Maple Sandbox Historical Archive – 2012 to 2016

Torontonian visited Canadian Conservative Party MP Today and Promised How US People in Canada Will Vote in Next Canadian Election if Minister Flaherty is FATCA-Complicit

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maplesandboxarchive

January 5, 2014

The point of this post, originally posted on Brock, is that Canadians must make it absolutely clear to their representatives who are members of the Conservative Party that they will NEVER vote Conservative again if this party signs off on any IGA that will implement FATCA. This is a summary of my meeting today with my Conservative MP representative:

I had a nice chat this afternoon [Jan 5, 2014] with my Canadian Conservative MP rep, Mr. Bernard Trottier. I introduced myself as the fellow who previously sent him a letter on FATCA and thanked him for actually responding and in a meaningful way.
He had no update on the state of the IGA negotiations between Minister Flaherty and the US, but will speak to him on this in about a week.
In a few minutes I summarized some of the consequences of FATCA for Canadians and mentioned again the IGA negotiations. His response was “But [as this is a “negotiation”] what does Canada get out of this?” and I responded appropriately.
Then I discussed votes: I explained that I voted for Mr. Trottier in the last election (this is true) and that should Minister Flaherty negotiate any IGA with the US, I will not vote for Mr. Trottier or the Conservative party again. Further, I emphasized that I am part of a network of one million (I used the term “unfortunate”) US persons in Canada, all just like me, and that my recommendation to my network will be the same. I noted too that this election is likely to be more difficult for the Tories to obtain a majority.
The discussion ended with Mr. Trottier saying that this evening he will be speaking to some US persons living in Canada, with one person considering taking out Canadian citizenship, and I provided advice on whether this was a good idea.
I left copies with Mr. Trottier and his secretary of Brison’s questions in Parliament to Flaherty, the (long) letter to the Canadian Bankers Association, some correspondence between me and a Canadian bank that uses a green logo, and a written statement in large bold print promising that I and my network will not vote Conservative should Flaherty negotiate any agreement that imposes FATCA on Canadians.
No idea whether the above will be helpful, but I was blunt enough (but polite) that my MP, who I felt was was very sympathetic throughout, understood the simple message.

5 responses to “Torontonian visited Canadian Conservative Party MP Today and Promised How US People in Canada Will Vote in Next Canadian Election if Minister Flaherty is FATCA-Complicit”

OutragedCanadian

January 6, 2014

WOW! Colour me impressed! Way to go, IRSCompliant! What an excellent idea!

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WhiteKat

January 6, 2014

That is excellent IRSCompliant!

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Schubert

January 6, 2014

This is an excellent step, and I would urge all affected persons who live in ridings currently held by a Tory MP to do as IRSC has done. Visit your MP in person, and politely stress what will happen to the Tories politically if they cave to the IRS.
This is what democracy is all about. If you are a Canadian citizen, this is the only realistic political hope you have of stopping a Canada-US IGA — if you’re a dual citizen of the US and living outside the US, the US politicians don’t give a damn about you or your vote, and I think you’re dreaming in Technicolor if you think that ever is going to change under either political party.
I have next to zero belief that FATCA is going to be repealed, but I do believe there is a reasonable chance that our current government will refuse to sign an IGA with the US and will insist on Canadian FIs’ obedience to current Canadian law. I don’t think the odds of that are even 50-50, but I think they’re better than zero, and they will be exactly zero unless others do as IRSC has done and pressure their current Tory MPs.
I think anyone who has made a life in Canada and who intends to remain here should take out Canadian citizenship if they haven’t already done so. How can such a person expect Canadian citizens and politicians to care about them, if they can’t make a commitment to our country? And honestly, I’ve never believed in voluntary dual nationality. If you can’t make up your mind where your loyalty and allegiance lies, how can either country to whom you profess allegiance (or those countries’ citizens) ever fully trust you or really be prepared to stick their necks out for you in a crunch between the two countries? In any athletic contest, never mind more serious matters, you can’t play on both teams. And do you really believe there are any guarantees that, whatever happens with FATCA and current US border practices, things won’t get worse down the road for Americans living outside the US, no matter how the current situation unfolds? I don’t.

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OutragedCanadian

January 6, 2014

@Schubert, hmmm.. I agree somewhat, but not completely. I know someone who never bothered to take out Canadian citizenship – his attitude was ‘why bother with jumping through the hoops, and travelling all that distance to do something that’s not necessary anyway (that’s travelling pretty much the length of Alberta;10 hours or so driving). At one time, some people really didn’t see any big deal since they weren’t politically-minded, and there was no practical reason to get spend the time, effort & money to take out CDN citizenship. They lived in Canada, earned income in Canada, and paid taxes in Canada – and- felt Canadian.Does this person regret not jumping through the hoops now – oh you BETCHA!
I agree with your thoughts that things could worsen for Americans outside the US – completely. I suspect (and fear) this is just the tip of the iceberg.

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Disgusted

January 6, 2014

@schubert
I didn’t choose American citizenship,it was assigned to me because I had the misfortune to take my first breath in an American hospital. In order to make the Big Choice, I must become tax compliant and fork over $450. The immigration lawyer’s quote was $8,000 -$20,000. OUCH.
@IRS Compliant
In addition to not voting Conservative in the next election, I will actively campaign for the opposition.

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Maple Sandbox Historical Archive – 2012 to 2016

Torontonian visited Canadian Conservative Party MP Today and Promised How US People in Canada Will Vote in Next Canadian Election if Minister Flaherty is FATCA-Complicit

5 responses to “Torontonian visited Canadian Conservative Party MP Today and Promised How US People in Canada Will Vote in Next Canadian Election if Minister Flaherty is FATCA-Complicit”