March 8, 2016 UPDATE: Legal fees paid — on to Federal Court for Charter trial contesting Canadian FATCA IGA legislation.
Canadians and International Supporters:
You came through once again: $594,970 for legal costs have now been donated and our outstanding legal bill is finally paid off.
Thanks especially to those who donated even though they never had any “spare” money to give, and despite this gave over and over and over again.
This last round of fundraising also shows that our Canadian lawsuit remains dependent on the kindness of our International Friends: There would be no lawsuit without their financial help.
Know that a very generous donation (today) from a supporter in the United States made it possible to pay off the remaining legal debt. Also please appreciate that there would be no lawsuit without the help of the Isaac Brock Society which has kindly let us use its website to solicit funds.
Our next step is the Constitutional-Charter trial in Federal Court.
For this we need more Canadian Witnesses, and my next post will be devoted only to a request for Witnesses willing to go public, like our Plaintiffs Ginny and Gwen.
For the future: I want a win in Federal Court — and I want the new Liberal Government not to appeal that win.
Thank you all for your support,
Stephen Kish,
for the Directors,
Alliance for the Defence of Canadian Sovereignty
Congratulations, Patricia Moon. Four years! — later this year will be my 4th anniversary (officially with a CLN) as well. Time flies…
Here’s to our meeting at expatforum.com. Thanks for being a part of this from the beginning of what has given such awareness and support with Petros providing this forum at IsaacBrockSociety.com and now IsacBrockSociety.ca. As always, gratitude to Peter for his generosity and confidence in what might be accomplished with our, then and still now, directed anger after our OMG moments!
@ Trish
Congrats on your fourth year.It’s a US loss and our gain.
I saw this posted on Facebook…..This man supports second class Canadians in Canada. If you came from another country, the charter does not apply to you as you are second class and have no protections from your past country if they come for you. This was the Liberal pre election stand https://darrellsamson.liberal.ca/liberal-party-position…/ And you can read how Trudeau is fighting the very CANADIANS who are victims of this government’s actions here….http://www.adcs-adsc.ca/ The most recent was yesterday on the CBC radio here…http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/…/tune-into-cbc-all-in-a…/ Mr. Trudeau, was your pre election letter sent here https://adcsovereignty.files.wordpress.com/…/2015-11… Mr. Trudeau, did you LIE to Ms Swanson? Is she a Canadian? I am a born in Canada Candian married to an immigrant woman who came here at age 5 and is now being told that her and MY private information will be given to her country of birth. Do I even have charter rights?? Why won’t you even answer that??
Donation sent….. We WILL prevail on this! Innocent people all over the world are supporting us, and an incredibly huge THANK YOU to every one of you and your families. All we want is to be treated fair and to have this huge world allow us our born freedom to live without slavery….
Looks like the friendship between Mr. Trudeau and Mr. Obama has hit a snag….http://www.usapoliticstoday.com/breaking-u-s-cia-to-investigate-justin-trudeau-for-supporting-isis/
@NativeCanadian
With friends like this… who the heck needs enemies… if this is a true issue… its a canadian issue… not a US issue… ohh… wait… didn’t one of the so called canadian gov’t rep tell us all… congress has spoken…. guess I was out of the country when Canada got a congress… who knew… eh…
Update from US visa waiver discrimination for EU citizens
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jan/19/bbc-journalist-stopped-from-flying-to-us-over-uk-iranian-nationality
A British-Iranian BBC News reporter is stopped boarding a flight from London to the US because of her dual citizenship.
Could this new US discrimination be used in Europe to promote FATCA discrimination in the EU?
US diplomatic staff try to minimumise its impact by saying it only affects a small number of EU citizens – really? Only a few hundred thousand or low millions?
Just provides more fuel for the US overreach fire.
@Don, it is place of birth discrimination just like FATCA.
This is a British Citizen and the UK should demand the US treat her like any other UK Citizens or in the alternative withdraw from the Visa Waiver Program. I am sure the US Senators from Florida would not be a happy with a collapse of tourists from the UK.
@Norman Diamond
The archive.org version of https://darrellsamson.liberal.ca/liberal-party-position-on-u-s-foreign-account-tax-compliance-act-fatca/ may work, but there is a current version still at https://darrellsamson.liberal.ca/liberal-party-position-on-u-s-foreign-account-tax-compliance-act-fatca/
Web tip: To save a page, open it in your browser, click FILE and SAVE PAGE AS.., to select a folder on your computer wherein to save it.
