No Inuktitut tax forms

Representatives from the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, formerly Revenue Canada, were in Iqaluit last week, though not for the purpose of translating the federal income tax forms into Inuktitut, as Iqaluit East MLA Ed Picco mistakenly pointed out in the House.

Picco introduced Geoff Moffat and Tom Walker to the legislative assembly on Tuesday, saying Elinor Caplan, the federal revenue minister, told him last month when she was in town that she would send representatives from her office to choose the workers to translate the documents.

“You may recall, Mr. Speaker, I have been on this kick for about three years writing different federal ministers with no responses that were positive,” Picco said.

Unfortunately, the response still isn’t positive. According to Jean Ouimet, regional director of communications for CCRA, the agency has no plans to translate the documents.

“It would be nice if we were to do this but I don’t think it would be reasonable,” he said.

However, CCRA does plan to release Inuktitut posters and public service announcements near tax time, Ouimet said.