AG report: Liberals failing to help Canadians

OTTAWA – Today’s Auditor General Report revealed that the Liberal government is failing to help everyday Canadians when they are faced with problems that fall under federal jurisdiction.

The Auditor General’s report is centred on the failings of the Liberals responsibility to implement the Phoenix program. In fact, the AG pointed to the Liberals having no idea of the full extent and causes of the Phoenix problem. He estimates it will take years before solving pay problems and it will likely cost Canadians around $1 billion.

“From the start the Liberals have not taken this Phoenix fiasco seriously. They ignored calls from both public servants and unions to delay implementing the pay system and then failed to do anything to solve the problem,” said NDP MP David Christopherson (Hamilton Centre). “The Liberals have no idea of the full extent of the problem and their dithering is just making things worse for our public servants.”

The report also highlights a total mismanagement of CRA calling centres. The AG’s report indicates that the CRA has been blocking over 50% of Canadians’ calls for help. Even worse, CRA agents are providing misleading or inaccurate information almost 30 percent of the time.

“While Liberals are letting their rich friends avoid paying their fair share and benefit from tax havens, they are failing to help hard working Canadians who are looking for help,” added NDP Deputy House Leader Matthew Dubé (Beloeil-Chambly). “If I was the Minister of Revenue I would be ashamed of these results. Canadians deserve a government that will work to make life easier.”