Suzuki Foundation ad pulled due to conflict

[The Green Barbarian]

What a surprise! David Suzuki, displaying his usual massive arrogance at being above the law, is caught in a conflict of interest situation in Ontario, backing the Liberal government after his foundation received money from them. Shocker! Will the CBC ask him to resign? We can only hope. My only question - why would you want David Suzuki as a backer of your party? Yeesh - that's like asking George W. Bush to endorse your MENSA chapter.

Suzuki charity under fire over Liberal ties

TORONTO - The David Suzuki Foundation overstepped its legal bounds as a charity after its famous founder endorsed Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty's green energy plan in a video, critics have charged.

The video on the Liberal Party website, which showed David Suzuki and McGuinty walking through Vancouver's Stanley Park, was removed from the Liberal Party website over the weekend following complaints from Wind Concerns Ontario, a citizens' group opposing wind turbines.

In the video, Suzuki praises McGuity's green initiatives, saying "I happen to applaud the future he's leading us into."

Under Canada Revenue Agency rules, registered charities are forbidden to push a partisan political stance.

Suzuki stepped down from the foundation's board "sometime in the summer months" to "play a leading role" with the organization, said spokesman James Boothroyd, refusing to say exactly when the well-known environmentalist stepped down.

But Suzuki and the foundation are "one in the same," insisted Wind Concerns Ontario president John Laforet. "David Suzuki is the primary spokesperson for the foundation," Laforet said. "This is a charitable foundation. They've received money from the government of Ontario, and now they're turning and supporting Ontario's premier."

Laforet went on to say that the CRA should look "seriously" into Suzuki's political endorsements. Canadian Taxpayers Federation head Gregory Thomas agreed. Given Suzuki's close ties to the foundation, he said, there could be a conflict of interest with his endorsement of McGuinty. "If David Suzuki wants be a political activist, that's what he should do, and not call himself a charity," Thomas said.

According to the Canada Revenue Agency website, registered charities "cannot be involved in partisan political activities," including "attempts to sway public opinion on social issues." The breaking of such rules could mean reprimands such as mandatory education around CRA regulations, fines or a revocation of charity status, said CRA spokesman Philippe Brideau.

But Boothroyd said the foundation didn't break any rules, adding he didn't know why the video was taken down from the Liberal Party website.

"Mr. Suzuki has endorsed our ... green energy plan," said Liberal spokeswoman Alicia Johnson was unable to recall who gave the order to remove the video.

"To ensure that nobody misconstrues Mr. Suzuki's personal comments and (links) them with the foundation, we've removed the video from our website."

The David Suzuki Foundation received between $100,000 and $250,000 from the government-affiliated Ontario Trillium Foundation in 2010.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/Onta ... 16266.html

[Veovis]

As in all things like this.....MORE INFO.

Mainly, is this the first time ever that gov't funding has gone to this foundation? If not, than someone is just puffing smoke to get themselves some attention. IF not, then it looks kinda crappy for Davy boy, but if they have received provincial funding of 100-250K every year for the past 15 years this is a silly article.

[NAB]

I'm rather surprised, giving Suzukies political activist history, that his foundation even qualifies for charitable status in the first place...

...but then this comment in the article suggests that even though foundation carries his name, he is somehow not to be linked to it??? Odd... how could any rational person not link them??? Must be one of them tax loophole thingy's ;-)

"To ensure that nobody misconstrues Mr. Suzuki's personal comments and (links) them with the foundation..."

Nab