I write in response to Doug Todd’s June 15 article, Ritzy neighbourhood where many are ‘poor’ about Richmond’s Thompson Community.

“Under reporting” is too euphemistic and a gross understatement of Canada’s growing, rampant tax evasion problem that successive governments are unwilling and unable to address through vigorous enforcement of the income tax code at a level sufficient to deter tax cheats through tough enforcement and dire consequences.

Recall the $300 million in cuts in 2012 to the Canada Revenue Agency’s enforcement budget, the layoff of 3,000 auditors, and the recent dismissal of 61 of its most experienced auditors able to go after the big international cheats, if only given the resources.

The B.C. government also shares in this for its failure to pressure the federal government and the CRA to collect even the reported amount of provincial income tax owed it by Ottawa (at least $1.2 billion in arrears on the 2012 provincial income tax revenue from declared income as reported less than a week before the 2013 leaders debate in the last provincial election), and its failure to collaborate with Ottawa on a simple audit and enforcement strategy to cross reference annual reported incomes on CRA Notices of Assessment with annual B.C. Property Tax Assessments as a starting point for identifying and nailing the Thompson Community tax cheats, and others.

According to a recent CBC report, the federal government has not vigorously enforced real estate agent and financial intuition compliance with FINTRAC reporting rules for cash transactions aimed at money launderers and criminals who park their ill-gotten gains in B.C. real estate because other Pacific Rim countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S enforce their anti-money laundering rules stringently while Canada does not.

To deal with the Thompson Community problem in the context of race is dangerous. The Income Tax Act is a law of general application that applies to all Canadians. The issue must be so dealt with by our senior governments without being derailed or denigrated by mention of the “r” word that some would use disingenuously as a justification for inaction.

To permit foreign nationals to acquire permanent resident status for themselves and their dependents without becoming resident for income tax purposes for the duration of their PR status is an abomination. It creates an attachment disorder for those who would obtain all of the benefits of Canadian residence and a pathway to precious citizenship for themselves and/or their dependents without their assuming any responsibility to contribute their fair share, based on their worldwide income as all resident Canadians are legally required to do. Ties to Canada begin with where one pays his or her taxes. Canada needs immigrants and needs to welcome those immigrants who are vested in the country and wish to contribute as nation builders. We also must meet our international obligations to provide surrogate protection as Convention refugees for those who need it. We do not need freeloading wealthy international tax cheats who have no intention or willingness to abide by Canadian tax laws.

For senior levels of government to continue this state of affairs is damaging for four reasons: