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
@Bubble You hit the nail right on the head. With all of the latest actions recorded and documented, our new Prime minister can’t hide much longer. This issue is making huge waves not only in Canada, but around the world. this is a violation of basic human rights and all arrows are pointing in that direction. It is a sort of “human trafficking of human rights” where people’s rights were traded off to satisfy a threat of economic sanction. I’ll try to get into “get the word out overdrive” in the next week to get this message out.
This country is in big trouble when we have people like that girl on CBC radio today talking about
FATCA. These are the kinds of people that are representing other Cdns. She kept on saying there was nothing they could have done about fatca. The U.S. Said we had to do it. You say NO , you dummies. You say it is illegal in this country ( Canada) to make some citizens send info to the states and some citizens don’t have too. That is discrimination in Canada and not allowed, it’s not up for a discussion. We are not asking your permission , and it is illegal. And if you sanction our banks with a 30 percent , we will sanction you by 35 percent.
@Bobby Gog
Welcome. I like your attitude.
@ Native Canadian “This issue is making huge waves…”
I wish I had your optimism NC. If the issue is making huge waves, then why the virtual silence in the media, from politicians, and the general public? I don’t think we’re on anyone’s radar, probably because of our Yankee roots. We are a privileged class and deserve to suffer a little, right? Or, at the very least, suck it up and come clean to the IRS. The social justice crowd (i.e. the CCLU et al) laughs us to scorn during their coffee breaks, and American relatives just don’t see why we can’t get a lawyer and “just come home!” Joe Arvay had better have some mighty compelling arguments, because I’m not seeing any interest in our cause except from us and even those who should be joining us seem to have not a care in the world. Being blissfully ignorant has its benefits:-)
One realist patch now sewed onto Lake Superior Guy
I agree with @LakeSuperior but with a slightly differring twist.
We are not at a huge wave because we are a small minority and historically no matter what one says about this being the 21st Century, minorities get little attention or care. If Nations around the world started using “Iranian Place of Birth” indica to send financial data back to the “homeland” how many would care? I would “be concerned” for a few minutes, mention it over coffee with someone then proceed to watch a late night quiz television show. In another life, I too would have speedily thrown some other minority under the bus.
BUT our small wave though small is gaining strength and force. The arguments are being sharpened everyday. Iron is sharpening iron.
What have I learned in moving forward? We need to expand our arguments and logic to explain that if FATCA IGA is allowed to stand, other bowling pins will surely fall.
I have used an example on these very boards and that being Selective Service in the USA which in 2016 will likely include young women.
IF the Government of Canada has capitulated on FATCA IGA then by precedent the USA can demand that Canada ferret out its young people so they get registered for US Selective Service.
All the pro arguments for FATCA in Canada equally apply to Selective Service Registration. “Its the law” or “Just Denounce.”
The World’s Favorite New Tax Haven Is the United States
Front page story on Bloomberg
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-27/the-world-s-favorite-new-tax-haven-is-the-united-states
I, too, agree with @Lake Superior.
It is important, George, your point about registrations of *Accidental Americans* who are CANADIAN for the US Selective Service. I dread to think that would be allowed as well.
I have this niggling worry how Bill C-24, the new Citizenship Act, could be used for the second-class Canadian citizens who are also deemed US citizens: http://www.sfu.ca/education/cels/bilingual/bilingual-corner/bill-c-24.html. To me, FATCA law in Canada through *Congress has spoken* can be part of a slippery slope of other consequences for those outside the US. At the very least, something like that could be another cash cow for the US through the excessive penalties for not registering.
@LSG, I do have optimism about the near future. We just had 2 politicians on the radio talking about Fatca. We had John Richardson read directly from a letter to Blaze from the Prime Minister on another radio station. We almost have the lawsuit paid up and have written proof and internet proof making it’s way to the media. From what we have had in the most recent actions, this looks to be the beginning of something huge. I’m trying to keep up the pressure. Let’s make the education of every single Canadian a priority. Lets see if Mr. Trudeau is an honest person.
Stephen Kish wrote:
“Help pay off this outstanding legal bill so we can all focus in this post only on the Witnesses we must have for the Constitutional-Charter trial.”
Yes, PLEASE, everyone. Let’s get through the funding so we can get on with the finding. We should be discussing the whys and wherefores of backing up Ginny and Gwen by becoming a witness. For anyone considering doing this it would be an important factor, I think, to know that the trial is completely funded.
@ calgary411
According to the Trudeau Metre site, Bill C-24 has not been addressed yet. However, even as it stands, I don’t see it applying to FATCA recalcitrants. It would take some very perverted twisting of reality to classify that as “treason or an act of terrorism in Canada or abroad”.
@Native Canadian
And let’s not overlook the fact that we have a growing number of supporters. This hasn’t even reached critical mass yet.
If FATCA recalcitrants, why not draft registration recalcitrants as George points out — a stretch of what the US could ask of Canada and other countries and they would, like FATCA, accept? Mix in the US military aspect and compulsory US draft (Selective Service) registration of those with deemed USness (though there is at this time no actual draft upon which one could be called to military action). I hope Prime Minister Trudeau will honour his commitment to get rid of the whole Bill C-24 new Citizenship Act .
I wrote Bill Morneau this morning and asked him to make it possible for me to transfer without penalty all my RRSPs to my husband. It seems the least they could do so I can sleep at night. I don’t expect a reply.
