April 26, 2006

Hon. Dalton McGuinty, Premier
Rm 281, Main Legislative Building
Toronto ON M7A 1A4

Dear Sir:

RE: MPAC and Current Value Assessment (CVA)

            In yesterdays edition of the Toronto Star you are quoted as saying “I’ve never heard from anybody who’s got the magic answer to this thing.” This statement (if correct) leaves us in a state of disbelief as to how you and your government could not have heard from anyone. 

Our organization has over the past two years been sounding the alarm to the taxpayers and politicians across the Province of Ontario with respect to the harmful effects of Current Value Assessment (CVA) on the taxpayers.

            During this time frame (with the help of the Municipality of Trent Hills and it’s mayor Hector Macmillan) we have notified all 445 municipalities of the problem and asked for their support in encouraging you to call for a conference of stakeholders and key ministers as well as yourself, to address the underlying problems with CVA.

            The Canadian National Taxpayers Coalition (CNTC) and its’ parent organization the Canadian Advocates for Tax Awareness (CAFTA) included a brief as a framework to stimulate discussion with the circulated resolution.

            To date, 70 municipalities have endorsed the concept of the resolution which they then forwarded to your government. These forwarded resolutions, it would appear were essentially ignored.

            The Ombudsman’s office requested a meeting with our organization as a result of the circulated resolutions and our background knowledge of the workings of MPAC and the effects of CVA. His blistering report was partly based on our submissions and acknowledged in his press release of March 28, 2006. As we are all aware he made 22 recommendations but admitted that his mandate did not cover all the problems.

As a result of our quest to have the shortcomings of the current assessment system corrected, our parent organization CAFTA in June of last year, received international recognition by being invited to Washington, D.C. for a conference on government spending and the limiting of taxation.

On January 10, 2006 the Canadian Association for Retired Persons (CARP – for the 50 plus) submitted a brief to the Standing Committee on Finance. In that submission CARP again submitted the main parts of our brief, and recommended a Property Taxpayers Bill of Rights be enacted based on the “principles” and concepts as proposed by CNTC / CAFTA. CNTC submitted a further report to the committee in Sarnia on January 31, 2006.

The Standing Committee reports directly to the Minister of Finance.

            We find it hard to believe that your government officials could have lost ALL of the forwarded resolutions. Furthermore, we find it hard to believe that the Standing Committee of Finance could have lost such an important document as the one submitted by CARP (one of the most prestigious advocacy groups in Canada).

            However, notwithstanding our comments we would be pleased to meet with you personally to discuss the necessary changes to Ontario’s assessment system.

            We look forward to your favourable response.

Sincerely:

Paul Hazell
President / CEO
CNTC / CAFTA

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