Well, the Conservatives have fired the first salvo by costing Dion's promises.
Dion's lack of priorities will plunge Canada into deficit
A Stéphane Dion Liberal government would immediately push Canada back into deficit and rack up at least $62.5 billion in new debt.
That is the conclusion of a Conservative Party report which documents the major spending commitments made by Stéphane Dion and the Liberal Party since the 2006 federal election. The costing report reveals that, over the next four years, Stéphane Dion’s lack of priorities will, at a bare minimum, plunge Canada $62.5 billion deeper into debt.
“Stéphane Dion is a weak leader whose lack of priorities will cost everyone in the form of more debt,” said Conservative MP Jim Prentice. “Canadians will need to decide if he is really worth the risk.”
Someone is flexing their muscles, and it's sure not Dion and the Liberals, they are too busy walking out of votes, and sitting on their hands.
26 comments:
I wouldn't take a Conservative article from their website as a solid indication of the Liberal financial adequacies, but I suspect that there's some truth to the unfeasability of Dion's ideas. Most of the Dion expenditures have been negated by the GST tax cuts, so the Liberals have had to come up with programs which don't involve the restoration of taxes.
"...the GST tax cuts, so the Liberals have had to come up with programs which don't involve the restoration of taxes."
Exactly and that is why slahing the GSt for no other eason is a good idea. It is visible and painful for the communists/Liberals to raise without retribution.
It's a good idea politically. Economically, I'm not so sure. Luxury taxes should be increased, actually, and marginal taxes reduced. In a perfect world, anyway. Not Canada.
I like the GST cuts. They help everyone, especially those who do not pay income taxes, like my 14 year old kid!
Well, on face value the cuts are fine. Anything below a previous value in taxes is good. But a 1% cut to the GST versus a 1% cut to your income taxes is a mile of difference, unless you're purchasing a BMW SUV.
The GST cut is more noticable than an income tax cut, and harder to raise without us noticing.
Any tax cut is a good cut, some are just better than others. That's what economists were saying, but the media had to slant it so that it seemed like they were saying it was a BAD idea, it wasn't.
You don't have to buy big ticket items to notice the savings. We bought new tires at Christmas saved $20, that's money that stayed in my pocket.
Agreed 100%!!!
Any tax cut is a good tax cut. The GST tax cut reduced a government cash cow that was treated like found money.
Raphael, you really are drifting more into Liberalland.
Defending their approach to cutting taxes, get real.
Doubting the Conservative posting about Liberal promises. These are all a matter of public record, do the math.
I am not suggesting anyone takes any political party's word at face value. However, I didn't see anything listed that Liberals haven't promised.
I'm not defending "their" approach to the tax cut. It's simple economics that marginal cuts are better than consumption. But the Conservatives had staked out their position, and it was too late to backtrack. As well I merely said the copying of a press release from the conservative party website is as impartial as a Liberal one about Harper.
As for my descent into Liberal land, well... let's just say I'd rather vote for the marijuana party than I would the current Liberals, NDP, or Greens. I think my record of slamming all four political parties speaks for itself.
1% does little for an individual unless you are rich and buying big price items - it's a falacy that it helps ordinary families very much - it's a vote-buyer scheme.
Besides, the CPC's are running around the MSM with this black-book thing MISLEADING Canadians, as usual.
Dion plans - after $3 billion to reduce debt.
I'm sick of CPC liers - who's paying for this book anyway? We are not in election so, are the CPC paying out of their coffers or are taxpayers paying for it?
Lynne
Lynn, I think it was Liberal finance critic John McCallum who recommended using $3 billion to pay down the debt, and the rest on spending and tax cuts. I haven't heard Dion say he would cut taxes, but McCallum said it was an option.
It would be odd if the Liberals promised tax cuts and the Conservatives only promised to pay down the federal debt. When you consider the federal debt is $508 billion, cutting $3 billion or cutting $10 isn't really that huge of a difference.
Lynn, if it's on the Conservative site, and NOT the government site, it's Conservatives who are paying for it. I know that Liberals think government money is their money (Adscam), but Conservatives know how to keep party spending seperate from government spending.
Lynne, just how does an income tax cut help the millions of Canadians who pay no income tax at all? Low wage earners, children, the disabled, those on social assistance etc.
A GST cut helps all of those listed above as well as anyone else who spends money in this country. Did you catch that, a GST cut helps EVERYONE and the only falacy (sic) I see is that a tax cut will help more people than a GST tax would.
Now what was that you were saying about misleading people?
I really need to proof read before I hit the publish key.
It should read:
Did you catch that, a GST cut helps EVERYONE and the only falacy (sic) I see is that an income tax cut will help more people than a GST cut would.
