Today, I received a pamphlet from Mr. Dan Albas, MP (presumably at taxpayer expense) purporting to be a “Tax guide.” Most of the front page of this pamphlet is taken up with a picture of Mr. Albas and his contact information along with the headline “Helping you and your family save more.”
At the beginning, is a letter from your member of parliament which includes the statement “… important tax initiatives supplied by our Conservative Government.” Why the word government is capitalized is beyond me.
Throughout the piece are headlines such as “Lower taxes for all Canadians,” and “Lower taxes for all families.” Same for seniors, working Canadians and job creators — whoever they are — and homebuyers. Also scattered throughout are picture panels of all the great increases and decreases in whatever the Conservatives think puts them in a favourable light. On the back page there is a clear association between the CRA and Dan Albas’s constituency offices.
Last time I checked the Canada Revenue Agency was a government agency in the civil service charged with the responsibility of administering the Income Tax Act. Now it seems the conservative government is turning it into its own public relations arm, on the one hand, and its enforcement arm, on the other, aimed at ensuring people and organizations toe the Party line.
It is clear to me that this mailout is a blatant publicity piece designed to promote the conservative government and not a “Tax Guide” as purported.
I find these practices reprehensible and deceitful and I request that Mr. Albas cease and desist though, I must admit, I have become more than used to seeing the increasing frequency of this and other similar behaviours emanating from this government. It really is time for a change.
Peter Benson
Naramata