I hadn’t read the article about the MTS Allstream buy out yet. I guess I’ll have to write back and inform him that I will no longer be filing my taxes online. The security risk is now too high for me. Maybe we should all do that.
We are SO CLOSE!! 5 days to make our legal bill payment! The thermometer is inching up, but wayyy too slowly.
It just boggles my mind that out of 8.7 million deemed “US persons” in the world, that our lawsuit is being supported by ONLY around 600+ people in Canada and around the world!
How it is possible that so few are aware of (or feel the need to fight) this battle? WHERE are all the AFFECTED PEOPLE who SHOULD BE DONATING TO THIS LAWSUIT?
We can only speculate…
Most in Canada and other countries are US homelanders abroad, with no connection to the countries in which they live?
Are there many of these who will also be Democrats Abroad and follow that DA policy.
Most to whom this injustice does apply think it doesn’t apply to them?
Some still believe what they were told decades ago — they would lose their US citizenship by becoming Canadian citizens and assumed they were from then on Canadian only?
Some for whom a helping donation to ADCS-ADSC would be no hardship will get their own houses in order and get on with their lives?
Those who won’t donate believe it is their duty to pay their fair share?
Many, many have not yet had communication with their local Canadian *foreign financial institutions*?
Some believe what the Liberals said before the election regarding the injustice of FATCA and know they will follow through?
Many will say if this is a big deal and I and my family may be devastated, the media would have told us so?
Some say *Frankly, USA, I don’t give a damn.* Come an get me?
Will ven a few say it supports the Canadian economy — more US tax practitioners setting up shop in Canada?
I’ll think about this tomorrow?
Many say US CBT is the price to pay for my eventual retirement in California?
It is for sure, dear Gwen, a quandry we are not supporting our brave plaintiffs.
Cheryl….you ARE the genius here. You’ve embarked upon a subject that I’ve been hoping to ask some day soon, except for I have ZERO respect for my MP (Conservative prick) in my riding that I tried talking to on this subject (face to face, yes, but all he spoke about was what HE wanted to talk about, and really didn’t listen to me). Maybe Bill Morneau should be my communication target.
I was thinking about being more direct and asking if Canada would also be a prick like the USA if the USA confiscated my RSP accounts through just bullying the banks (I have zero faith in Canada’s promise not to collect) and also kick me even further while I’m down by charging me tax on having withdrawn my RSP. This would get their attention ….. I hope!!??
@ Gwen @ All
OK, here’s a once in a lifetime offer available to any and all of you. Grab it now, it won’t happen again! You too can get in on it now if you act FAST!
In anticipation of the crafty Ms. Swanson doing so, I am going to out myself right now so you can take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity! If by some chance, we get close but not finished fund raising by Feb.1st here’a DEAL FOR YOU!
Feb.13 will mark two happy events for me. It’s the birthday where I enter a certain decade I didn’t think I’d see when I was a teenager since it sounded so old. Secondly, it represents 65 years of finally being brought back to my native country Canada where I have been on the right side of the river ever since age five.
So in lieu of the dozen red flowers I know you really want to send me to honour my BIG day, what I’d really like is giving you this, did I mention ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY?: to donate to our law suit for my birthday. Especially if you are a lurker reading here and have never donated.
It’s a win win for all of us. I’d get to smile all day and you get to fill the thermometer right to the top!
So as that handsome actor once said: MAKE MY DAY!!!! And best to you all. We can do this.
Since Ginny’s milestone birthday falls on Valentine’s Eve, a donation would reflect how much we love what she, Gwen and the entire ADCS team have been doing on our behalf.
@Socrates
RE: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-27/the-world-s-favorite-new-tax-haven-is-the-united-states
Thanks for posting the Bloomberg article. It’s not the first time that I’ve heard of the USA as a tax haven. The hypocrisy is really outstanding.
@Canadian Ginny
Happy Birthday, in advance. Let’s hope that bill is paid in time. If not donations will make a great birthday gift.
The download link to the Lisa Raitt interview is
http://thumbnails.cbc.ca/maven_legacy/thumbnails/15/193/ottallinaday_20160125_80887_uploaded.mp3
They say they don’t talk a lot about U.S. tax law. Well, the issue here is a Canadian law.
If Canadian Ginny gets her wish then the court action would be known as her birthday suit.
@ Tom
As long as it’s not my current one,lol. Eye bleach might be required. I’d be even happier if the thermometer is topped up on the first of the month.
Reading elsewhere on Brock today as newcomers are struggling to come to terms with all that renouncing requires, all that compliance entails etc. I am struck that the moments so many have shared of their fears and distress has turned into this movement. People who have gone through the process willing share their knowledge and experience. Others provide links to information, articles and research.
There is more information here and at Maple Sandbox than at any USG site.
I am itching to get the court action going. It will be such a grand day when fund raising is no longer a daily focus and task. Then donors can take a break and Gwen and I, our lawyers and committee can do the heavy lifting for the next while and get this rolling.
Four days left to pay legal bill.
“Masters in our own house we must be.”
Wow. Sounds like something Yoda would say. I never knew Yoda was Justin’s father. Sounds like Justin is quite a bit taller than his father. Has anyone ever verified the paternity for sure?