The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue, today issued the following statement in response to the Office of the Taxpayers' Ombudsperson Report on Fairness of the Audit Process for Charities in Canada:
"The Government of Canada stands with and supports Muslim communities across Canada and reaffirms its commitment to take action to denounce and tackle Islamophobia, hate-fuelled violence, and systemic discrimination whenever and wherever it occurs.
As part of this commitment, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and I welcome the Office of the Taxpayers' Ombudsperson (OTO) report. We want to thank the Ombudsperson and his office for this important work.
I take the recommendation outlined by the OTO very seriously. I'm pleased to note that the CRA has recently begun taking steps toward ensuring that Muslim charities are treated fairly and that no equity-deserving organization is subject to bias. The CRA must enhance unconscious bias training for its officers and will work to implement more tailored training for auditors in the Charities Directorate as recommended by the Ombudsperson.
On March 14, 2023, the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency (NSIRA) announced that it will be commencing a review of CRA's Review and Analysis Division. The CRA welcomes this upcoming review and will fully cooperate with the NSIRA. We are confident that NSIRA will complement the Ombudsperson's report and offer a comprehensive and rigorous examination of the issues raised."
Both the CRA and the OTO seek to ensure that all taxpayers are provided with the best possible service, while being treated fairly and with respect.
