In 1991 an unnamed wealthy family--widely reported to be the Bronfmans--moved $2 billion out of Canada without having to pay the appropriate taxes. When CHO!CES, a Winnipeg-based social justice coalition, decided to take the federal government to court to force it to collect the tax, an amazing five-year odyssey through the legal and tax system was underway. A wild story of tenacious activists, public interest advocacy, and tax law.

Doug Smith is a Winnipeg writer and author of numerous books on political and social issues and Manitoba labour and political history: including Stickin’ to the Union: Local 2224 versus John Buhler, As Many Liars: The Story of the 1995 Manitoba Vote-Splitting Scandal, and Joe Zuken: Citizen and Socialist, Consulted to Death: How Canada’s Workplace Health and Safety System Fails Workers and As Many Liars: The Story of the 1995 Manitoba Vote-Rigging Scandal.

He has written for several magazines and newspapers including This Magazine, Maclean’s and the Winnipeg Sun. He has also worked as producer at CBC radio for documentaries and the CBC Radio program Ideas and worked as an editorial consultant on a number of public inquiries including the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Doug Smith's profile page

A compelling story of how the Mulroney government bent the law to spare a Canadian billionaire family hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes, and how a gutsy citizen movement almost succeeded in making them pay. Provocative and well-told, How to Tax a Billionaire raises some powerful questions about the nature of Canadian democracy. - Linda McQuaig, author of Shooting the Hippo and Behind Closed Doors