Finance committee  Mr. Chair, thank you for the invitation to appear before the Standing Committee on Finance this evening. I am the President and Chief Executive Officer of Imagine Canada, an umbrella organization for charitable organizations in Canada. Our primary mission is to work to strengthe

Finance committee  The very public language used in recent weeks is creating a chill, and that is really difficult for charities across the country. My hope is that with a national conversation now we will begin to celebrate the work of charities in a way that will make us all proud. In closing, l

Finance committee  Yes, really, that is our greatest concern. In our opinion, the system is working, and the 10% is working. There are all sorts of transparencies. These charities are among the most regulated in the country, and it is working. There is very little foreign money coming in. Although

Finance committee  Mr. Kent made that allegation. We wrote to the minister to ask him whether he was aware of the situation. You have to understand that in the charitable sector, if certain practices are occurring when they should not, they absolutely have to be pointed out. The people involved in

Finance committee  Well, there are two things. International philanthropy is not new, so dollars go across borders, and that has been the case for many years, on both sides.

Finance committee  No, no. So that's the first point.

Finance committee  If it's used for political activity within the 10% rule for charities, which is the law in Canada—if it's within the rules itself—I see no problem. As I was saying earlier, the 10% rule is there and has been there for a number of years. There should be good disclosure and transpa

Finance committee  The Canada Revenue Agency is the regulator. It has all the powers necessary, and we've always encouraged that. There is more money going into it in this current budget for audits and education. That being the case, absolutely, I'm concerned if I have a sense that CRA is not doi