May 15/2K

Re: The taxman hits back - Report Newsmagazine May 22/2K

Imagine the most pernicious piece of legislation you can. If you’re thinking of C-68, you’ve got the right idea, but it’s kid’s stuff compared to the nightmare – unfortunately a reality – called C-22. The bill is theoretically supposed to prevent money laundering by drug dealers and other criminals, but like the gun law and the gag law, it makes criminals out of most Canadians.

A "Centre" is to be set up that will track every transaction – depending on an array of criteria (you might as well refer to C-22 as the lawyer employment act) - over $1000. Feel like buying a car? You’d better check with Ottawa first. Think the GST is an accounting headache? Try being a building contractor and reporting on the details of every transaction - paying sub-contractors, suppliers, etc. Think it doesn’t apply to you? If you have knowledge of a transaction that wasn’t reported to the "Centre", you can be charged. If the "Centre" doesn’t approve of your transactions, or finds you "suspicious" in any way, they can confiscate your money and anything else they feel like. Like C-68, you’re presumed guilty unless and until you can prove your innocence, and even if you manage to do so, the government doesn’t have to return what they’ve confiscated.

As if the bill as it exists now weren’t bad enough, again like C-68, the rules can be changed at any time by the PMO, and there’s no accountability to Parliament. The CCRA’s persecution of the Stephans shows how we are already taxed to death in Canada – If C-22 becomes law, their tragedy will be but the tip of the iceberg. The kicker is that this communist catastrophe comes not from the apoplectics in Ottawa, but in Washington. We are being made the scapegoat, so that this travesty can also be imposed on our southern neighbors.

Why hasn’t "Report" done a front page expose’ on C-22? It would probably have an impact similar to the report on the fetal body parts industry. And more importantly, why haven’t any of our Alliance MPs said anything? One would think C-22 would make a great one-two combination with the HRDA fiasco, yet even the leadership contenders have made no mention of it. It’s not surprising that the Liberals would be trying to impose total government control of the economy, but why haven’t we heard anything from the Alliance?

CC: The Canadian Alliance

CC: John Williams, MP

CC: Deborah Grey, MP

CC: Preston Manning, MP

CC: Keith Martin, MP

CC: Stockwell Day, MLA

CC: Tom Long, MLA