Posted on 12/04/2005 11:54:53 AM PST by GMMAC
Calgary Sun
Sun, December 4, 2005
Harper's cut wounds Grits
Goods and Services axe means Red Book promise will have Tory-book ending
By Licia Corbella
At long last, the Liberal Party's broken election promise to scrap the GST is gouging and stumping them.
Almost six years ago to the day, Paul Martin -- then an opposition MP and Liberal Party leadership hopeful, dissed the GST.
"The GST is a stupid, inept and incompetent tax," said Martin, as recorded in Hansard on Nov. 28, 1989.
That quote was dredged up by the Conservative Party and sent out in one of about a dozen e-mails delivered daily to media folk on their mailing list.
On Thursday, Conservative Party Leader Stephen Harper announced that, if he becomes prime minister, he will immediately cut the GST from 7% to 6%. The tax will be lowered again to 5% within five years.
Harper's plan is both popular and, well, conservative.
It is a slow and gradual tax cut, but one all Canadians will see and feel, immediately.
What's more, it traps the Liberals on so many levels. It reminds Canadians the Liberals are -- to be blunt -- liars.
Abolishing the GST was one of the Liberal Party's main election platforms in 1993, when they were swept to power with a majority government, even though they won just 41% of the popular vote, but garnered 60% of the 301 seats in the House of Commons, thanks to our undemocratic, first-past-the-post electoral system.
What's most interesting about the whole GST debate is that, even in 1993, prior to gaining power, the Liberals knew they would break their verbal election promises.
Martin called the GST "regressive, unfair," adding it's a tax "I am committed to scrapping."
Jean Chretien flew around the country saying he would "kill it," "scrap it" and "abolish it," and rat-packer Sheila Copps (now a Sun Media columnist) vowed she would quit if the Liberals didn't eliminate the GST.
She ended up quitting only temporarily and winning her Hamilton seat back in a byelection.
Martin has admitted he and Chretien penned most of the Liberal Red Book of (mostly broken) Promises in 1993.
That means, he knew back then, he wouldn't do what he said he would do.
In fact, he didn't even do what he wrote he would do.
Instead, the Liberals did exactly nothing with the GST, except reap the benefits it brought in and balanced the books.
Remember the now-infamous CBC "town hall" meeting in 1996, when Chretien denied to a regular citizen that he had ever promised he would repeal the GST?
He vehemently argued he had only told voters he would replace the GST with another tax or harmonize it with the provinces.
But the CBC quickly aired TV clips showing a pre-election Chretien vowing to "kill," "get rid of" and "abolish" the tax.
Even after he was shown videotape of himself during the campaign, he still tried to deny it.
"Read the Red Book," he said.
It sounded a lot like a snake-oil salesman shrugging his shoulders and telling his disappointed customers they should have read the small print instead of believing what he said.
Both men knew they were misrepresenting their position to the public.
Now, Martin is saying the GST is a fabulous thing -- absolutely vital in running the country, since it rakes in $30 billion a year from Canadians -- the most heavily taxed people in the entire G7, excluding those lucky few, like the PM, who own shipping companies and avoid paying millions of dollars in taxes.
Martin's argument that it's financially foolish to cut the GST rings hollow coming from a man who made $24.5 billion in un-budgeted election promises in the 25 days preceding Tuesday's launch of the election.
My girlfriend, Kit, who recently turned 50, just bought the second new vehicle of her life. She says, Harper's plan, when fully implemented, would have saved her $620.
"That's a lot of money for me," she said, "and I'm better off than many Canadians."
In fact, cutting the GST to 5% will save Canadians $8.5 billion a year.
Looking more desperate by the moment, Martin said the Liberal plan to cut income taxes is better than cutting the GST.
Harper responded by saying there's much more to come from the Conservatives on tax cuts, so stay tuned.
Remember, Martin and his Finance Minister Ralph Goodale only agreed to lower Canadians' taxes once they knew they were headed to the polls. Just a few months ago, he said there would be no tax cuts.
What Canadians need to remember is, this is a party that constantly breaks its promises. That the GST and the North American Free Trade Agreement are still here is proof of that.
What's more, Paul Martin's doctor is the owner of the biggest private for-profit medical clinics in the country, which is further proof that he doesn't walk his talk.
Ironically, a couple of hours after the Conservative GST announcement was made, Martin visited a Cornwall, Ont., high school.
According to the Canadian Press, a student asked Martin if politicians should be held legally accountable for their campaign promises.
"Politicians should be held to their promises," Martin said.
"If that politician doesn't follow through, then that politician should be held to account in the next election."
What problems do Canadians have with NAFTA?
Where did you find that cartoon?
It's excellent!
Conservative Canadians have no problem with NAFTA in general.
If you look at GMMAC's link you'll see it is an archive of when Ronald Reagan and Brian Mulroney signed NAFTA.
Love that cartoon.
Harper is killing the Liberals. They expected him to do nothing but attack the Liberals on corruption, instead he is laying out a sound and reasonable platform consisting largely of accomplishing things the Liberals have promised forever and not done.
The Liberals have nothing to offer that is believable, and Martin is an old, worn man. No ideas, no vision, no plan, just fear mongering and hate. I think we are on track for a majority.
ADSCAM: Click the picture-
Go to the "last," and work back for the latest.
I am including links and comments from relevant blogs, which seem to be leading the pack in this latest round of Information Wars.
Toronto, ON – Seven in ten (70%) Canadians support Canada
being in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
with the United States and Mexico, up from 64% in January 2001.
The proportion of Canadians who think the free trade
agreement has benefited Canada has also increased from 40%
in January 2001 to 51% today. One-quarter (25%) of Canadians
today think NAFTA has hurt Canada, down from 32% in January
2001, and one-fifth (19%) continues to think it has had no
impact (22% in January 2001).
Two problems:
No Problem:
Liberals (anywhere) = Problems
Where does Belinda Stronach come out in all of this?
Got any info on this?
Soon to be Belinda Who?
The Calgary Sun is probably the most favorabole newspaper to the conservative cause in Canada
ty
The problem is mainly with the liberals and socialists who see NAFTA with the U.S. the samw way many in the U.S. see NAFTA with Mexico. They are upset at the loss of manufacturing jobs to low cost labour in the U.S. from Canada.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
Got news for you . Few voters in Ontario even think Western Canada when they vote let alone how much of a grip any particular region might have on the Federal budget.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
Ummmm, sk-use mee..
You make it sound as if "Western Canada" were largely
Conservative.
My recollection is that Manitoba and BC conservatives
tallied about 1/3 the vote with Saak just over 40%.
BTW,All three of those provinces had the NDP in the mid 20's.
So, one could argue that, except for Alberta, the Western
Provinces are even more socialist in their political leanings.
So the western provinces aren't exactly unitied in their political
views - unless you presume that Alberta speaks for the West.
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