and "significant contribution", adding: "Here we have been privileged to benefit from your leadership" in "the campaign against terror." Some critics argued the letter was excessively flattering and went beyond the demands of courtesy. Forgiving tax bills As Minister of National Revenue, O'Connor issued a remission order forgiving the tax bills of 35 former SDL Optics Inc. employees. The employees had used stock options to buy shares in their company for a fraction of their market value. The options were taxable and the shareholders owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes. O'Connor's order was made against the advice of Canada Revenue Agency commissioner William Baker. Tax professionals called it favouritism and "purely political." Most of the affected employees lived in the riding of fellow Conservative Cabinet Minister Gary Lunn. Notes External links Gordon O'Connor official site 1939 births BAE Systems people Canadian Army officers Canadian generals Canadian people of Irish descent Concordia University alumni Conservative Party of Canada MPs Living people Defence ministers of Canada Members of the 28th Canadian Ministry Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada Military personnel from Ottawa Military personnel from Toronto Politicians from Ottawa Politicians from Toronto Royal Military College of Canada people York University alumni The Royal Canadian Dragoons officers