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
https://adcsovereignty.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/2015-11-09b-et-nygard-et-al_delivering-letter-of-same-date.pdf
I re-read the above letter to the Defendants, which cite numerous clear and unequivocal instances of Liberal criticism and opposition to FATCA http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/liberal-party-of-canada-statements-on-fatcaiga-new-draft/ and the IGA (in addition to other statements made during the Finance committee hearings into Bill C-31 which made the IGA law.
I simply cannot believe that the very same group and individuals can either be silent on this issue now that they are the ones with the power to provide us with remedy, but in fact, are actively defending the CON handiwork.
I am eager to hear the Liberal response to the outstanding questions put forward by the NDP MP (NDP’s Revenue Critic) Pierre-Luc Dusseault http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2016/02/02/ndp-revenue-critic-pierre-luc-dusseault-writes-to-minister-of-revenue/ .
I will wonder how the Liberal government can waste our own Canadian taxpayer money defending (if only by not dismissing) the very same CON handiwork they so clearly criticized (which is immortalized in the Hansard record and in their own words) just last year and before.
Funny the things that I follow with such eagerness since 2011.
Will the liberals words have any impact in the trial?
It’s always easier to criticize when you are the Opposition. Doubt they are interested in not protecting big Bank interests. But there is a workable solution available to them at any time.
@ginny, yes I am so puzzled as there is a workable solution that Trudeau could take and the USA would be in a corner not to accept. As he said a Canadian is a canadian
@ George
Welcome back. Missed you.
In my darkest hours- and yes there have been many more than you realise- I know there is a perfect working solution to this nightmare in Canada. And in most countries.
I know from being a litigator that well over 80% of cases are settled before or during trial. If this old OAP retired lawyer can draft such a solution, think what the highly paid young brilliant government lawyers can do. The governments of Can/USA need to save face. That’s important in international and public law, whether we acknowledge it or not.
But this is not rocket science. For all the money we have had to raise, so generously provided by so many of you wonderful people so that would could have the best legal team representing us, keep in mind the CAN government has expended at least 4x that amount to fight this. Which is also our money, let’s not forget. Our banks are also passing their costs on to their customers.
Who/what is greasing this wheel? As Mulder might say: the truth is out there. Follow the money.
badger
“I simply cannot believe that the very same group and individuals can either be silent on this issue now that they are the ones with the power to provide us with remedy, but in fact, are actively defending the CON handiwork.”
While the approach by the Liberals has been appallingly duplicitous, it was also entirely predictable. There must be quite a few voters right now who feel they were duped by the sweet talk. We can only hope the Federal Court strikes this down; young Trudeau certainly won’t.
The Libs are really Cons,
I feel more betrayed by the Lib Cons than I did by the Con Cons. The Con Cons never pretended that they cared about the Charter or about us.
The Lib Cons did pretend they cared in numerous statements and actions. Scott Brison submitted the simple solution in the form of the amendment developed by Anne Frank and forwarded by Schubert and me.
Brison is now President of Treasury Board, a very influential position in Cabinet. Instead of using his influence to again propose the amendment, Brison took “the liberty of forwarding” my correspondence to Bill Morneau.
I have “taken the liberty of forwarding” Brison’s amendment and all the Lib Con comments to Brison, Morneau, Wilson-Reybould, Dubourg, LeBouthillier, Goodale, Dion, McCallum and Young.
The response? You guessed it: Silence.
@Blaze
I feel more betrayed by the Lib Cons than I did by the Con Cons. The Con Cons never pretended that they cared about the Charter or about us.
The Lib Cons did pretend they cared in numerous statements and actions.
++
Precisely. Who’s the Con?
@Canadian Ginny, re;
“…keep in mind the CAN government has expended at least 4x that amount to fight this. Which is also our money, let’s not forget. Our banks are also passing their costs on to their customers.”
“…Who/what is greasing this wheel? As Mulder might say: the truth is out there. Follow the money.”
And I’m wondering if there is any way to get at “who/what is greasing this wheel?”
Any way to see if the CBA and IIAC and other interested parties such as the US tax lawyer who arrived in Canada just in time, in 2011 (because thar’s gold in them thar US Crossborder compliance hills where the second largest population of USdeemedindenturedserfdom-inherited-by-birthplace-or-parentage live ….) and who handily appeared on the side of the Cons before Parliament (and brags about it online) and who appeared at the side of the Con government and defendants at one of the lawsuit hearings, or whether interested parties with everything to gain have ‘donated’ to the Liberals, or donated “in kind” legal services or any other assistance to the defence against us, or maintain lobbyists working behind the scenes in order to maintain the IGA and the defence against the ADCS lawsuit.
And is there any way to find out how the hidden hand of the US Treasury and State Department worked against us behind the scenes – to make sure that the Canadian government arm of the IRS continues to work for them rather than for the Canadian citizens and taxpayers they are sworn to serve on Canadian sovereign soil?
