. . and some more positive news from Canada

This just in via e-mail, from Canadians for Tax Fairness, a new and very successful member of TJN:

Our Tackle Tax Havens campaign scored a major victory when new measures to close tax loopholes and curb offshore tax avoidance were announced in the recent federal budget.

Those measures were not sufficient and we’ll keep up the pressure for more, but you know you’re having an impact when a Conservative government suddenly announces they’re putting tax fairness on the public agenda.

We are getting attention! The media and politicians are turning to Canadians for Tax Fairness as a credible voice. They know we are  speaking on behalf of those of us who think banks and corporations ought to start paying their fair share.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to be an expert witness for the House of Commons Finance Committee which is doing a study of tax evasion and tax havens.

And in the last two weeks, Canadians for Tax Fairness has been all over the news. We’ve appeared in major news outlets like the Toronto Star, Canadian Press, Huffington Post, Financial Post and Postmedia newspapers from Victoria to Halifax. We were interviewed on CBC Radio’s The Current and even led the nightly news, featured in the top stories on the Global National, CTV National News and CBC’s The National.

Our message is also resonating online. In one week, we managed to reach half a million Canadians just by people sharing our message with their friends on Facebook.

All this is a big breakthrough for a small group that is just over a year old. And with your support I would like to see it get a lot bigger.

Please help us build on this momentum. You’ve seen what Canadians for Tax Fairness can do on a shoe-string budget and a can-do attitude. Imagine what we could do with more tools and resources?

I’m asking each and every single one of our supporters to contribute what they can — $10, $25 or $50, $100 or more. If you believe in what we stand for please make an online donation now.

Here’s four things I’m asking you to invest in right now:

• Organizing a network of researchers to dig through the data and produce reliable, quality information that forces those in power to answer difficult questions.

• Building a new website to act as an action hub for our growing online community of supporters.

• Producing the materials we need to escalate the fight against tax havens and launch a new campaign targeting the tens of billions lost to sketchy tax loopholes.

• Holding public educational events in communities across the country and link up with provincial groups campaigning for tax fairness at the provincial level.

The best way to support us is to become a monthly donor, and I’m willing to sweeten the pot by offering a free copy of Canadians for Tax Fairness’ new book: The Great Revenue Robbery to anyone who gives $10 or more a month.

We wish all the best to Canadians for Tax Fairness, and to everyone in the rapidly growing community of other supporters and members of TJN - and anyone else engaging in these giant battles. Keep up the good work!