So Shelia Copps made this announcement in 1982, and all the girls are still hollering about it......over twenty years later!?! Give up!
And in return for backing off of her anti-GST rant, she gets to be Minister of Heritage, (and her boyfriend gets a governmint job). Question: Did the taxpayers give him a raise in pay when he married her?
When Brian Mulroney first announced that tax, he called it the 'Value Added Tax', and it was the ex-pat Brits who moaned about it the most loudly. So, the tax was quietly shelved for awhile, and then Cruton re-introduced it, ( after being elected on a promise to dump it.) Duh!
The insiduous aspect of the GST, ( or whatever you wanna call it), is that every time something changes hands, it gets taxed. And the government's friends and insiders, get to spend it someplace else. (Like- a 'pied a terre' in Paris!?!) Just like Homer Simpson sez: "But Marge- the reason why I lied to you, was because I thought you would never find out....."

Great to have you back kate!

Kate, I'm glad you're back. But I have to argue this point.

When I buy a dozen donuts, they are GST-free. Because a dozen is not a "single serving".

When was the last time you bought a "single serving" of tampons - AT THE GROCERY STORE?

And don't get me going on the prices. I have and will continue to state that if men had periods, tampons would be, if not free, then pretty damn much cheaper than they are.

And I have yet to begin... trust me, people. I am not PMSing. This is a major pet peeve here.

Argue at your own risk.

PS: There are no good optics on this one. Harper is right to drop his weapons & back slowly away, then, in the unlikely event that we have an election and he wins either a minority or majority gov't, he should quietly repeal GST on "feminine products." I'll bet dollars to donuts that NO ONE in opposition will vote against (last I heard, females were 51% of the population. I haven't looked it up lately, so I could be wrong, but still... do you think men really give a flying patootie?)

Well, I have always believed that it was a really dumb idea to slap the GST on, um, tampons and whatnot, same as on books and other important stuff. It doesn't matter if one is a guy or gal; those are important things, w/o any doubt.

Perhaps being in Ottawa does something undesirable to one's brain and makes one do dumb things...

I can see it now... Harper is PM... intros an omnibus bill including an item wherein the GST is removed from tampons, etc... the Libs and NDP oppose it, giving Harper a winner line: ("Mr. Speaker, are they opposed to giving women a fair break? Are they misogynistic?")... The tables will be sooo turned on the lefties.

Fer cryin out loud.

Any time a leader floats the idea of a tax reduction, regardless of what it is, its worth while to seriously consider it. The way this story is being presented really reveals the phobia the "enlightened" MSM still harbours about such subjects.....

Why the fear of discussing the idea of removing the tax on neccessary items? Lets not stop at sanitary products, lets remove the GST on all pharm. products. Why should the government profit from bodily functions or health care needs?
Why collect GST on pain relievers.

Why also collect GST on toilet paper?

Greedy old Librano Paulie: profits every time we wipe the old patootie.

Let's wipe out the Liberals already!

http://www.ottawasun.com/News/National/2005/10/14/1261516-sun.html

Oldschool commie Judy Walycia-Leis is accusing Harper of stealing her flow:

"An NDP MP is accusing the Tories of ripping a page from her party's platform by floating the idea of cutting tax on tampons.

"That's outright theft," (Err...no. Shoplifting is outright theft, see Lorne Nystrom and Svend Robinson - Anon.) charged Judy Wasylycia-Leis after reports suggested the Conservatives are considering a policy to scrap the GST on tampons.

"This is very, very strange. I guess they're so bereft of good ideas that they have to steal from the NDP."
...
Monte Solberg: "Pardon the pun, but we review all these things periodically,"

Obviously the attraction of the GST is that it is fairly easy to collect and very lucrative for governments that have them. At the same time, unlike the old "manufacturer's tax" that it replaced, it is a visible tax. Under the previous system, the tax was hidden. It has always seemed to me that Canadian hostility to the GST reflected a national willingness to be robbed as long as we could pretend we weren't aware of it.

Removing the GST on this product or that one costs money to administer the change and keeps us arguing with one another about whether this or that pet product should be exempt, and the exemptions will all be won by the kind of special interest lobbying at the heart of the corruption that this blog so brilliantly exposes.

I am not persuaded that getting rid of the tax altogether is either feasible or desirable (especially if it is replaced by other "stealth" taxes); in other countries with the comparable value-added tax, however, governments can be pressured to lower the rate of tax. Given our surpluses, why does GST need to be set at 7%?