@ Tom Alciere
I’ve got it saved with archive.org and archive.is (I like that one because it’s Iceland) plus I took some screenshots. Darrell Samson may someday take his campaign site down but his words are on record. He started that piece about FATCA with, “In response to a question from a constituent …” I wonder if that constituent was a Brocker?
@George – That’s a good point about Florida. In fact if the whole of the EU withdraw, Florida would be screaming. Apparently nearly 1M British travel to Florida every year.
However, with the pound at $1.43 the low exchange rate will probably inflict some financial pain on Florida.
” Can I get a witness?”
https://youtu.be/CF6FSD6LTOM
I have a hard time understanding why the US feels anyone owes them anything… I can live with the fact… if u made the money in the US… u pay taxes on it… we can all agree to that… Then we find out… they want all money not even made in the US. They punish us with fines that far exceed what is due…
We are trying to fight back… but we have no voice… no matter where we are… We have turned to our gov’t for help… they turn their backs on us… we have turned to the media who have spoken softly about the subject… who gets it or just barely understands the issue… but they too, have turned their backs on us… we have tried to get major organisations to help… they turn their backs on us… Instead of the US righting a bad.. they proceed to punish people more…
I know understand what the elders in my family have tried to teach us… they have lived through this once… I know understand their deep mis-trust of everything… except for family and my family is missing chunks of our tree due to the past event… when no one tried to help… when they did… it was too late…
Now we are left no choice but to pursue a court case to have our rights protected… struggling to raise money… against a gov’t who has an endless supply of money… not theirs… but taxpayers… I pray that the amount we still need to raise come through but as the numbers slowly go down… even if one can not afford a large amount… a few dollars will get us closer… we have no choice… if we allow this to continue… what good are our rights when our own gov’t won’t enforce our rights…
I see on the internet… how we have lost court cases in the US & Canada… in a crowing manner… not understanding why we keep on fighting… Like we owe people something… I owe no one.. I have not taken one thing that did not belong to me…
Elders in my family thought they won the golden lottery to go to the US…. but all they see now… all their hard work… yrs of struggling… no matter where they were/are… can be taken away for things they knew nothing about. Then to add salt to the wound… having children in the US who are tainted forever
Before… people who found out or knew u were a US person… thought u were lucky…. US person is a 2nd class citizen… have no rights or privacy…. I got nothing to hide… as many will say… why would u want every gov’t in the world know all about u… why should they…
Sorry about this rambling essay, its been a difficult day… Not knowing what to do in my situation & the situations for my elders as US persons because we were tax stupid… we paid taxes on what we have… where it was made… should have spent the money instead of saving for the future and the next generation…
If it was not for this web site… I would feel more alone then I am in this situation. I thank everyone for their viewpoints and sharing their stories with me… I may not find a solution to my problem but at least I am not standing alone….
@US_Foreign_Person
You have articulated exactly the type of harm being done to us, wherever we live. And you are not alone, you are among a lot of supporters at this forum. Your story is representative of so many others and is why we will continue this fight.
Thank you for expressing and sharing your feelings. It’s why we continue to get the word out so that the harm can be seen and corrected. We can set aside legal issues for a minute- but isn’t it all about harm and how actual lives are being impacted? We are not second class citizens; we are not tax evaders; and in our country most of us are not ‘Americans’ living in Canada.
We are ordinary people just trying to live our lives in other countries.
We are so many other things than how we are being treated and labelled. Yes fund raising is slow and difficult. But we will get there. Gwen and I read everyone’s stories and we feel your pain. That keeps us motivated and very determined to get this done.
@Canadian Ginny
U and Gwen are the best… willing to stand in the front & doing more then I can ever thank the both of u…. when some of us can not… like myself…
This is one of the biggest life changer for me… there are probably lots & lots of people like me… who do not know what to do… all I can do is give emotional support & whatever I can to this…
So again… u & Gwen have been the beacon of hope for all of us with your participation in this… there are no words I can give that will every explain how thankfull the both of u are to me… and to all of us…
Again… many… many thanks to u & Gwen
The advertised American dream will turn out to be a nightmare for many, US_Foreign_Person. I am so sorry this is happening to your hard-working family as you take on the problem-solving / *what to do* for yourself and others, including the elders in your family.
You are so right that you are not standing alone. This forum gives each of us strength to know there are so many others struggling with the same *what to do*. How could we each be doing all this by ourselves?
It’s so hard to understand just what you say…
I would add that there are many others out there who could be helping this cause. I don’t understand the reason they don’t join in this fight, seemingly preferring to deal with their own situations and perhaps reputations until they can wipe their hands of it all — what other reasons that they could but they don’t?
