The federal government has agreed to pay $1.1 million to settle a Canada Revenue Agency tax bill imposed on a Montreal suburb for funds the city recovered from a corrupt ex-mayor.
A spokesperson for Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne says he will authorize the payment to the Revenue Department on behalf of Laval, Que., north of Montreal.
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The tax bill stems from the actions of former Laval mayor Gilles Vaillancourt, who pleaded guilty in 2016 to participating in a years-long collusion and corruption scheme surrounding the awarding of public contracts.
He was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to repay the city more than $8 million, including $7 million that was held in a Swiss bank account.
Laval Mayor Stéphane Boyer formally asked Ottawa in March to intervene so that the city’s residents wouldn’t be stuck paying taxes on money it recovered from Vaillancourt.
Champagne’s press secretary, John Fragos, says the government recognizes that the tax situation was unfair to Laval and its residents, and is acting to rectify it.
Quebec or not, the point is Feds paying means our tax dollars we gave to the Feds pays a multi million dollar heist. It’s still our tax dollars going into a con artiste. Can’t wait to watch Trump get a slap on the wrist for his Billion heist.
There was approx 9.5 million seized between the swiss acct. and personal assets recovered in total on a 10 million outstanding balance owed. Why a fed. tax payer paid bailout? He will do 2 years??
Champagne’s press secretary, John Fragos, says the government recognizes that the tax situation was unfair to Laval and its residents, and is acting to rectify it.” THEY vote him into power THEY should be held responsible for what he did. WHY should CANADA be denied the taxes that Quebec or the city he was Mayor of be paid to ALL CANADIANS. We would never get away with this happening in the rest of canada so why should Quebec.
More French corruption, big surprise. And of course the Laurentian elite will come in and use western tax dollars to bail them out. I hope Quebec separates.