Message from NDP MP and Revenue Critic Murray Rankin on FATCA

FATCA

I just received this message from Murray Rankin:

Hello Lynne,
I just wanted to give you a summary of the our ongoing efforts to persuade the Conservative government to remove  the U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) implementation agreement from the budget so it can be adequately studied and fixed.
The Conservatives buried this agreement in Bill C-31, the omnibus budget implementation bill, making it difficult for MPs to give a proper review to specific sections.  New Democrats have repeatedly called for this deeply flawed agreement to be pulled out of the budget [http://www.ndp.ca/news/conservatives-must-remove-fatca-budget-bill] so that it may be properly amended and studied, but the Conservatives have refused.
At the Standing Committee on Finance, in my capacity as NDP National Revenue Critic, I moved several amendments  to sections on FATCA in attempt the help protect the privacy rights of Canadians and ensure the agreement does not violate constitutional laws.
NDP Finance Critic Nathan Cullen joined me in pushing for these amendments.  You can watch our work in Committee here: http://politwitter.ca/page/videos/id/39600
Unfortunately, the Conservative majority voted to reject all of our amendments at committee.
New Democrats also fought very hard to have all sections of pertaining to FATCA deleted from Bill C-31 at report stage in the House of Commons. Unfortunately, the Conservatives refused to listen to reason, and rejected our call to reconsider the rushed implementation of the FATCA implementation agreement.
While we regret this outcome, please know that you can continue to count on the NDP to protect your rights. New Democrats will be voting against the entire bill at third reading.
It is reckless to rush this through Parliament without the safeguards needed to protect our constitutional and privacy rights. More than a million Canadians with U.S. dual citizenship could be caught up in this net.
New Democrats have launched a petition calling on the Government of Canada to reconsider its attempt to implement FATCA in Canada and work to ensure that privacy rights of all Canadians are protected. Please feel free to share the petition: http://petition.ndp.ca/FATCA
Please know that the NDP will continue to stand up for all of those whom are caught up in the FATCA net.
Sincerely,
Murray Rankin
NDP Member of Parliament for Victoria
Official Opposition Critic for National Revenue

Did anyone else receive a similar message?  I find it so bizarre that MPs more than 4500 kilometers from me (Rankin, Cullen, May, Atamarenko) and one MP 2000 kilometers from me (Brison) are more responsive to me than my own MP.
The only thing Con Ed Holder has done is send me an information sheet reminding me to file FBARs (even though I was very clear that I was NOT a U.S. citizen.) In 2012, I was still naive. I thought elected MPs would protect their constituents from foreign demands that violated Canadian laws.  That was before I learned “Congress has spoken” for Canada’s Parliament.
 

12 thoughts on “Message from NDP MP and Revenue Critic Murray Rankin on FATCA”

  1. Page link sent out into the Twittersphere. Thank you NDP and opposition MPs for standing up for rights of all Canadians. I refuse to sit in the back of the bus!

    Reply

  2. Why the conservative mp’s that voted for the U.S. law are not fired i have no idea.Basically they are saying lets do everything the U.S. Wants and screw Canadians that elected us. We are here to make sure U.S. Laws are inacted and make sure we do the
    Opposite of what Canadians want which is no to FACTA. They are doing everything in their power to make sure Canadians suffer and that they make sure a foreign government gets everything they want . If a government worker in Canada and who gets paid by those same Canadians on purpose tries to harm a million people and try tries to destroy them on purpose should be fired.

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  3. @ Jack le Beau
    Don’t forget that Obama signed FATCA into law, and that it was part of his 2008 election platform.
    Also do not forget that polls have shown that most Canadians would have voted for him given the right to do so. I would bet money that Murray Rankin would have. There are still people in this forum who defend him or refuse to criticize him.
    So we have to admit that there are a whole lot of people in this country who have a problem with enemy recognition.
    remainder of comment edited out by MapleSandbox editors.

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  6. I wrote to my MP, Tim Uppal, Minister of State for Multiculturalism, expressing my concern with FATCA. I explained that as a dual citizen myself & my family are invisible minorities being discriminated against on both sides of the border. I urged him to support the amendments being proposed to FATCA. This is his response:
    Thank you for writing to me with your concerns. I always encourage my constituents to contact me, so that I may better voice their concerns in Ottawa.
    First let me clarify, this was not a change in Canadian legislation, but a change in United States’ law that affects all American citizens living abroad.
    We have raised serious concerns directly with the United States about their Foreign Accounts Tax Compliance Act (FATCA).
    While we’re pleased that the United States has noted our concerns by delaying FATCA’s implementation, this is only a first step.
    We continue to actively seek a solution with the United States that both countries will find agreeable.
    I hope that this response has helped in addressing your concerns.
    Once again, thank you for writing me.
    His response was very disappointing, but typical. If I get a response from him, this is the type of response I usually receive.

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