Article content continued

Frechette has taken a more “collaborative” approach, working with departments to develop “bilateral relationships” but, like Page, his biggest challenge is getting information out of departments.

But Downe argues that approach isn’t working and the PBO should be standing up to CRA and exercising its “full authority” under the law. The legislation creating the PBO says it is entitled to “free and timely access to any financial or economic data that are required for the performance of his or her mandate.”

“I have been patient and waited … but time’s up,” said Downe. “It’s been over two years and the PBO hasn’t got any information so it has to take another direction.”

Two years ago, Downe asked the PBO to calculate the economic impact of tax evasion after leaked client lists of banks in Liechtenstein and Switzerland showed Canadians had millions in offshore accounts. That request evolved into an inquiry to calculate the tax gap as so many other OECD countries do.

Downe, who has led the fight in Parliament to crack down on tax evasion, said he suspects CRA knows the tax gap will reveal it’s not doing its job and directing enough resources to combat evasion. Tax agencies in the U.K., Denmark, France and Belgium use the tax gap as a way of measuring performance and to get a handle on how many people aren’t paying their fair share of taxes.

The battle with the CRA for data is PBO’s longest but it still hasn’t received the information it sought on the nature of the 2012 budget cuts that forced it to court last year to resolve the questions around the scope of its mandate.