What is "Project Jade"? That's what Canadian Senator Percy Downe would like to know. So would Canada's taxpayers.
In December 2008, Senator Downe made a request, under Ottawa's Access to Information Act, about possible tax evasion by Canadians in Liechtenstein. That was after stories broke in the international media that a whistleblower in that secrecy and tax haven had sold information to various tax departments in the United States, Australia and others about their tax evaders.
When asked in the House of Commons, the Canadian government's reply was that Canada does not pay for such information.
Senator Downe made his request for information to make sure that even if the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) doesn't pay, they were getting the information anyway and investigating to determine if tax evasion was being committed.
It appears they were probing last year. But the Senator said the information was delayed in getting to him, is scant on detail and out of date. He has complained and made another request for information.
"Given their failure to trumpet the successful recovery of money owed to Canada, I can only conclude that the failure to answer questions on this topic means they have sat on their arse and are trying to recover only after you and others started to give media coverage to tax evasion," wrote the Senator this week.
The Senator's request asked for:
-The number of Canadians identified as having undeclared accounts in Liechtenstein.
-The number of Canadians with Liechtenstein accounts who have voluntarily disclosed with the CRA and also the number who have settled with tax authorities.
-The number of Canadians with Liechtenstein accounts who have been charged with tax evasion.
-The amount of money that CRA has recovered as a result of investigating these undeclared bank accounts in Liechtenstein.
The CRA disclosed to the Senator, in internal briefing notes, that it estimates about $100-million in Liechtenstein bank accounts relate to Canadian citizens and that the "CRA anticipates that it will reassess approximately $17-million in taxes, interest and penalties as a result of its examinations."
An email exchange, included in the package, discusses how Canada won't join a media advisory with the United States, U.K. and others, due to the use of the word "investigate." A memo to an MP for media response purposely softens the language to "examination" instead of "investigations."
Senator Downe said the documents he was sent are out of date, due to delays in the government's response, which were blamed on "complexities." But the nugget was the blacking out of the name of the CRA project, except in one instance where it was missed and referred to as "Project Jade."
"I have sent another request and filed a complaint with the access to information office. They may be able to generate more information," Senator Downe wrote in a recent letter sent from his Charlottetown office.
The Senator is not satisfied. "A number of items caught my attention. [How they] refused to use the stronger language in the media and is this an indication of their passive attitude on prosecution? What is Project Jade, which they forgot to block out in one spot?" he said.
"Why did they refuse to release information, using the personal safety of employees as the reason? If they were active on this file, why are they not communicating that to taxpayers?"
Indeed.
dfrancis@nationalpost.com |
