CRA: The Conservative Re-Election Agency

By Montreal Simon

We know the Canada Revenue Agency was given extra money by Stephen Harper to go after the political activities of registered charities.

We know that the agency seems to be targeting groups that have dared to criticize government policies.

But not right-wing organizations that support the Harper regime.

But is the CRA now helping to spread Con propaganda?

No one likes getting mail from the Canada Revenue Agency. Usually, anyway. But when Edmonton mom Rosemary Ronald opened one letter two weeks ago, she discovered what was intended to be good news: a description of a “proposed” government family benefit soon available to her family, accompanying a request to confirm information they already had (based on past tax filings) about her child.

And using any excuse to do that.

I just found it a little rich for the CRA to be asking me to confirm that information when they have that information,” she told CBC News. “They know if I have a child and his birthday.”

Even though the benefits the CRA is touting have yet to be approved by Parliament.

While Parliament has adopted a motion accepting the measures in principle — which allows CRA to recognize them — the legislation to implement these payments was only introduced a few weeks ago. It’s weeks away from passing through all stages of Parliament and being made official.

Because while we know that Pierre Poilievre is desperate to get that message out . . .

Human Resources Minister Pierre Poilievre held news conferences last week encouraging families to “sign up” so they don’t miss out on benefits to which they are now entitled.

I’m calling on ALL MPs to put partisanship aside & help 200, 000 families sign up so they get their money. #cdnpoli http://t.co/ChVx2V2ORg

— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) April 16, 2015

Because as we know he’s not partisan eh? And we know that the Porky Action Plan propaganda site is humming like a bee hive.

With OUR honey . . . or money.

If the CRA, which is going after groups for allegedly partisan activities, is now itself helping spread partisan propaganda, we have reached a new low in this ghastly Harperland . . .

“Conservatives stray towards the politics all the time — campaigning all the time — and use every tool at their disposal and, I think, sometimes breaking the rules,” NDP finance critic Nathan Cullen told CBC.

“It gets to a point where enough is enough. You have to put up with those terrible ads during the hockey games, and now you are being sent propaganda through government agencies that really is just Conservative party material,” Cullen said.

Or a new level of partisan political inquisition.

Though a CRA spokesperson will come out once in a while to proclaim that the executive branch has no influence over which groups the agency targets, right-wing civil society organizations have yet to receive much attention from the tax agency. Rather, the latest charity to be targeted in a significant way is the United Steelworkers’ Humanity Fund, a labour-backed organization that has supported food banks and disaster relief initiatives for over 30 years.

Or the end of Canada as we know it.

And all I can say is that when this filthy Con regime is finally defeated we are going to have to hold a massive public inquiry and/or criminal investigation into the activities of government departments during the Harper years.

And if they are found to have been collaborating with that regime, instead of serving the people of Canada, their punishment must be exemplary.

And they will end up in the same place he will . . .