Description: Last week this blog discussed how the assessment service in  Province of New Brunswick invented renovations for over 2,000 residential properties in the province, causing big increases in tax assessments. The Premier has responded to the growing crisis by appointing a retired appeal court justice to examine the system. Anonymous insiders have claimed that invented assessments are the result of government direction to fast track a new assessment system.

Date: April 3, 2017

Source: cbc.ca

Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/tax-scandal-service-new-brunswick-1.4052233

Discussion Points:

1) Do you think that using the Auditor General’s Office (rather than a retired judge) to investigate these problems would offer a different perspective?

2)  Notice that rushing the system changes through is listed as a possible cause of this crisis. During your university courses, have you studied any famous cases where rushing system changes resulted in disaster?

3)  Do you think that the actions in this case could possibly be called a fraud?