Federal Economic Statement

[AndreaPalladio]

Dear Steve Harper:

Thanks for the extra cash. I'm still never going to vote for you. Ever.

 

[billonlogan]

RIP: One Cent NOW!

 

[Hydrogen]

Dear Steve Harper:

Thanks for the extra cash. I'm still never going to vote for you. Ever.

Same here.

 

[Observer Walt]

I'll vote for him if he does a decent job of managing the country. He's not doing too badly so far.

 

[AndreaPalladio]

Other than the bigotry and all.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Interesting that the Cons is lowering the tax rate for the lowest bracket, considering they scrapped the same plan under the Liberals. Perhaps they are trying to take credit for something that thye basically "didn't do" (or to placate the arguments that they haven't done anything for the poor).

AoD

 

[avatarreb]

I will enjoy my 1% reduced GST as I walk on cracked sidewalks, past dead trees to the streetcar stop and wait an hour for an overcrowded and rundown car and pay my $3 ticket so that it will take me on pot-holed roads to a closed ice rink that is filled with uncollected garbage. But I’m enjoying my 1% reduced GST.

 

[Urban Shocker]

Don't non-spend it all at once.

 

[ShonTron]

Thanks to Stephane Dion for standing up for cities not voting against this garbage. I bet Jack Layton is even more grateful than I am to Dion.

 

[Observer Walt]

For now at least, Dion seems to be a non-factor on the Canadian political scene. For the good of the country I hope he and his party can get their act together sometime soon. Although I am leaning toward supporting Harper for now (yes, in spite of the horrific "bigotry" and all, AP), I am also not the least bit eager to see the Liberal party wither and fade away. We are well served by having a minority government with a strong opposition.

 

[adma]

I will enjoy my 1% reduced GST as I walk on cracked sidewalks, past dead trees to the streetcar stop and wait an hour for an overcrowded and rundown car and pay my $3 ticket so that it will take me on pot-holed roads to a closed ice rink that is filled with uncollected garbage. But I’m enjoying my 1% reduced GST.

Yeah, and I enjoy me winnings at the racetrack as me wife goes silently coo-coo and me spawn drops out of school...

 

[Hydrogen]

Interesting that the Cons is lowering the tax rate for the lowest bracket, considering they scrapped the same plan under the Liberals.

Yeah, another case of "your bad idea is my good idea."

 

[afransen]

GST: big thumbs down. Stupid policy. Only saving grace is "they're doing what they promised they'd do".

PIT cut: again, another cancelled Liberal program reintroduced. The raises in the basic personal exemption are good news for the working poor. This is the kind of PIT tax reduction I'd like to see: cuts at the low end that essentially make the PIT more progressive, without really raising marginal rates at the top end.

CIT: Excellent news for the economy.

I'm not altogether displeased, but the GST cut really is an egregious error that may be difficult to correct.

 

[syn]

More money is always nice, but a terrific opportunity is passing us by. With all of the huge surpluses over the past years, this would have been an excellent opportunity to invest in infrastructure. Instead, we get...tax cuts.

 

[Ahab]

GST: big thumbs down. Stupid policy. Only saving grace is "they're doing what they promised they'd do".

While I agree with everything else, I wouldn't say that there's a saving grace to implementing this. Keeping promises is overrated to begin with. Keeping a stupid promise is just stupid.

Our finance minister needs to take some basic economics classes. This will overheat an already overheated economy and leave little room for future governments to provide economic stimulus when the economy is in a slump.

Ontario should raise the PST.