Anyone believe Steven Harper will reduce the GST?

[Egor]

IMO the question with Harper's plan to reduce the GST tax is that he hasn't said what effect it will have on the GST rebate cheques low-income Canadians receive every 3 months. One might think that if the GST is reduced, a decrease in rebates would follow.

I'm not sure what dreamer means when he says the GST is a "neutral" tax ...

The GST is an oppressive tax for low-income Canadians. Obviously the federal government thinks so as well, or else why would they send out millions of GST "rebate" cheques every year?

 

[dreamer]

I'm not sure what dreamer means when he says the GST is a "neutral" tax ..

It is neutral in a sense that it affects everyone regardless of income, that is why a reduction in effect gives everyone a benefit regardless of income. However, it can be rightly argued that the more well off will benefit the most from a reduction because they spend the most.

The GST refund checks are designed to help those who need it the most, not an admission that it is an oppressive tax. The GST just replaced a weaker hidden tax system.

If anything, they should increase the refundable GST.

 

[stang]

2% ? Who the fuck cares. It's all smoke and mirrors.
Anyone who prefers to be in politics is an asshole who can't cut it in the real world.
Pick someone who's successfully running a business and put them in charge.

 

[Esco!]

2% ? Who the fuck cares. It's all smoke and mirrors.
Anyone who prefers to be in politics is an asshole who can't cut it in the real world.
Pick someone who's successfully running a business and put them in charge.

LOL.....

 

[unshavencuban]

Steven Harper

Give the man his due,after 12 years of Liberal lies & theft it's about time the fucked-up Liberal lovers here in Toronto or in the media get off Harper's back & give this country a chance to prosper again with the Conservatives.
Halt Immigration
A free vote in parliament over the re-instatement of the death penalty
resolve or try 2 resolve the gouging at the pumps
tougher laws across the board
Scrap the young offender's act--a crime is a crime

 

[newguy27]

At least for once it is a clear and precise promise. I think they would do it for sure since it is only one percent reduction until the next election. Not too much money lost considering the massive surplus we are all paying for. It also gives them something to waive over everyone's heads for a few years as a concrete and visible promise kept. When tax brackets are adjusted, no one really notices overall.

The best thing about the promise to reduce the GST, is watching Martin and Co. trying to bash any reduction of the GST, since he co-wrote the 1993 Red Book promising to abolish the "hated" GST and said some nasty things about it too. The very promise of reducing the gst emphasises the complete and utter turnabout the Liberals did since 1993 on one of their biggest promises..ha ha ha.

And when the Conservative outline further tax reductions over the next few weeks, Martin and Co. will have harder time bashing them since they are all pushing for income tax reductions now. I think it is a nice move overall!

 

[A-ROD]

2% ? Who the fuck cares. It's all smoke and mirrors.
Anyone who prefers to be in politics is an asshole who can't cut it in the real world.
Pick someone who's successfully running a business and put them in charge.

I agree 100%. We don't pay our politicians enough money. That is why we get bad lawyers and flunky political science grads.

Years ago they asked Lee Iacoca to run for president. He said he would never make the $10 + million he makes in the real world.

 

[Aircraft]

..that's advisor

It can be spelled correctly either way.

 

[hotsex2]

Harper is the biggest BS... the pc party brought the GST.

 

[dreamer]

I think it is a nice move overall!

You are right there, most voters will not realize, unless the media plays it up, how bad of an idea lowering the GST is compared to doing proper income tax reduction.

People love to hate the GST so attacking is a very smart political idea.

 

[O-Shoes]

Harper vs Martin

Now who is the lesser of two evils?

Before it was Martin now by far it is Harper...

It's your choice Toronto, Are you going to play safe again or actually take a chance on a new Government?

 

[Don]

Will Stevie come through or is just more BS?

Didn't Chretien already eliminate the GST?

 

[Judas H]

Didn't Chretien already eliminate the GST?

No he didn't, that's why Sheila Copps resigned from politics. She promised us she would if the Liberal party didn't scrap the GST. Thank God Sheila was an honest politician.

 

[dreamer]

Do some reading.... the GST was a huge improvement. Even the liberals knew it.

