Dear Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, Kevin Shoom, (Senior Chief, International Taxation, Finance Canada) and Terry Campbell (President Canadian Bankers Association):
Those words, which Brian Mulroney thundered at John Turner in 1984, changed Canadian history. Going into the leadership debate, the Liberals had a comfortable lead. Instead, Mr. Mulroney’s Progressive Conservatives were elected with 211 seats, the largest in Canadian history.
MR. MULRONEY’S WORDS:
Here’s what else Mr. Mulroney said:
“You had an option, Sir. You could have said ‘I’m not going to do it. This is wrong for Canadians and I’m not going to ask them to pay the price.’
“You had an option, Sir. You had an option to say ‘No.’ You chose to say ‘Yes’.
AVOWAL OF FAILURE
Here’s more from Mr. Mulroney:
If I may say respectfully, that is not good enough for Canadians…That is an avowal of failure…
“You had an option, Sir. You could have done better.”
FATCA–YOU HAVE OPTIONS SIRS
Canadian Bankers Association has said repeatedly they are opposed to FATCA, but they must comply. To do so, they are advocating an Intergovernmental Agreement which will allow Canadian banks to violate rights of Canadians based on one basic factor–place of birth.
“If I may say respectfully, that is not good enough for Canadians.”
Except for saying an agreement is near (for almost a year), Canadian government has been totally quiet on the issue of FATCA for months to the people most directly affected–Canadian citizens and residents born in United States and their Canadian families. This has been a nightmare for us.
“If I may say respectfully, that is not good enough for Canadians.”
FATCA: YOU HAVE THE OPTION TO SAY “NO”
“You (have) the option to say ‘No’ If you (choose) to say ‘Yes’…that is an avowal of failure.
“You have an option, Sirs. You could do better”
PLEASE DO BETTER
Please do better for Canadian citizens and residents. Please tell US they cannot FATCA Canadian citizens, residents and financial institutions.
Canadian government could do better by telling Canadian banks they must adhere to Canadian banking, privacy and human rights laws.
Canadian government could do better by telling Canadian citizens born in United States they are not second class citizens and residents in their country of choice.
Canadian government could do better by assuring Canadian citizens and residents Canadian laws will not be changed to accommodate a foreign government.
Canadian government could do better by ensuring rights of all Canadians are respected under Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, regardless of where they were born.
Most importantly, Canadian government could do better by refusing to sign an Intergovernmental Agreement which signs away rights of Canadian citizens and residents to a foreign government.
Canadian banks could do better by assuring Canadian citizens and residents born in United States they have the same rights to manage their finances with confidence and in privacy with their banks as all other Canadian customers.
Canadian banks could do better by refusing to threaten to
close accounts of customers born in United States simply because they will not consent to having their financial information divulged to a foreign government.
Canadian banks could do better by ensuring they do not have two tiers of service, respect and privacy for Canadian customers based on place of birth..
WILL FATCA BE YOUR AVOWAL OF FAILURE?
Not doing the above is your “avowal of failure” to Canadians.
YOU HAVE OPTIONS SIRS:
“You could say No…You could do better.”
Canadians need you to do better. We need you to do it now.
Lynne Swanson
London Ontario
Maple Sandbox Historical Archive - 2012 to 2016 
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