Or maybe, considering some of the comments, each one of us could get a special card, like the ones issued to some First Nations persons, exempting us from GST for, say, 3 products. You might use yours to dodge the tax on tampons, toilet paper, and truck tires, while I might prefer to take the exemption for wine, escort services, and compact discs.

A man walks into a pharmacy and wanders up and down the aisles. The sales girl notices him and asks him if she can help him.

He answers that he is looking for a box of tampons for his wife. She directs him down the correct aisle.

A few minutes later, he deposits a huge bag of cotton balls and a ball of string on the counter.

She says, confused, "Sir, I thought you were looking for some tampons for your wife?

He answers, "You see, it's like this: yesterday, I sent my wife to the store to get me a carton of cigarettes, and she came back with a tin of tobacco and some rolling papers, cause it's sooooooo much cheaper. So, I figure if I have to roll my own.....so does she!"

"Given our surpluses, why does GST need to be set at 7%?"

I say crank that sucker up to 9% (generating an additional ~$7 billion or so) and implement a lower, flatter personal inome tax. Reasons:

-GST is a good tax; equitable, efficient and nondistortionary compared to the alternatives.
-Our personal income tax rates suck, are immoral, and are self-evidently a drag on the economy. High marginal income tax rates are so 20th century; even Europe is going flat tax.
-Public policies need to mesh together. It's better to spread out taxation rather than place the burden disproportionately on income, wealth, or consumption. The feddle gubmint collects a lot more in personal income tax than in GST; in light of this it makes sense to ease the burden on income.
-We have consumption issues here in Canada. Savings rates are at an all time low. Shifting the tax burden from income to consumption discourages irrationally exuberant economic activity.

Why 7%? Because it was an easy sell in comparison with the hidden 9% MST. Never mind that the 9% was charged at the point of manufacture and reflected about 3% of the purchase price. But we were told over and over again that it would actually lower our taxes on manufactured goods.

They also said that prices of manufactured goods would drop once the GST was in place. Didn't happen.

The GST may be a better tax in theory but it was one of the largest tax grabs in history.

I would agree with Anonalogue on the points made above. I'm unsure, however, if it'd really be necessary to boost the GST to 9% in order to have a lower, flat income tax. After all, a lower, flatter inc. tax would expand economic activity, putting more people into work and better-paying jobs, thus increasing consumption, meaning the GST uptake will increase as a result. Besides, we've got ever-increasing surpluses and all those billions in wasted tax dollars thanks to the Librano mob, so there's room to cut inc. taxes, eliminate waste/reallocate funding, etc. w/o increasing the GST rate.

Hell, we could also exempt a small range of "necessary products" while at it.

I think the GST should be rolled back to 5% and EVERYTHING gets taxed. Donuts, dungarees, douchebags, the whole schmeer. At the same time, no GST rebate cheques, exemptions, nadda.

I also support a flat income tax simply because it will put a ton of deadwood at revenue Canada out of work. I'd also advocate for no deductions or basic exeptions. For the sake of arguement, let's say the flat tax rate is 10%. Here's what your tax return would look like...

101. How much money did you make last year?
102. What's ten percent of line 101?
103. Submit that amount.
date: ______ signature: _____ S.I.N. _____

Think of how many brain dead government clerks and bean counters (eastern creaps and bums)
would be forced to seek real-world employment with the advent of a flat tax!

(cue Vincent Price laugh: HA HA HA HA HA HA!)

For some items, hidden taxes would save the consumer a major migrane. Just try buying a new car nowadays. Just ONCE I'd like to see the price of a car advertised for the amount you have to write the cheque for. After GST, freight, tire tax (including the sissy compact spare), air conditioning tax and that infamous DOCUMENTATION FEE (just about strangled the Hyundai "business manager" over this one!), you can probably tack on 20% or better to the advertised price.

PS. Welcome back, Kate!

Remember when the Lie-beral's promised to abolish the GST if they were to form government?

Headline:National Post:Tories will scrap tampon tax.Period.I wonder if they thought before they wrote it cuz I think its funny.

Here's a little something that looks like taxes are causing internal turmoil in the Liberal caucus:

http://chuckercanuck.blogspot.com/

Eskimo - you must not live in Alberta. I love the deductions part on the AB tax form. After years of BC taxes, with NO provincial deductions, just calculations of how much to pay, it's actually fun to do the deductions part. And THEN calculate 10%.

