Liberals Consider Pledge to Hike GGT

[scribblet]

Hmmm, I wonder who this would resonate with the voters, particularly as they have always been the party which promised to get rid of the GST. IMO it would be a bad move on their part.

http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/st...bd-77fa6004fc86

Liberals consider pledge to hike GST

Pay for income tax cuts

OTTAWA - The Liberal party is debating whether it should pledge to reverse the $6-billion cut to the GST made by the Conservatives, as a means of funding broad-based income tax cuts.

John McCallum, the party's finance critic, is understood to have pushed the idea of increasing the federal goods and services tax back to 7%.

"It's an option. All I can say is that it is consistent with our approach. But I'm not about to say that the Liberal party will raise the GST because that's not been decided," he said in an interview from Paris, where he is attending an OECD meeting.

[Shakeyhands]

makes sense to me, the 1% GST has done absolutely nothing for me, where a tax cut certainly would make a big difference day to day

[Michael Bluth]

makes sense to me, the 1% GST has done absolutely nothing for me, where a tax cut certainly would make a big difference day to day

Why not a 2% raise in the GST? Or 3%?

The GST cut as done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for you?

You haven't bought anything subject to the GST since the new rate came into effect? Really? Where do you live? How do you live?

[Shakeyhands]

sure have, just bought a new vehicle. I'd rather see savings on my income statement. I don't buy large items regularily. Saving 1/1000 of a cent on a can of soup makes absolutely no difference.

[noahbody]

sure have, just bought a new vehicle. I'd rather see savings on my income statement. I don't buy large items regularily. Saving 1/1000 of a cent on a can of soup makes absolutely no difference.

So it has made a difference to you. Where do you shop for soup. Seems like a great deal?

[Who's Doing What?]

I like the idea.

$6 billion could go along way towards my personal income tax.

I don't spent $100,000 dollars in a year on GST applicable goods so getting an extra $1000 off my income tax suits me alot more.

I said from day one the GST cut is nothing more than a tax break for the rich. Saving money for those who already have lots of it to spend. Cutting the level of the bottom tax bracket makes much more sense.

[Michael Bluth]

I like the idea.

$6 billion could go along way towards my personal income tax.

Just like it's going a long way to cut people's consumption.

This is a non-starter for all but the blindest Liberal partisans.

[noahbody]

I don't spent $100,000 dollars in a year on GST applicable goods so getting an extra $1000 off my income tax suits me alot more.

You'd only actually get around $290. The cut only affects the first $29000 (approx) of income.

[Who's Doing What?]

I like the idea.

$6 billion could go along way towards my personal income tax.

Just like it's going a long way to cut people's consumption.

This is a non-starter for all but the blindest Liberal partisans.

Cut peoples consumption????

Putting more money directly in my pocket will cut my consumption? Taking less tax off you paycheck is going to make people spend less? Whoever your economics professor was he needs to be fired.

I'm not even a liberal. What drivel you spew.

You'd only actually get around $290. The cut only affects the first $29000 (approx) of income.

Which cut?

[noahbody]

You'd only actually get around $290. The cut only affects the first $29000 (approx) of income.

Which cut?

The Liberals wish to restore the 1% cut they brought in during the election, and reverse the GST cut. The 1% cut only affected the first tax bracket.

[Michael Bluth]

Cut peoples consumption????

Putting more money directly in my pocket will cut my consumption? Taking less tax off you paycheck is going to make people spend less? Whoever your economics professor was he needs to be fired.

I'm not even a liberal. What drivel you spew.

Consumption taxes.

Was missing that one word really justification for such a mean-spiritied little end to your diatrive?

You don't consider your self to be a liberal?

Are you saying you are a centrist or right of centre on the political spectrum?

Maybe it's your political science professor who needs to be fired.

Just as long as your psych nurse keeps you in your job and on your meds it's all good.

[Shakeyhands]

Cut peoples consumption????

Putting more money directly in my pocket will cut my consumption? Taking less tax off you paycheck is going to make people spend less? Whoever your economics professor was he needs to be fired.

I'm not even a liberal. What drivel you spew.

Consumption taxes.

Was missing that one word really justification for such a mean-spiritied little end to your diatrive?

You don't consider your self to be a liberal?

Are you saying you are a centrist or right of centre on the political spectrum?

Maybe it's your political science professor who needs to be fired.

Just as long as your psych nurse keeps you in your job and on your meds it's all good.

a missing quotation mark drew yours earlier.... ?

[Michael Bluth]

a missing quotation mark drew yours earlier.... ?

Where and where?

