OFFICIAL TO GET DATA TO MEASURE COST OF AVOIDANCE

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says a deal has been struck that will give the parliamentary budget officer the data needed to conduct an independent analysis of the amount of revenue Ottawa loses each year due to offshore tax havens and other tax avoidance schemes. The budget officer has been demanding the data for five years but, until now, the Canada Revenue Agency has refused to provide it, citing privacy concerns. The prime minister says the PBO and the agency have reached an agreement that will deliver the data by the end of the month. He says it will be provided in way that will ensure the protection of personal information. Jean-Denis Fréchette, pictured, the parliamentary budget officer, has mused about suing the CRA to gain access to the data.