@John Canuck, I never really believed they would help – despite the gross hypocrisy their pre-election statements on the public record will forever make clear – as compared to their current shell game in ‘forwarding’ correspondence on to various parties without giving any substantive answer, and in stonewalling completely via silence – as Blaze and others have provided proof of, or in being apparently content to let the evil of the FATCA IGA defense continue at CANADIAN TAXPAYER expense. A sin of ommission is still a sin. Omitting to do the right thing is tacitly endorsing the evil they said they opposed.
This is why the ADCS lawsuit must be fully funded – and the legal bill paid off.
We cannot let the US Treasury have its way with our or any other affected country – at our own taxpayer expense – working by proxy through our government.
A pox on them.
All you silent readers out there who haven’t donated yet:
Please grab this opportunity to give the US and FATCA the finger NOW! Show them your middle digit up raised in resistance and in rebuke – with your donation to the lawsuit.
My MP, Pam Goldsmith-Jones, Parliamentary Secretary to Canada’s Foreing Minister, has done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for me so far! Her predecessor, Conservative John Weston, in spite of being party to Canada’s capitulation to FATCA at least made a real attempt to delay FATCA’s implementation when I asked him to. In spite of several requests, Pam’s office can’t even make the effort to ask the Revenue Minister to confirm whether my banking information has been sent to the IRS last year.
Not giving up though.
@Badger
How is @cancivlib funded? Perhaps they are controlled by the banks/government?
Thanks for not giving up, bubblebustin!
You and other of us in Canada will be interested in Duke of Devon’s comment on another thread: http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/expat_tax/comment-page-108/#comment-7242239
@Stephen, I am repulsed by the comments in the referenced article!
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/liberals-to-repeal-citizenship-law-bill-c-24-immigration-minister/article28861630/
But the silver lining is that this is more water leaking through the dam and provides opportunities.
Folks can quote this in a new series of letters to MPs. Because as you say, they are standing up for “bad people” but NOT standing up for the likes of sweet Ginny and Gwen whose sole crime was being born on the wrong side of the border.
Maybe Blaze can write another one of her brilliant articles and use the Ministers words against the Government in regards to the IGA?
One more point after the C-24 pledge, if the Liberals do nothing on the IGA then “in fact” Ginny, Gwen and many others are simply “Americans abiding in Canada.”
Disgusting…
@ George
This reminds me of the song Who Are You? I have never identified as an American and now I no longer know who I am. According to Trudeau I am not pure enough to be a real Canadian. Apparently my Canadian citizenship card is fraudulent.
But I have Charter rights, so see you in court buddy. Silence is not golden.
“A Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian.” Malarkey.
One of my children is turning 18 in a few months. According to the US Embassy in Ottawa, he’ll be required to register with the Selective Service in the US:
http://canada.usembassy.gov/consular_services/selective-service.html
Now that the Canadian government is willingly turning over the private banking information of “American Persons in Canada”, will it now help ferret out “dual US Canadian citizens” living in Canada? Or, will it do the sensible thing which is to defend Canadian sovereignty and follow the Master Nationality Rule?
The Master Nation has ruled, or, “congress has spoken”.
@BC Doc…..read your post and started giggling……no less in a public place….people were staring at me.
True enough Bubblebustin.
Didn’t the US go to war in 1812 over the British practice of conscripting “British persons in America” who were travelling on the high seas? Even though those “British persons” didn’t consider themselves to be British citizens. Ironic.
“One of my children is turning 18 in a few months. According to the US Embassy in Ottawa, he’ll be required to register with the Selective Service in the US:”
@BC Doc
Ugh. I feel your pain. Nate had to sign up for Selective Service too back in the day (in 2004?). It was one of the biggest fights we’ve ever had in our relationship. “You refuse to take advantage of the opportunities available to you and vote against a President who might conscript you into war, but you have no problems flagging yourself as someone who will go fight for a foreign government?”
Can your son get out of it by renouncing?
@BC Doc
There’s a lot that’s ironic about the War of 1812 – especially Stephen Harper’s almost fanatical enthusiasm for it.
“Prime Minister Stephen Harper tried to stir up enthusiasm for commemorating the War of 1812, celebrating the fact that Canadians (although Canada was not yet a country) fought off the American invaders.
Too bad he couldn’t show the same enthusiasm in turning back the Americans in 2014.”
– See more at: http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/columnists/david-bly-harper-needs-to-stop-this-american-invasion-1.1194259#sthash.4Pat6s6P.dpuf
@Isabelle He said he has no plans to comply. He’s actually a Reservist in the Canadian Armed Forces. It would be ludicrous for someone who is already in the Canadian military to register for a potential US draft. Despite his parents registering with the US Consulate years ago, he views himself as pure-laine Canadian. He won’t renounce via the expensive “official” Made in America route– like his Dad, he’ll be a Do It Yourself Relinquisher (he had to swear an oath to the Queen when he entered the Reserves).
@George Careful where you are when you start laughing George!
@ BC_ Doc
Tell your son he just made my day.
Thanks Ginny. He’s a great young guy. Very solid individual. He (fortunately) like all of my kids takes after my wife!
He has a good understanding of the whole FATCA score. He has a five year US passport that runs out in a few weeks and says he has no intention of using. His perception of the US is tgat it’s a violent place with a harsh criminal justice system– he says he will enter on his Canadian passport when he travels there. He identifies himself as Canadian.