I think it would be a good idea to invite our next King, Prince Charles of the House of Windsor to come and participate in the Tampon debate, since he is the only man on this planet known to have declared a desire to actually be a Tampon.

Every time things start to get serious in this country, and the Libruls get backed into a corner, they come up with a smokescreen, and the MSM and all the people grab it and run all over the place, shout themselves hoarse, and forget all about the important stuff.
The tampon story is a smokescreen. The real issue is that the number of cracks in the Libruls armour hasn't been this great for thirty years. The issue is their corruption and the lengths they will go to so they can stay in power. That's the only story, so don't be misled by the exuberance of being just a little dirty-minded and sharing a laugh, because that's exactly what the Libruls want you to do

Kakola,

You are 100% right.

Actually Candace I DO hail from Alberta! I'm just an advocate for simplicity. Living in Alberta IS grand, ain't it? Even after being the victim of two vicious audits, I wouldn't trade being a self-employed redneck in Alberta for residency in "caring-sharing" Ontario and a touchy-feely government job.

I like to daydream and wonder how all those "intellegent folk" from Ontario would cope with an NEP style shutdown of the auto industry, just like Trudeau did to us and the oil patch. It would be like huricane Katrina. Dalton would be doing his best mayor Nagin impressions telling Ralph Klein he better send him some "frickin" money or else. Yep, I can just see the empty school buses floating down the 401!

Get this (this is what I love about Alberta) I heard yesterday that half a dozen heavy duty mechanics, working in Ft. McMurray were stolen from their employer by the competition by offering to pay them an ADDITIONAL $20 per hour! (On top of the $30+ an hour they were getting prior to the offer) Yes, we are at the risk of inflation running wild, but to me it's worth it if it fuels jealousy in the east.

I just hope that Ralphs replacment has a big pair, which will be needed for the inevitable showdown when Ottawa comes a calling for ALBERTA'S resource money. I want someone who will not only tell Paul Martin to piss up a rope, but someone who will actually FOLLOW THROUGH on the tough talk.

Someone not afraid to use words like "over my dead body" and "cold dead hands" could put an election sign on my lawn any day!

From the blog of Charles Fallon, some Quebec Liberal MP is sounding very Tory:

"NEWS RELEASE

Lac-Saint-Louis M.P. applauds new federal energy package; repeats call for reducing personal income taxes

Ottawa – October 13, 2005. Francis Scarpaleggia, Member of Parliament for Lac-Saint-Louis, welcomes the federal government’s announcement of $2.4 billion in energy rebates and economic incentives to address the impact of higher energy costs on Canadian households. However, while the West Island M.P. supports the new energy assitance package as a sound short-term measure, he reiterated the need for personal income tax cuts to counteract the effects of rising energy costs on Canada’s consumers and economy.

Last month, Scarpaleggia addressed the House of Commons during an emergency debate on gasoline prices, arguing that cutting personal income taxes is the most “reasonable, responsible, and rational [way to] compensate consumers in these difficult times.”

Now that's my kind of small c conservative!

http://chuckercanuck.blogspot.com/

Eskimo,
You can't tax douchebags because they've put all their assets in a blind trust and registered their ships off shore......

Thanks for the heads up, Squid!

Corrections: They're SON'S ships!

uhh..."their" sons

Librano$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Tax Relief!!! Tamp it down!! Free taxes from AdScamgum Martin

Money bound Brault and Guite
Previously banned sponsorship testimony reveals

Les Perreaux
Canadian Press

October 14, 2005

CREDIT: CP Archive, Paul Chiasson
Chuck Guite, the man who ran the federal sponsorship program between 1997 and 1999.
Jean Brault.

MONTREAL -- Money, be it in the form of free Grand Prix tickets or a loan to buy a fancy new boat, was the tie that bound ad executive Jean Brault to bureaucrat Chuck Guite, according to previously banned sponsorship testimony released Friday.>>>
http://www.rapp.org/url/?T9TGX5K0

Old squid says "You can't tax douchebags..."

I assume the NDP will also accuse you of stealing their ideas soon.

