18 Jul 2013

When Prime Minister Stephen Harper shuffled his cabinet earlier this week, we got ourselves a new Revenue Minister.

Kerry-Lynne Findlay, from the Delta-Richmond riding in British Columbia, takes the reins of the Canada Revenue Agency.

Moving up to a senior position from her previous appointment as Associate Minister of National Defence, Findlay told her hometown newspaper that there’s more to the CRA than collecting taxes.

“It’s about tax policies and we’ve brought in a lot of tax credits for families,” she said in the Delta Optimist. “Those kinds of issues, I’ll be working closely with the minister of finance.”

Jim Flaherty retained his position as Finance Minister in the shuffle.

Findlay practised law in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland of B.C. before entering the political world.

According to her website, she is recognized as one of the most knowledgeable lawyers regarding aboriginal land and resource management issues.

She has:

  • Achieved regional, provincial and national recognition as a passionate advocate and articulate debater
  • Represented clients at every level of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada
  • Been actively involved in the mediation of multi-party disputes in complex situations
  • Mentored many junior men and women in the legal profession
  • Worked for improvements in access to justice and court reform

Once Findlay gets to know her new role, she’ll likely be tasked with leading the CRA through the quagmire of uncollected tax debt andimplementing the recommendations in the Spring 2013 Auditor General’s Report.

We’ll be watching closely.

Follow along

The Canada Revenue Agency has a fairly active Twitter account. If you’re interested in following the account, you can the CRA at@CanRevAgency.

And don’t forget us! We’re on there, too, talking about taxes and business, especially for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Find us at @A1Acct.

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