I stand by my amateur economist belief that marginal tax cuts should be favoured. Maybe a GST cut is a good thing. In fact let's cut it altogether and implement a luxury tax so we can work on cutting personal income taxes even more.
Raphael, we already have a luxury tax, buy a Lexus, you pay an extra tax. Don't ask me how much it is, as I have never had to pay it, but I know some people who have.
Why should the most productive people have to pay more for being productive? To support the non-productive in society? How is that fair? These are typically the people who are company owner's who are supplying the jobs, maybe if we taxed them less, they could supply more jobs!
Luxury taxes don't target an individual's production. It's a means of taxing unnecessary consumption and is in use today in various countries around the world. In fact, luxury taxes are the only thing that actually make sense in a true capitalist economy. In a logical sense, no money would ever be taxed by the government at the source. It would all be incurred in revenue from expenditures. This would encourage savings, investment, and growth. We have our taxation economy backwards.
Taxing unnecessary consumption? What just because I can buy a Lexus, and you take the bus, this is unnecessary consumption, or envy? Simple economics = unlimited wants, limited resources. If noone could pay for a Lexus, they would not be produced.
Socialists want to make everyone equal, that's why our taxation system is all messed up. They refuse to acknowledge that people are not equal. The higher your salary the higher your tax rate. This discourages people from working MORE, that's why we see people working on Family Day for time off in lieu, they know how little they actually will take home at time and a half. If you lower the highest tax brackets, more revenue will be generated, look up the Laffer curve, it explains it.
Why is it okay to tax higher incomes, at a higher rate? You are rewarding low productivity, punishing high productivity. Why not a flat tax? Of course, no taxes, like no tuition, sounds good, but there is ultimately only one taxpayer.
How do businesses generate a profit? US, we buy their products, so who pays those business taxes? US by demanding the product.
"1% does little for an individual unless you are rich and buying big price items - it's a falacy that it helps ordinary families very much - it's a vote-buyer scheme"
Geesh Lynn - you sound a bit angry there??
Actually it has been a 2% cut now from the 7% and it certainly helps ordinary families - especially the low income ones that do not pay any taxes - an income tax would not help them. To a low income earner - every dollar helps.
Taxing unnecessary consumption? What just because I can buy a Lexus, and you take the bus, this is unnecessary consumption, or envy?
That's not what I mean. Our system is fundamentally backwards. We tax production and encourage unsustainable consumerism. That's why everybody has an $80,000 debt load. We should be taxing consumption and encouraging investment, savings, and capital.
Socialists want to make everyone equal, that's why our taxation system is all messed up. They refuse to acknowledge that people are not equal.
Exactly. Our tax system is progressive. I do want our system equal, as in a flat tax system. Every rightwing think tank would agree with me.
But I still think our current system of capitalism unsustainable because it encourages consumerism, not prosperity through investment and capital gains. We'll see a massive crash soon.
Actually it has been a 2% cut now from the 7% and it certainly helps ordinary families - especially the low income ones that do not pay any taxes - an income tax would not help them. To a low income earner - every dollar helps.
I haven't noticed any tax savings of appreciable importance. But then again, I haven't bought any large items since the tax cut.
I agree, we should have no business taxes, and a consumption tax like the GST would work better if we scraped personal taxes, but that is not going to happen.
The point I am making is that given the level of taxation we have, ANY tax cut is a relief.
Remember we are not a closed society, and if we reduce oil consumption through taxation, the oil companies will just sell it to China. Businesses want profits, they have no loyalty to countries.
Alberta Girl, I agree, start putting the 2% you save into a piggy bank, see how much you have at the end of the year, big purchases or not, it adds up. That's why the Liberals back in '93 said they were going to scrap it.
Dion is Bob Ray on steriods when it comes to goverment spending during slow down in the economy. How long till there are Dion days (UNPAID FORCE VACATIONS)
How long till there are Dion days
That's already par for the course when you're in a union, Tory government or no.
I'm not angry at all - I'm just not fooled by the scheme.
Funny how CPC-Prentice is running all over the place trying to trash the Liberals again - too obvious and too funny - they are misleading people - what fools.
Lynne
I've enjoyed the discussion regarding whether or not the GST cut was the right tax cut to make.
I just wanted to point out that the Cons raised lowest income tax bracket 0.5% so that they could pay for the GST cut. Therefore, the argument that any tax cut is a good tax cut doesn't fit very comfortably into this situation. The real argument is whether raising income taxes to pay for cuts to consumption taxes makes sense.
No, they didn't raise the lowest tax bracket by 0.5%, they just kept it where it was. The Liberals promised to lower it but that never passed in parliament because the election was called. Rev Can anticipated it would become law and changed the tax requirements ahead of it becoming law, they should have never done that.
Post a Comment