I find this whole issue interesting, not because most people really have no idea how the GST came about and why, but rather that the Conservatives had a great idea to replace a bad tax system and now for political reasons seem intent on shooting themselves in the foot over it.

I have stated earlier that I am a liberal, but it makes me sick how all parties will say or do just about anything to get elected. Liberals did it when they attacked the GST and then did a flip flop, and now the Conservatives are doing it by making the GST a election issue again.

Tonight I actually heard someone say that the GST should be hidden because of false advertising regarding prices. One of the benefits of the GST is that it is obvious to everyone what the taxes are when they purchase something. Just pass a law that advertisors have to state the gross price not the one net of taxes.

Here is what definitely will happen if the GST is reduced :

Everyone will receive an instant tax break, however the rich will receive the most, not the less well off.

Now what may happen :

Inflation due to more spending? I heard somewhere today, radio, tv, not sure, where a conservative said that they do expect more spending that will actually offset some of the reduction in collected taxes.

Conservatives reduce the refundable GST because the poor are not paying as much GST? (if they do this then only the rich will really benefit)

So, I think reducing the GST rate is a political move at the cost of the country's economy. It is much better to reduce income taxes.

 

[Svend]

All sales taxes are regressive because the poor pay a larger percentage of their income on them than the rich. I'd rather see the income tax increased, I don't need the daily reminder when shopping.

 

[newguy27]

2% ? Who the fuck cares. It's all smoke and mirrors.
Anyone who prefers to be in politics is an asshole who can't cut it in the real world.
Pick someone who's successfully running a business and put them in charge.

Not sure if that is always true. Wasnt Belinda Stronach in charge of a multimillion dollar company? Didnt Arnold have his own little personal empire? Isnt Martin himself a shipping magnate?

I think the power available in politics can attract a lot of bad apples and not enough good ones.

 

[dreamer]

All sales taxes are regressive because the poor pay a larger percentage of their income on them than the rich. I'd rather see the income tax increased, I don't need the daily reminder when shopping.

Not true, we all pay the same percentage.

Assuming that on average we spend 100% of our income on taxable items, then someone earning $21,400 per year will spend $1,400 on GST. Someone earning $107,000 will pay $7,000. Both pay the same percentage with the less well off paying less in absolute total.

Now under the conservative's plan they will give back approximately $200 to the person earning $21,400 and approximately $1,000 to the person earning $107,000.

Now do you see the problem with the conservative plan. It would be better to give the low income earner $500 and the high income earner $0. You can do that with income tax reductions, not GST reductions. The conservatives are playing political games with the GST to get elected not because it is a good idea.

As for being regressive, look at the two extremes.

First extreme, everything is taxable that you spend money on. In this scenario everyone pays the exact same percentage.

Second extreme, all the basic necessities of life are exempt and only luxuary items are taxable. In this scenario the tax is regressive towards the rich, not the poor.

The reason that many say that a consumption tax is a bad idea for the poor is that we are somewhere in between the extremes and that the poor actually do pay tax. If you only earn $6,000 per year you would pay sales tax but not income tax and it seems wrong that someone earning only $6,000 per year would pay any tax at all. That is why there is the refundable GST for low income earners.

 

[Keebler Elf]

*Sigh*

Will the Conservatives ever get out of the past and into the now? Harper is still squawking about the GST?!? C'mon buddy, it's here and going to stay. Get over it and spend your time developing a platform that's relevant today and consists of more than just "Liberals bad. Conservatives good."

 

[Judas H]

*Sigh*

Will the Conservatives ever get out of the past and into the now? Harper is still squawking about the GST?!? C'mon buddy, it's here and going to stay. Get over it and spend your time developing a platform that's relevant today and consists of more than just "Liberals bad. Conservatives good."

It is actualy a smart thing to do, Harper is distancing himself from the Mulroney government.

It pains me to pay taxes when I purchase items, when I am spending my hard earned money.

I can never figure out what my income tax is any way, It changes every year so reducing it doesn't do diddly squat for me.

I love the idea of a reduction in the GST.

 

[Judas H]

Nope. It'll never happen.

Sure it will, in a minority government he won't be able to back out of it.