Cabinet ministers met publicly with KPMG while firm's tax 'sham' under CRA probe (Canada)

[applegrove]

Cabinet ministers met publicly with KPMG while firm's tax 'sham' under CRA probe

By Harvey Cashore and Frederic Zalac, CBC News

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/cabinet-ministers-met-publicly-with-kpmg-while-firm-s-tax-sham-under-cra-probe-1.3234876

"SNIP...............



Top Conservative cabinet ministers met publicly with senior staff from KPMG's tax division, and one went so far as to promote the firm, even as the Canada Revenue Agency was alleging the company set up an offshore tax "sham" that deceived the government and deprived the treasury of potentially millions of dollars, a CBC News investigation shows.

Revenue Minister Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Finance Minister Joe Oliver and Prime Minister Stephen Harper all appeared in public with officials from KPMG's tax department in 2014 and 2015 during the period when CRA auditors were continuing an investigation into one of the accounting firm's tax schemes and seeking names of multimillionaire clients.

KPMG also sponsored Oliver's 2015 post-budget speech in Vancouver. And in August 2014, KPMG executives registered to lobby the prime minister and his staff.

The CRA has alleged in court documents that the KPMG tax dodge — which involved clients with a minimum of $5 million setting up shell companies in the Isle of Man — was "intended to deceive" authorities.


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[alcina]

1. I was at the debate tonight

between Joe Oliver, Andrew Thomson, and Marco Mendicino when I saw this on my CBC app. Alas, they weren't taking questions from the audience. And not surprisingly, this topic never came up.

[arikara]

2. I'm surprised they couldn't just make CRA stand down

regarding the investigation. They sure got the CRA politically involved when they set them on those little charities they felt threatened by.

[Spazito]

3. I am not the least bit surprised...

Protecting their big donors is a priority with the Cons hence what I believe the 'wink, wink, nod, nod' to KPMG bigwigs assuring them the Cons will insure CRA will be stonewalled which is, so far, has been happening re the courts.

[applegrove]

4. In the USA and Canada conservatives or republicans get into power and immediately legislate to favor

exactly what the rich want...in their dreams. They are not interested in anybody else. Why CEOs now have a big say in exactly who gets government research funds.

[Spazito]

5. Yep, when the right is in power, big business dictates and government does their bidding...

the "Harper government" has been even more egregious wrt this than the revolting Mulroney one was, imo.

[arikara]

6. Yes that's what I mean.

They protect their own, yet this company is still being investigated. I'm just surprised the whole thing didn't just go away.

[Spazito]

7. What has been interesting is that the media has not asked one question about it when...

they get their 5, count em 5 questions to Harper. Not a peep. I can't help but wonder why given his pathetic Finance Minister as well as Harper were meeting with them during the investigation.

[laundry_queen]

8. Well now that stinks to high heaven doesn't it?

It's looking more and more that KPMG is along the same level as Arthur Andersen.

[Spazito]

9. Yep, it was reported for less than a day and then nothing...

No questions to the candidates, no candidates commenting on it at all. Complete silence. It is actually quite odd and interesting as to why.

Good comparison re KPMG and Arthur Anderson, very similar in many sleazy ways for sure.