Conservatives would cut GST: Harper

[SevenSeasJim]

Here we go.

Conservatives would cut GST: Harper

Last Updated Thu, 01 Dec 2005 09:15:09 EST

CBC News

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper has promised to cut the GST if his party wins the federal election.

At a campaign stop in the Toronto area, Harper announced his intention to reduce the goods and services tax by one percentage point immediately, then by another point within five years.

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper in Mississauga, Ont., Thursday morning.

That would mean reducing the tax to six per cent in 2006, and then to five per cent.

The Tories have long been contemplating a cut in the sales tax as a campaign plank.

Liberal promises already include billions of dollars in tax cuts.

More to come.

[Freak By Night]

well, promising to scrap the gst got Chretien elected in '93

[M.O.B.E]

yeah but will they ? Legalize it???

[bouche]

i'm not sure if anyone else feels like me, but 1 percent doesn't seem like anything to vote someone in over.

$1 on $100??? Ooooh the savings!

The first thing he did was blast Gay marriages, while saying that if they pull that off, they'll allow the current marriages to be intact. I'm sure there will be an influx of marriages soon, so that could backfire on the his homophobic tendencies.

[badams]

VOTE PEDRO!!!

[can-o-phish]

How I dread the thought that this man could possibly be the PM of our Country, not that Martin is anything to be happy about either

[Blane]

yeah, pretty misleading headlines from their press corps. 1% per year for 2 years hardly amounts to a cut. More of a "scrape" IMO.

[MarcO]

the nice thing about the long campaign is that it gives some otherwise un-notable Conservative backbencher or organizer more time to utter something absolutely stupid to a reporter somewhere.

Oh that'll be so much FUN!!!

[bouche]

yeah, pretty misleading headlines from their press corps. 1% per year for 2 years hardly amounts to a cut. More of a "scrape" IMO.

no kidding...to be honest, I don't even think 3% is anything to write home about. If you're gonna cut it, cut it alL! Then again, don't the taxes go to good use?

Conservative tax promise: Harper says he'll cut the GST to 5 %

OTTAWA (CP) - Conservative Leader Stephen Harper offered tax cuts Thursday as he took his election campaign into the Toronto area.

The Tories have been looking at a reduction in the GST as a campaign plank for some time. Harper said Conservatives would reduce the GST one per cent immediately and then another one point over a period of time.

The Liberals have already promised billions in tax cuts.

Prime Minister Paul Martin has been stressing his government's rosy economic record in the early days of the campaign for the Jan. 23 federal election.

Martin is splitting his campaign day between Quebec and eastern Ontario.

NDP Leader Jack Layton is also in Ontario, but then plans to head west to Saskatchewan.

[ollie]

$1 on $100??? Ooooh the savings!

But if he cuts it another 2 percentage points that's like... 3 bucks on a hun!

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

the nice thing about the long campaign is that it gives some otherwise un-notable Conservative backbencher or organizer more time to utter something absolutely stupid to a reporter somewhere.

Oh that'll be so much FUN!!!

Oh yeah! Let's see - who've we got... Randy White... Myron Thompson... Cheryl Gallant... Vic Toews... Mr. Day, of course... the usual suspects....Bring it on!

[AD]

i thought randy white wasn't running again?

ad

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

Phooie. He's so entertaining.

[SmoothedShredder]

Go Tax cut! I bet he'll do it... and if you think that a 2% break on everything you buy... legally, isn't a good thing, then keep voting NDP. I hear they have some Commodore 64's ready to 'upgrade' our healthcare system.

Boy, I just got a chill, man do I feel out of place. Grandpa... you better get out of here. Ok, back to Rich Stadium where the Sens still rule.

Edited December 1, 2005 by Guest
It's going to be a muddy campaign!

[Alexis]

ok, so i'm going to be the black sheep here. oh well

i think that a cut like that is actually a realistic promise. scrapping it entirely is unrealistic, but a point here and a point there, actually is.

and while 1% doesn't seem like that big of a deal, consider how much that adds up to over a year. if you add up all the money you spend in a year, it does add up to something significant.

