Ottawa – In response to a David Baines’ article in the February 8, 2012 edition of the Vancouver Sun, entitled “Small business group unfairly impugns CRA; Canadian Federation of Independent Business takes advantage of the fact that agency will not fight back”, the Union of Taxation Employees applauds Mr. Baines’ efforts in removing the veneer from the CFIB’s target and smear campaign against the CRA and its employees.
For too long, the CFIB leaders have engaged in a long line of targeted attacks against the CRA and the entire public service and its employees by publicizing exaggerations, embellishments part-truths and untruths in an effort to espouse their own agenda.
The CFIB does this knowing full well that privacy laws and government policy prevent employees and government officials from setting the record straight by responding with the facts. UTE lauds Mr. Baines in standing up for the CRA and its employees, our members, by providing facts and setting the record straight.
“As National President of UTE, representing 27,000 members across the CRA, I and other union activists have had numerous discussions with small business owners across this country. These business owners are hard working men and women who have told us they do not share the same opinions of the public service as the CFIB leadership,” said Bob Campbell, National President of UTE.
These so-called leaders of the CFIB are not speaking for the vast majority of small business owners when it comes to public service bashing.
“Our members at CRA are hard working public service employees who do an excellent job on behalf of Canadians”, continued Campbell. “They perform their duties with the utmost integrity and are doing so under a great deal of pressure. They would like to be able continue their work free from an unjustified cloud of suspicion and unwarranted attacks from the likes of the leadership at the CFIB and other such groups who are intent in fulfilling their self-serving agenda at the expense of the public service.”
The UTE will continue to fully support its members from these attacks and look forward to their continued cooperation with small business owners to stimulate the Canadian economy.