Centrerion Canadian Politics

Canadian Parties' Tax Policies

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I'm doing a bit of research for school on free trade and it's effects on Canada. I felt I might help people distinguish where each party stands in terms of economic policy, and redistribution of wealth. This came to me when I was reading over Harper's cabinet nominations, and it just felt totally stereotypical of conservative policy.

Conservatives: "We gotta protect the rich people's money and assets, throw some handfuls of dollars at the middle class, and f the poor. The poor don't vote or pay taxes, do they?" (note: I actually personally believe the poor are less inclined to vote, mainly because they need to work longer and can't afford the break from work, and have more pressing concerns.)

Liberal: "We gotta protect the rich, but we'll have some programs for the poor too, because we need the socialists to vote for us.
Reporter: How will you finance this?
- You ever heard of the middle class?"

NDP: "We're strongly against bringing religion into politics and all... but it's like what that hippie looking dude with the halo was saying ... you know, the poor are better than the rich! Save the poor! Let's tax the rich and their pimply corporations full of lawyers!
Reporter: And the middle class?
- There's a middle class?

Bloc: "Impose a tax on English. A nickel per sentence spoken in English anywhere northeast of Toronto. Oh, and let's also do the ethnics and money voters ..."

Green: "Tax oil companies. Uh, we mean SUV drivers. Uh, make that obese people ... they drive lots of SUVs."

Note to the Green Party: Taxing oil just decreases discretionary spending. Demand is inflexible, as recent price hikes have shown, so taxing oil won't decrease the demand. What will happen is people may try and drive less, initially, then just become accustomed to the increase in price, and keep on keeping on. What you can do to reduce pollution is use existing gas taxes to offer car manufacturers subsidies for making eco-friendly cars, or subsidize new technology that will reduce oil refineries pollution. Taxing citizens doesn't work out.

posted by lecentre @ 3:25 a.m.