[jdobbin]

"It's an option. All I can say is that it is consistent with our approach. But I'm not about to say that the Liberal party will raise the GST because that's not been decided," he said in an interview from Paris, where he is attending an OECD meeting.

I'd rather have an income tax decrease. Pretty much every expert out there says the GST was not the best option for tax cuts.

[Michael Bluth]

I'd rather have an income tax decrease. Pretty much every expert out there says the GST was not the best option for tax cuts.

That point has been pretty much (falsely) beaten to death by the Liberals.

Go ahead propose raising the GST. It will make for great fodder in the election of '09.

[Shakeyhands]

a missing quotation mark drew yours earlier.... ?

Where and where?

http://www.mapleleafweb.com/forums//index....ndpost&p=219938

[Who's Doing What?]

Consumption taxes.

Was missing that one word really justification for such a mean-spiritied little end to your diatrive?

You don't consider your self to be a liberal?

Are you saying you are a centrist or right of centre on the political spectrum?

Maybe it's your political science professor who needs to be fired.

Just as long as your psych nurse keeps you in your job and on your meds it's all good.

Why not you have delivered much worse for far less.

No.

I posted my political test score. Go have a look.

Doubtful. Just because you are arrogant doesn't make you right. remember that.

I think you are the one in need of psychiatric care, judging from your obsessive behaviour on these boards.

[Who's Doing What?]

The Liberals wish to restore the 1% cut they brought in during the election, and reverse the GST cut. The 1% cut only affected the first tax bracket.

$290 is still alot more than I am saving with a 1% GST cut. I will say it again, it is a tax break for the rich.

I don't spend $29,000 on GST applicable products in a year.

[jdobbin]

I posted my political test score. Go have a look.

Doubtful. Just because you are arrogant doesn't make you right. remember that.

I think you are the one in need of psychiatric care, judging from your obsessive behaviour on these boards.

Are some people still attacking others with accusations? They obviously doesn't know you very well.

It must come from the pages of the Tory manual on how to stall, deflect and act like a donkey.

[jdobbin]

$290 is still alot more than I am saving with a 1% GST cut. I will say it again, it is a tax break for the rich.

I don't spend $29,000 on GST applicable products in a year.

I think you hit the nail on the head. Income taxes have a more significant impact on the taxpayer than a GST cut.

When this issue was debated here when the original cut was made, there were very few experts saying that GST cuts were preferable to income tax cuts.

[Vancouver King]

Increasing the GST back to 7% would be political suicide for any party. Never has there been such emotion and cynicism over a specific tax. Remember Chretien's scouts-honor promise to abolish it completely?

Any party must tread warily when the subject of tax hikes is on the agenda. If and when Stephen Harper fails in a re-election bid, analysts will point to his politically foolish income tax increase on the poorest working Canadians as part of the reason for his rejection at the polls.

Canadians cannot understand or identify with this lack of compassion. Kicking the poor in their empty wallets - and Tories scratch their heads over accusations of being mean-spirited.

[jdobbin]

Increasing the GST back to 7% would be political suicide for any party. Never has there been such emotion and cynicism over a specific tax. Remember Chretien's scouts-honor promise to abolish it completely?

Any party must tread warily when the subject of tax hikes is on the agenda. If and when Stephen Harper fails in a re-election bid, analysts will point to his politically foolish income tax increase on the poorest working Canadians as part of the reason for his rejection at the polls.

Canadians cannot understand or identify with this lack of compassion. Kicking the poor in their empty wallets - and Tories scratch their heads over accusations of being mean-spirited.

I would have said increasing income tax would have been a problem but the Tories increased income tax and decreased the GST. I think a straight forward reversal would be manageable.

[geoffrey]

I have proposed a flat tax as the ultimate solution... I think my in depth plan I outlined here in it's own thread was pretty much as equitable and secure as it gets (no system is perfect).

GST is much more highly evaded than Income Tax and it's most costly to administer and audit per dollar collected. What gaurntee do you have that moving our taxes towards VAT and away from income won't hurt those that play by the rules in favour of the tax evaders?

[scribblet]

A flat tax is the answer, at around maybe 17% for all, as long as all the loopholes are closed.

[kimmy]

The GST cut was a nice symbolic gesture, but the only real effect it has had on me is that I've got a lot more pennies on my dresser than I had at this time last year.

The money saved for me by the GST cut has come largely in the form of small change that I'll have to roll up and take to the bank at some point. When one considers the cost of the time it will take me to roll all this change and transport it to the bank, I'm not sure it's much of a windfall.

I've argued on here many times in the past that the GST is the fairest tax we have. I even mused that someday I'd like to see income tax scrapped completely and made up by a hike in GST.

-k