And the trust you talk about — I’ve taken the words from a relationship course I found and added to them. They apply here, in the relationship we have with our own countries, mine – Canada. To me, as to your elders, TRUST is the most important part of any relationship, including our relationships with the governments of our own countries. When we trust, we have
Without it, we are left with the high cost of distrust,
Thanks for putting your thoughts into words in a comment here. Your presence here helps many and you have just formulated what a lot of us are feeling right now.
We must find the way to raise the remaining funds to take us to federal court.
@ US_Foreign_Person, re;
“…If it was not for this web site… I would feel more alone then I am in this situation. I thank everyone for their viewpoints and sharing their stories with me… I may not find a solution to my problem but at least I am not standing alone…….”…
Same here. Found thoughtful company (and even some genuinely therapeutic laughs) many sleepless nights because other people in other time zones were still reading and posting here. This site and its readers/authors, and the IBS Brockers kept me going and I found strength and solace in knowing I wasn’t alone and I wasn’t delusional (unfortunately it was all too real). This site helped me to defend myself, and to get back on to a viable path and to formally expatriate and obtain my CLN, after the complexities and pitfalls of being a UStaxablecitizenserf and subsequent panic had me foundering into the quicksand. I was lucky enough to be able to meet some real Brockers in person and by phone and email, and saw how steadfast and capable they all are.
I thank and am very grateful to all the originators of IBS, MapleSandbox, and https://renounceuscitizenship.wordpress.com/ and also appreciated https://usxcanada.wordpress.com/about as well. And others like http://thefranco-americanflophouse.blogspot.ca/ and the sites and blogs created by the participants listed at the bottom of the IBS webpage ………….
Ditto, as always, to what US_Foreign_Person says to Gwen and Ginny!
Has anyone see this or know anything about it?
“Q-352 — January 21, 2016 — Mr. Dusseault (Sherbrooke) — With respect to the September 2015 announcement of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) that it would effectuate a transfer of information to the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS): (a) how many records has the CRA transferred to the IRS to date; (b) on what dates did information transfer occur and how many records were transferred on each date; (c) how many records of individuals have been transferred in total; (d) by what means were the records transferred; (e) how much did it cost the CRA to compile the records for transfer; (f) how much did it cost the CRA to complete the transfer; (g) how were the costs in (e) and (f) calculated and what is the breakdown of those costs; (h) who made the decision to transfer the records; (i) when was the decision made to transfer records; (j) when did the CRA become aware that the U.S. Treasury had extended the deadline for such transfer; (k) how was the CRA made aware that the U.S. Treasury had extended the deadline; (l) what steps were taken to assess and respond to the notice of deadline extension in (j); (m) what was the policy reason for transferring records despite the deadline extension; (n) when is the next transfer of records scheduled to take place; (o) what analysis was conducted to assess whether the transfer of records during the writ period for the 42nd General Election complied with the “Guidelines on the Conduct of Ministers, Ministers of State, Exempt Staff and Public Servants During an Election”; (p) what records exist with respect to any analysis conducted in relation to (o); (q) was information concerning the transfer of records from the CRA to the IRS included in any transition materials prepared for a potential change in government or the Ministers responsible for CRA and Foreign Affairs; (r) what documents exist in relation to (q) and what are their file numbers; (s) has the new Minister responsible for CRA been informed of information transfers to the IRS and, if so, (i) when, (ii) how, (iii) by whom, (iv) with what documents produced or prepared for this purpose; (t) has the new Minister of Justice been informed of the information transfer and been provided with any analysis of its legal implications and, if so, (i) when, (ii) how, (iii) by whom, (iv) with what documents produced or prepared for this purpose; (u) have Canadians who will be affected by the transfer been informed of the transfer of their records; (v) what plans exist with regard to informing Canadians about the transfer of their records; (w) has any proposal to inform Canadians of the transfer of their information to the IRS been evaluated by the government and, if so, with what conclusions; (x) what documents exist in relation to (w) and what are their file numbers; (y) what legal challenges does the government anticipate with respect to information transfer, and how is it preparing to respond; (z) what measures are in place to ensure the security of record transfers to the IRS; and (aa) has the Privacy Commissioner been consulted or involved in any way in the preparation or planning of record transfer to ensure conformity with applicable laws regarding the exchange of Canadians’ personal information and, if so, to what extent?”
http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Pub=NoticeOrder&Mode=1&Language=E&Parl=42&Ses=1&File=11
This is the NDP MP who posed the Question;
http://www.parl.gc.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members/Pierre-Luc-Dusseault%2871553%29
Pierre-Luc Dusseault
Political Affiliation:New Democratic Party Caucus
Constituency:Sherbrooke Map – Elections Canada
Province / Territory:Quebec
Email:Pierre-Luc.Dusseault@parl.gc.ca
Preferred Language:French / English
Hill Office House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1A 0A6 Telephone: 613-943-7896 Fax: 613-943-7902 Mail may be sent postage-free to any Member of Parliament.
