I received the following e-mail from the Federal Leader of the Green Party Elizabeth May today August 1, 2008. This is the first meaningful response from any of the Political leaders that I have e-mailed about the idea of the Feds imposing the GST on the recently implemented B.C. Carbon Tax.
I have been assured by the Premier of B.C. and my local MLA's office as recently as yesterday that the Provincial Finance Minister will be responding to my concerns and will be replying shortly. I too, like Elizabeth May, look forward to his response.
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E-Mail Received From Elizabeth May:
The situation you describe is quite absurd. The GST applies on goods and services. A tax is neither a good nor a service. The BC tax must have some serious bugs in it if this is the application! I also look forward to seeing the response from the BC Minister of Finance.
A federal Green Tax Shift, as first proposed by the Green Party, and lately partially adopted by the Liberal Party, will NOT have a GST on the tax. The revenue neutrality comes from substantial cuts on other taxes, such as Income taxes and the employer and employee contributions to CPP and EI. We would also include a GST rebate for rural Canadians who lack access to mass transit to reduce their carbon emissions, cut student loans in half, and increase to income supports for low income Canadians.
In effect, tax shifting is *not* a new tax. It is a way to change the way taxes are collected. It gives every Canadian options to reduce how much tax they pay -- not something you can do with a heavily income tax based system (few people decide to earn less income to avoid taxes, but many would opt to be more energy efficient to reduce taxes). It is a great way to reach GHG reduction goals while stimulating the economy.
But there will not be a GST applied to tax shifting. If such were to happen, count on me to raise hell.
Elizabeth May
5 comments:
A good party to consider for the federal election
At least they have a very intelligent and well informed candidate running locally
Frankly our local Rep is an embarrassment in my opinion
Time for a change
What's going on with our politics?
Not only are the conservatives and liberals sounding (and acting) out of touch with taxes, environment and sustainable and strong economy, but the Green party is coming across much saner on most issues.
I agree with anonymous - I hope Vernonites rally for the Greens this time around.
I find it exciting when other parties want to take Green Party ideas and run with them. A wise man once told me how much can be accomplished when we stop worrying about who gets the credit. It is unfortunate that some of the details that make tax shifting work were not fully understood when the idea was adopted by others. It's not surprising at all that the originators still have the firmest grasp of how these tax shifting concepts work best. Why vote for wannabes when we can have the real thing? When election time comes support Huguette Allen--Go GREEN!
On the one hand, I'm not surprised Elizabeth responded first among the federal leaders. Her ideas are clear in her head, while the others will probably wait until they poll which way the wind blows.
But on the other hand how is it that someone with as little staff as she probably has, finds the time to respond at all? I expect it's because she thinks it's important to explain the Green Party's ideas. And probably it's because she knows those ideas will be acceptable to people, once explained.
Time for a change and into the direction of GREEN!!
THE WHOLE PLANET is sharing the same narrative and we in Vernon are part of that crisis
The issue of Planet warming and the threat to our very existence as we know it cries out that we should change our ways and thinking!
Even the business commu niyt will make its profits in the very near future on Planet friendly business activities
Yesterday's Men and Maids are just that
Let us keep them as a bad memory -Nothing else!
Voter for Huguette Allen -Green Party at the next Federal election
Red necks need not apply!
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