hasn’t addressed the two FATCA questions. Questions were submitted by twitter, Facebook, email and live online. There must be tons of them!
*FAR* not are.
Yeah. Was afraid of that and he is pushing his new economic whatever today, so they might be weeding out the questions that don’t prop that.
I wish I had known about this sooner but didn’t even get the email until this afternoon.
At least you found out about it. I was in the live chat the entire time. One lady said “What is FATCA?” in the chat. Most Canadians have no clue what is about to fall on their heads.
None and I suspect that our government wants it that way.
I have been reading a fiction novel about Sir John A Macdonald’s last campaign in 1891. Interestingly there was a huge scandal involving the Liberals – some of whom wanted to ease Canadian into a union with the US via a free trade deal. Macdonald called them out as traitors who wanted to sell Canada into annexation. Though he was a bit paranoid (probably with good reason) about the Americans, Macdonald advocated always for Canada to not become dependent on the American economy or trade with them because he felt that would lead eventually to the end of Canada as a free country. Could be the old man was more prophetic than he knew.
Well, it’s over. Didn’t get any FATCA question answered today. There is however a forum so I am going to join it.
Way to go YogaGirl, and Atticus! At least you caught what most of us missed!
Up side is that the Liberals hopefully saw our questions at least. Downside is that any staged event is always going to be carefully crafted to highlight the talking points of the moment being pushed. It’s not going to be easy to break through.
Need to monitor the party sites a bit better so we can send in questions early enough to be on top in the queue.
I think I will add an additional tag to this post so if anyone hunts for the vid of today’s chat this site will turn up as well.
Darn, I knew shouldn’t have spent the day housecleaning! Thanks for catching that Yoga Girl. You know what they say about throwing enough you-know-what against the wall…SOME OF IT WILL STICK!
Eventually.
One more thing I’m happy Sir John A. did. He’s rather popular here as you might guess. I’m a couple of streets over from his home.
Really? That’s cool. The more I learn about the man and his views, the more I adore him.
I am afraid Justine Trudeau is not his fathers son when it comes to standing up to the USA. I always have been grateful for Pierre Trudeau to allow me and my husband to come to Canada. He will always be a very special man. like Tommy Douglas and Jack Layton.
Yeah, I think he is kind of a dreamer, which is fine. Need those types too in government but practical application and digging a bit deeper instead of trusting that you’re being told the actual factual truth rather than the narrative is what is called for these days.
Omg, that “team” he introduced today? Judging by the picture I saw on the Post, I think Freeland is the golden child and what’s his name MP is going to get stuck with all the grunt work (and any blame).
She is the great Canadian economic hope? Heaven help us.
So I saw a piece on Mulcair today too and it left me with the impression that the NDP hold Q&A via their Twitter stream. Might be worth checking out.
I’m a bit frustrated with our political options. The Greens have been responsive but they have no real power.
My MP is a Conservative and his big issue is getting a debate about when a fetus is a human with rights thing past the back bench to the floor. He’s a moron. All his replies to emails read like form letters.
My ward representative and my MLA are top notch and responsive but FATCA is not going to be settled at a local level even though that is where the damage will occur.
What is it about moving up to the big leagues that renders so many of them completely worthless?
Justin did tweet me something about protecting Canadians a few weeks ago Re: FATCA. I think they are hedging bets right now with talks going on which have dragged on forever. Canada is holding out for something. Whatever it is I’m sure it’s to benefit banks in some way. There is still the option of going to small credit union if you have not done so already. As for me I’ll just renounce and get out of the entire U.S. system. The cost to comply on ZERO tax owed every year is too high for low income families.
I fully expect once this is in place and average Canadians see their bank rates rise, start getting asked where they were born for this to blow up big time. I think that’s why Canada has taken so long with the talks. They know this is going to go over like a lead balloon. After all the U.S. had the worst banking system and when they committed fraud and were in trouble the U.S. bailed out the bankers. Now they want foreign countries to pay for their sorry banking practices and the fall down of their housing market. Their government can’t afford anymore bail outs so they turn to Canada and others.
Worse, in the long run this will do nothing but, cause long term very hard feelings toward the U.S. from former “friends” Worst foreign policy move I have ever seen them attempt.
Oh, there is much going on behind scenes and Flaherty looked somewhat disgusted when he had to talk about at the trailer lot. I don’t blame them for trying to appease the US b/c historically that’s Canada’s position – give in but try to collect as many crumbs as possible when stalling or balking outright isn’t an option.
I think though that the govt could have played hard ball by alerting the public and letting it go nuclear, but that’s not the current govt’s way, I guess.
And it irks me that Canada is holding out for the greater good of the banking industry over the people.
I am not particularly worried about bank access personally or even US tax forms. I worked all of my career down there so I will have to deal with them when I reach official retirement age anyone b/c of pension stuff. I plan to do that as a Canadian only though if I ever get a letter about taken my test! Slower than slow is immigration anymore.
Politics in general make me crazy anymore. It’s the same old that hasn’t worked yet being passed off as something new and sure to cure.
Trudeau’s new laser focus on the middle class is reminding me of Obama and not in a good way.
Yes, exactly! He reminds me of Obama too and I get a creepy feeling from that as so many thought Obama was a “good” guy and instead he was Bush Three! I no longer trust slick media created attractive pols that “Inspire” people. My friend said when Obama was running that she didn’t trust the Madison Avenue campaign saying “I don’t fall in love with politicians, I’m not that desperate.” lol.
I’m not worried about “taxes” either as I didn’t even meet the requirement to have to file. IRS owes ME six hundred dollars. I just want it all over and done and out as the cost to file that FBAR mess is too high. I can’t be bothered with all that up into old age nor can I put my spouse and child through it.
Your letter will come!! From start to finish my citizenship took 18 months. After you take the test they don’t tell you if you passed, you’ll have to wait for another letter telling you the date of your ceremony. The ceremony is WONDERFUL! I was so happy that day and I’ll never forget it. If it goes on too long before you get a test date though I’d call them.
I didn’t like Obama either. My lib friends in the US railed at me b/c I just didn’t trust him.
Sadly though I am a sucker for “inspirational” politics. My inner idealist is always in conflict with my pragmatist.
Thanks for the info on citizenship. It’s been about 14 months – I am still in process and was forced to renew my PR card as a result – but I had so hoped to be a citizen by the new year. I know the ceremony will be great. I am so excited and so is my daughter. It’s too bad that people rarely get the chance or choice to choose to be a citizen. It’s a way different way of looking at the whole idea of belonging and committing to a way of life and pov. But then again, it seems that some of the people that do have the option, don’t really think all that much about it either.
My lib friends in the U.S. railed against me too but, I just did not trust him after knowing how he “governed” and got into politics in Chicago. Now they are all saying “you were right”
14 months? It won’t be long now. 🙂
Another live chat going on NOW.
http://www.liberal.ca/live/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=justin&utm_campaign=live_qa_fp_20130918