$35,000 salary turns into approx $24,500 after deductions. say you save $4,500 of that, and don't spend it. That leaves you $20,000. say you spend $10,000 of that on lodging. That leaves you $10,000 to spend on things that you'll be paying GST on. That's an extra $100 a year in your pocket with a 6% gst. wooo i know, not that much. but still, it's something. nearly 50% of you income is a lot to spend on lodgings....play with the numbers a bit and you come out with more money. Add in the money your spouse contributes, and your keeping more of your own money.

Personally I'd rather everyone pay 6% or 5% and not have some people get a GST cheque back. Once you give that money to the government it's so hard to get it back.

little bit by little bit costs go up. and it makes sense that little bit by little bit they go down.

[SmoothedShredder]

I'm not alone. Thank goodness.

[SevenSeasJim]

Harper's a dick but this will get him some votes.

Just think....if the government didn't actually waste so much money we wouldn't need the GST.

[Birdy]

I'm not alone. Thank goodness.

you're so not alone.

i've just been steering clear of this thread.

[Diggzz]

Haven't the Liberals been promising incme tax breaks (or similar) for like the last 3 elections, but nothing ever happens. Same with all these spending projects they like to roll out to buy votes before an election, little if any of that money ever makes it way into our wallets. It all sounds good but action is the key.

Edited December 1, 2005 by Guest
"liberlas"

[Birdy]

Liberals been promising... nothing ever happens..

'nuff said.

[Jaimoe]

I'm not sure if he still supports this, but Harper wants to scrap TVO and the CBC.

[bouche]

$35,000 salary turns into approx $24,500 after deductions. say you save $4,500 of that, and don't spend it. That leaves you $20,000. say you spend $10,000 of that on lodging. That leaves you $10,000 to spend on things that you'll be paying GST on. That's an extra $100 a year in your pocket with a 6% gst. wooo i know, not that much. but still, it's something. nearly 50% of you income is a lot to spend on lodgings....play with the numbers a bit and you come out with more money. Add in the money your spouse contributes, and your keeping more of your own money.

they are counting on the fact that people will say "at least it's something". My problem is that it's not worth the headlines and tooting horns and rejoicing.

The only people that will benefit might be someone who regularly purchases big ticket items. Those people are probably too rich to even notice.

Anyway, if you have that extra $100, you won't notice it. You might spend more though, assuming things are cheaper.

[Alexis]

when it comes to tax cuts and increases...i do not trust the liberals...mcguinty's increasing taxes while decreasing services after the ontario election shows me where this party's principals are at. provincial, federal, doesn't matter to me, it's the same party, same flag, same bullshit.

i'm not saying what harper proposes may be the best plan, but at least it's realistic. and of course the conservatives are going to play the numbers up to their best possible advantage. this is politics after all. i really don't think that's a point that can be used against them.

the liberals saying they'll spend a bunch of money on this and that right before an election screams try hard to me. if they wanted to do these things for the good of doing them, why didn't they do it a year ago, or 6 months ago, so it can actually happen and we can see the good of it? now they can cry "boo hoo we didn't get time to do it because THEY called an election"...the libs are just saying they'll do this and that to get votes, and using legitimate time and money to swing electoral votes is disgusting to me.

[Diggzz]

Liberals been promising... nothing ever happens..

'nuff said.

Well actually...

• Cut taxes by $100 billion over five years (2000-04)' date=' the largest cumulative tax reduction in Canadian history.[/quote']

And where did those tax cuts go might I ask? Defence - No

Health Care - No

Environment - No

This is as far as I can see, I may be wrong (gawd knows I have been before) but from where I'm sitting, tax cuts are great and all but the proceeds from these cuts should actually fund something besides pre-election buy-offs.

[Alexis]

they are counting on the fact that people will say "at least it's something". My problem is that it's not worth the headlines and tooting horns and rejoicing.

The only people that will benefit might be someone who regularly purchases big ticket items. Those people are probably too rich to even notice.

Anyway, if you have that extra $100, you won't notice it. You might spend more though, assuming things are cheaper.

i agree it's not worth the hoopla and rejoicing....but this is the only place i've heard about it. mind you i haven't turned on a tv or radio all day.

do i think any party has it right? NO. but i'm not willing to paint myself red and ignore everyone else because some marketing genius thought that canadians would be stupid enough to believe that the liberal party is canada's natural party and to consider or vote for anything else makes you one of harpers devil children.

edited because: i'm a retard who can't read

Edited December 1, 2005 by Guest