Constituency Office(s)
100 Belvédère Street South (Main Office) Suite 130 Sherbrooke, Quebec J1H 4B5 Telephone: Fax:
Once again, many thanks for this find, badger!
See this comment, answer that Stephen Kish got: http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2015/12/09/emails-sent-to-the-new-liberal-government-attorney-general-need-to-be-received-by-the-attorney-general/comment-page-1/#comment-6941055
AND
http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2015/12/09/emails-sent-to-the-new-liberal-government-attorney-general-need-to-be-received-by-the-attorney-general/comment-page-1/#comment-6940342
@
calgary411badgerGood find! Brings back memories of the inadequate Conservative answers to the excellent questions posed by Dr. Hsu and Scott Brison. Now we’ll see how good Liberals are at answering excellent questions. I doubt it had anything to do with my e-mail but I did send Mr. Dusseault a request (on Dec. 10th) to please ask about FATCA in parliament. He must have got many requests and I’m pleased to see this NDP action. I’ll be sending a thank you.
@ badger
Apologies … I misdirected my comment to @calgary411. Again, good find!
Just for easier reading (English part only)
Q-352 — January 21, 2016 — Mr. Dusseault (Sherbrooke) —
With respect to the September 2015 announcement of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) that it would effectuate a transfer of information to the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS):
(a) how many records has the CRA transferred to the IRS to date;
(b) on what dates did information transfer occur and how many records were transferred on each date;
(c) how many records of individuals have been transferred in total;
(d) by what means were the records transferred;
(e) how much did it cost the CRA to compile the records for transfer;
(f) how much did it cost the CRA to complete the transfer;
(g) how were the costs in (e) and (f) calculated and what is the breakdown of those costs;
(h) who made the decision to transfer the records;
(i) when was the decision made to transfer records;
(j) when did the CRA become aware that the U.S. Treasury had extended the deadline for such transfer;
(k) how was the CRA made aware that the U.S. Treasury had extended the deadline;
(l) what steps were taken to assess and respond to the notice of deadline extension in (j);
(m) what was the policy reason for transferring records despite the deadline extension;
(n) when is the next transfer of records scheduled to take place;
(o) what analysis was conducted to assess whether the transfer of records during the writ period for the 42nd General Election complied with the “Guidelines on the Conduct of Ministers, Ministers of State, Exempt Staff and Public Servants During an Election”;
(p) what records exist with respect to any analysis conducted in relation to (o);
(q) was information concerning the transfer of records from the CRA to the IRS included in any transition materials prepared for a potential change in government or the Ministers responsible for CRA and Foreign Affairs;
(r) what documents exist in relation to (q) and what are their file numbers;
(s) has the new Minister responsible for CRA been informed of information transfers to the IRS and, if so, (i) when, (ii) how, (iii) by whom, (iv) with what documents produced or prepared for this purpose;
(t) has the new Minister of Justice been informed of the information transfer and been provided with any analysis of its legal implications and, if so,
(i) when,
(ii) how,
(iii) by whom,
(iv) with what documents produced or prepared for this purpose;
(u) have Canadians who will be affected by the transfer been informed of the transfer of their records;
(v) what plans exist with regard to informing Canadians about the transfer of their records;
(w) has any proposal to inform Canadians of the transfer of their information to the IRS been evaluated by the government and, if so, with what conclusions;
(x) what documents exist in relation to (w) and what are their file numbers;
(y) what legal challenges does the government anticipate with respect to information transfer, and how is it preparing to respond;
(z) what measures are in place to ensure the security of record transfers to the IRS; and
(aa) has the Privacy Commissioner been consulted or involved in any way in the preparation or planning of record transfer to ensure conformity with applicable laws regarding the exchange of Canadians’ personal information and, if so, to what extent?
@US_Foreign_Person says
So again… u & Gwen have been the beacon of hope for all of us with your participation in this… there are no words I can give that will every explain how thankfull the both of u are to me… and to all of us…
Again… many… many thanks to u & Gwen
______
Likewise, I can never find adequate words to thank our faithful donors who are sacrificing so much to keep the funding going. Just always remember, you are not alone. Gwen’s name and mine may be attached to the law suit, but we are just a small part of the overall effort. I hope you find some comfort in that. Many people have your back: that’s how I define a ‘covered person’ not the way the USG does. Thank you for your kind and generous comments. Best to you, always.