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Politics : Sioux Nation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (107792)	6/7/2007 4:27:33 PM
From: Wharf Rat	Respond to of 363099

Canada learns the wrong lesson from the US.... Suzuki fears sharp criticism of Ottawa prompts audits MARTIN MITTELSTAEDT From Wednesday's Globe and Mail June 6, 2007 at 4:59 AM EDT David Suzuki is Canada's most outspoken environmentalist, and regularly lambastes those, such as Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whom he deems insufficiently green. But he's worried that shooting from the lips too often about federal politicians may have made his namesake environmental charity, the David Suzuki Foundation, the target of vindictive federal tax auditors. It's such a touchy subject that Mr. Suzuki has become nervous when he gives speeches that Ottawa might hold anything he says as a citizen against his environmental group. "I am being hounded by the current government because I have a foundation that has my name and so they're trying to take away my charitable [status]," he said in a speech on Monday in Toronto at a conference of the American Public Transportation Association. He told the transit trade group he had to preface his speech with a tax-auditor-satisfying caveat. "Everything I say is my personal opinion, has nothing to do with my foundation." Videos CTV News: Baird vs. Suzuki John Baird's encounter with David Suzuki Related Articles Recent House urged to delay vacation Many of Canada's large environmental groups are also federally recognized charities, and worry that aggressive criticism of government policies might lead to tax-audit retribution, but Mr. Suzuki is one of the few to raise such concerns publicly. The Canada Revenue Agency, the federal body that audits charities, refused to answer questions on whether it is going after Mr. Suzuki's group. Spokeswoman Colette Gentes-Hawn says the agency doesn't comment on investigations. But in an interview yesterday after a news conference on Parliament Hill, Mr. Suzuki said the foundation has been audited three times. "I don't know what motivates them, but certainly the last one was a very painful thing for us. It dragged on for months. In fact, I'm not sure that it's been completed yet," he said. "And it sure seemed to me that they were dredging to find something." The government oversight of the Suzuki Foundation has been more intense than what is typically done to charities. According to Canada Revenue Agency figures posted on its website, only 596 charities of approximately 82,200 registered were audited in 2005, a rate that means a group would stand to be audited less than once every 100 years. Mr. Suzuki is not without his critics. He and his group have been targeted on the right-leaning Civitatensis blog, where readers are urged to ask the government to review the foundation's charitable status. The foundation was established in 1991, and it doesn't shy away from biting criticism. In April, it called Ottawa's plan to fight global warming a "national embarrassment" because it effectively repudiated the Kyoto Protocol. Over the winter, Mr. Suzuki went on a cross-Canada tour to more than 40 communities, asking citizens what they'd do for the environment if they were prime minister. Charities have wide latitude to comment on politics, provided they don't endorse parties or candidates. Under federal law, charities can devote up to 10 per cent of their resources for non-partisan political activities. The agency says this spending can be undertaken "to influence law, policy, and public opinion on matters related to its charitable purposes." Among the permitted activities, groups can meet with elected officials, hold conferences, workshops, lectures and rallies, and mount letter-writing campaigns about issues. "Certainly I try very, very hard not to be partisan," Mr. Suzuki said, "but I still will criticize government for policy. I think that's the right of all people." The foundation has about 50 staff and a $6-million budget, virtually all raised through donations by 40,000 supporters in Canada and abroad, and from other foundations. Mr. Suzuki doesn't receive a salary and works as a volunteer when he speaks for the organization. Mr. Suzuki said that if Ottawa revokes the group's charitable status "that would be catastrophic, and for us it's a very heavy hand that's held over charitable organizations." With reports from Jeff Gray in Toronto and Gloria Galloway in Ottawa theglobeandmail.com