Probably the Best Website in Canadian Politcs

[bigdude]

Paulmartintime

Paul's Priorities:

1. Corporate Tax Cuts

Canada's are among the lowest effective taxes (27.4%) on corporate income of all industrialized countries, with effective rates of taxation far lower than in the US (40%). But even as health care and education funding stagnated, Paul Martin dished up a 35% decrease in tax rates for corporations--far more than the 21% break for families.

2. Enriching the Wealthy

According to the government's handy tax calculator, a single mother of one child earning $15,000 annually would save a much-needed $569. By contrast, a single man making $125,000 annually would save over $4,000. Though people earning under $40,000 make up 70% of Canadian taxpayers, this same 70% received only 36% of the total cuts in 2000.

Martin's fiscal policies as finance minister have already resulted in a major increase in the gap between the rich and the poor, but he hasn't lost his fervour: Martin is making tax cuts his top priority as Prime Minister.

3. Cheap Labour

Paul Martin knows that there are two ways for corporations to increase profits: cut costs or increase revenue. There are only so many ways to sell more product, and while executive salaries rise indefinitely, rank and file labour costs always represent major potential profit increases in the eyes of CEOs. Indeed, Martin himself put this into practice when he fired the Canadian crews of Canada Steamship Lines and replaced them with Indonesians who worked for a little over a dollar an hour and were denied overtime pay.

4. Privatization

In the years to come, investors and CEOs see the possibilities of trillions of dollars of potential value in the areas of water, health care, and education. By cutting funding for government services in all of these areas, Paul Martin is effectively creating an environment friendly to privatization.

Among Paul Martin's first moves as Prime Minister was the decision to axe the housing minister and appoint a privatization czar. Actions like these leave little doubt as to Martin's actual priorities.

5. US Militarization

Groups like the Canadian Council of Chief Executives demand ever-closer integration with the US, in order to keep Canadian labour costs low and benefit from US contracts. Among the lucrative contracts from the south are a wide array of "defense" deals. Arms manufacturing in Canada is one of the country's fastest growing industries. With Martin as Finance Minister, the Canada Pension Plan invested $2.55 billion in arms manufacturers, including weapons used in Iraq and Afghanistan. Martin has also repeatedly shown his intention of joining the US missile defence plan.

Quite a guy, this prime minister of ours, eh!

[geoffrey]

Paulmartintime

Paul's Priorities:

1. Corporate Tax Cuts

Canada's are among the lowest effective taxes (27.4%) on corporate income of all industrialized countries, with effective rates of taxation far lower than in the US (40%). But even as health care and education funding stagnated, Paul Martin dished up a 35% decrease in tax rates for corporations--far more than the 21% break for families.

2. Enriching the Wealthy

According to the government's handy tax calculator, a single mother of one child earning $15,000 annually would save a much-needed $569. By contrast, a single man making $125,000 annually would save over $4,000. Though people earning under $40,000 make up 70% of Canadian taxpayers, this same 70% received only 36% of the total cuts in 2000.

Martin's fiscal policies as finance minister have already resulted in a major increase in the gap between the rich and the poor, but he hasn't lost his fervour: Martin is making tax cuts his top priority as Prime Minister.

3. Cheap Labour

Paul Martin knows that there are two ways for corporations to increase profits: cut costs or increase revenue. There are only so many ways to sell more product, and while executive salaries rise indefinitely, rank and file labour costs always represent major potential profit increases in the eyes of CEOs. Indeed, Martin himself put this into practice when he fired the Canadian crews of Canada Steamship Lines and replaced them with Indonesians who worked for a little over a dollar an hour and were denied overtime pay.

4. Privatization

In the years to come, investors and CEOs see the possibilities of trillions of dollars of potential value in the areas of water, health care, and education. By cutting funding for government services in all of these areas, Paul Martin is effectively creating an environment friendly to privatization.

Among Paul Martin's first moves as Prime Minister was the decision to axe the housing minister and appoint a privatization czar. Actions like these leave little doubt as to Martin's actual priorities.

5. US Militarization

Groups like the Canadian Council of Chief Executives demand ever-closer integration with the US, in order to keep Canadian labour costs low and benefit from US contracts. Among the lucrative contracts from the south are a wide array of "defense" deals. Arms manufacturing in Canada is one of the country's fastest growing industries. With Martin as Finance Minister, the Canada Pension Plan invested $2.55 billion in arms manufacturers, including weapons used in Iraq and Afghanistan. Martin has also repeatedly shown his intention of joining the US missile defence plan.

Quite a guy, this prime minister of ours, eh!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is a good way to get all of us conservatives to vote for him.

[kimmy]

I don't think bigdude was trying to get people to vote for Paul Martin... bigdude's an enthusiastic NDP supporter. I think he was probably just trying to spur some discussion about Paul Martin.

I've also tried to spur some discussion about Paul Martin lately, but failed. I've attacked his record... I've disparaged his manhood in terms that would make Linda Trimble shout "reverse sexism!" from the rooftops. A few days ago, I posted a rather negative view of Paul Martin's first 18 months as Prime Minister, and given the number of avid Liberals on this forum, I was sure that there'd be no shortage of people wanting to take issue with at least some of it. Nope. Not a single response.

I'm kind of getting the impression that Paul Martin's greatest strength is that he's not Stephen Harper. In discussing why they prefer Martin over Harper, people on this forum focus on Harper's negatives, because the discussion of Martin's positives would be ... rather short.

I'm not sure if "Mr Dithers" was the right gloss to put on the guy. I think "Mr Milquetoast" is probably closer to the truth. But at least he's not Harper... and I guess in a lot of people's minds that's good enough.

-k

[ScottBrison]

bigdude's an enthusiastic NDP supporter.

WOW! an enthusiastic NDP supporter, step back everyone there aren't many of these and we don't want to have them become extinct. I mean wow how much longer are you going to be able to see one of these in the wild?

[bigdude]

Scott.........keep your eye on the ball pal, and the upcoming polls if Dithers continue to dither.

[cybercoma]

That enriching the wealthy part is amusing. A quick calculation will show you that $569 of $15,000/year is 3.79%, $4000 of $125,000/year oddly enough is 3.2%. That's over half a point lower than the percentage the single mother is getting back. Who here supports equality?

[Canuck E Stan]

If Layton is on the ball we will see Mr. Dithers sweating the small stuff if the NDP budget gets delayed. This one's got to get activated real soon not like all the $$$$ promised over 5,8,10 or in the case of airport taxes,full reduction 4o years from now. Layton will pull the plug on Liberal support if PM delays. How can a government promise monies way beyond their mandate? I guess 5 billion over 5 years sounds better than 1 billion in one year. To bad the primary budget won't start to get processed until March 2006.

[bigdude]

It's too bad this website is not active at the moment.

I remember when it first started and Dithers threatened to sue the 3 young, non-aligned to any party politically, guys from the Maritimes.

Eventually the threatened Liberal lawsuit became the story, the website got massive free publicity, and Dithers dithered, and did nothing.