Conservative government abuses power to stifle opinion.

[Cobalt_Kid]

How is it at all ethical to use intimidation through tax audits to silence groups that oppose government agendas. The whole point of having an open society and access to power through the vote and responsive elected members is to prevent the kind of abuses of power we're now see going on by the conservative government in Ottawa.

Canada Revenue audit of green groups raises spectre of intimidation: Editorial | Toronto Star

The Canada Revenue Agency is auditing high-profile environmental groups to make sure they don’t devote too much of their resources to fighting the oilsands and pipelines. Critics see the audits as political intimidation.

Whatever the reason for the Canada Revenue Agency’s sudden interest in some of the country’s best-known environmental groups, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s energy-friendly Conservative government can’t escape the suspicion that it is harassing them to get them to tone down their criticism of the Alberta oilsands, pipelines and other projects that fuel climate change.

As the Star’s environment writer Raveena Aulakh reports, the CRA is auditing some of Canada’s most high-profile and highly respected organizations. They include the David Suzuki Foundation, Tides Canada, Environmental Defence, the Pembina Foundation, Equiterre and the Ecology Action Centre.

“There are enough out there for us to be concerned about this focus,” Marcel Lauzière told the Star. He’s president of Imagine Canada, an umbrella organization for charities. “There’s a big chill out there with what charities can and cannot do,” he told CBC News.

 

[captain morgan]

It is extremely ethical to audit foreign-funded lobby groups that pretend to be charities.

 

[pgs]

It is extremely ethical to audit foreign-funded lobby groups that pretend to be charities.

Of course it is when they support liberal agenda's and candidates .

 

[Goober]

How many ffn con threads are you going to start.

 

[taxslave]

How is it at all ethical to use intimidation through tax audits to silence groups that oppose government agendas. The whole point of having an open society and access to power through the vote and responsive elected members is to prevent the kind of abuses of power we're now see going on by the conservative government in Ottawa.

Canada Revenue audit of green groups raises spectre of intimidation: Editorial | Toronto Star

How ethical is it for groups with a political agenda to mascarade as non profits?

 

[tay]

Political activity audits of charities suspended by Liberals

Panel report says charities should be free to engage in politics, minister suspends infamous audit program

The Liberal government is suspending the few remaining political activity audits of charities after an expert panel report recommended removing a political gag order imposed on them by the Conservatives five years ago.

As an immediate first step to respond to the panel's recommendations, National Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier "has asked the CRA to suspend all action in relation to the remaining audits and objections that were part of the Political Activities Audit Program, initiated in 2012," a release Thursday said.

The panel report, also released Thursday, and the suspension together appear to end a long chill for charities that began in 2012, when the Conservative government launched 60 political activity audits, starting with environmental groups that had criticized federal energy and pipeline policies.

The program cost environmental, anti-poverty, human-rights and religious charities significant staff resources and legal fees, and brought an "advocacy chill" to the sector, with many groups self-censoring lest they be caught in the Canada Revenue Agency's net or annoy their auditors.

The Liberal Party campaigned in the 2015 election to end the "political harassment" of charities, but once elected did not quite end the program. Instead, the new government cancelled six of the political activity audits that were yet to be launched, but allowed audits already underway to continue.

That left groups such as Environmental Defence and Canada Without Poverty, which were deemed too political by CRA, still under immediate threat of losing their charitable status. Thursday's announcement lifts that threat, at least until the government responds to the panel recommendations.

The five-member panel, chaired by Marlene Deboisbriand on the board of Imagine Canada, says Canada's charity law and regulations are too restrictive and vague. It calls for changes to the Income Tax Act to delete any reference to "political activities" with regard to charities.

Political activity audits of charities suspended by Liberals - Politics - CBC News