Peter

Peter,
I'm actually going to vote NDP in the next election and not just because I know Judy. I don't want to be part of a country where John Williams MP could be part of a Conservative government. As head of the Public Accounts Committee he's more than willing to investigate anything that stinks of Liberal, BUT, if the stink is attached to an old Progressive Conservative... WELL, John's not into that.
I can't stop a Conservative government and I hate the Libs, so I'll get a small amount of pleasure from voting NDP. Buzz Hargrove can be my next Prime Minister!

canadian taxation is about limiting choices, dimishing prosperity and initiative, to centralize power in order to entrench the votes for the socialist dictatorship through wealth redistribution (or bribes to the largest greediest voting blocs). its never been about helping poor people ... only about empowering the super-wealthy and their friends. About class warfare and staying on top... we're talking about the SUPER-wealthy... not about lottery winners...
The conservatives only need to say 1 thing to win the election "we'll remove the GST and keep the tax it replaced off too"... but they don't and won't remove it either... why not? Even if they promised to removed it just off of GAS...Canada would survive without that 7% quite nicely the way alberta survives (THRIVES... rich and poor alike) without PST... think about it. it's remarkable how they have ALL been quiet about it...

"[NEP] was ABOUT ensuring that Alberta did not prosper too greatly" - Marc Lalonde

it's always been about lying and stealing and killing potential for control... for POWER. why does anyone still believe a politician about anything that says on the surface otherwise? thats the most amazing thing...

Interesting perspective, Meursault. I'd say, however, the CPC should instead promise and deliver serious income tax cuts to citizens and corporations and keep the GST. Why? Income taxes are the real shackles on Canada's economic potential. Yes, Canadians are annoyed by the GST, but when they look at how much gets ripped off of their paychecks they'll forget the GST. It's about doing the right thing, not the electorally useful thing. We must take a long-term, serious view. Leave the BS up to the Libranos- they've long ago spent their political capital so we don't have to compete in that manner with them; we just have to demonstrate we have it all together and are going to do the right stuff that works and that the people really want (ok, not the leftists, but they could care less about feck-all and will not vote for us anyway).

We know how to win the election. We must make the right, workable promises rather than have a public pissing contest with the mob that calls itself "Liberal".

That quote of Marc Lalonde: if he actually said that, well, that's a dangerous thing to say. He must've been very stupid or something if he said that. I dare him to say it about Quebec or the Maritimes, which, in particular, are certainly not prosperous under Liberal policies. Do Liberals want to turn the West into what the East already is, just for their own personal interests? Does fostering dependence via provincial/regional poverty and redistribution of income really build Canada or strengthen national unity? Nope, but, this fostering dependence, it's the Liberal goal as far as the thinking mind can see, notwithstanding what the Liberals SAY.

The Liberals are a dangerous mob. They could really care less about Canada. I am watching them closely.

"marc lalonde quote" in google brings up links to if not the exact quote then variations of... mine was from the Western Standard and the context of the quote was about NEP hence my insertion of it at the beginning. i cant believe he admitted it either... but it shows you how much he takes his position for granted and various other obnoious things about thr Liberal mentality. It was about the 5th or 6th time I read the quote, the first few times being in either the National Post or Globe and Mail...

also...this is probably the original source of its resurfacing; http://www.david-kilgour.com/uneasy/chap05.htm
Mr. Kilgour posits the matter much more eloquently than I ever could... there is a section on the national Energy program in that link that has the longer quote by Mr. lalonde. Yes... billions of dollars to Indian affairs every year, billions to foundations for eastern canadian development... and yet... things only seem to get worse re the quality of life for said parties year after year. their dependance grows... I think the health care system is another excellent example of the golden carrot syndrome... Even the liberal supreme court says it's not fulfilling a reasonable standard of service re universal health care fanaticism but that doesn't seem to faze the liberals much in terms of looking for quick alternative serious fixes... the idealogy keeps them in power so they stick to the ideology... it sounds nice to a certain voting bloc but in reality the system is in serious trouble.

Meursault,

The whole thing smells like communism to me. Of course, we're talking about the Liberals...

And you're right, things here in the Maritimes are not improving at all economically or socially due to Liberal policies, same as it isn't getting any better for Aboriginals.

Dependence is a very bad thing. The Liberals think they can get away with having a partially "planned" economy constrained and directed way too much by bureaucrats who take orders from the PMO at least indirectly. They also think a "planned" society, via reengineering to fit leftist dogmas and ideals is a good idea. But where they fail is in terms of foresight. I guess they don't care about the future and about future generations as long as they personally benefit from whatever misguided policies and programs they force down Canadians' throats.

Income tax reform will never happen in our lifetime. It is a very very complex proposition that would be nice but won't help to win the next election. GST relief could happen overnight. The government already has Billions and billions and billions of dollars of surplus... tax relief of any kind would be a good and just thing. The simpler and quicker the better, for now. I appreciate your agreeable sentiment against institutionalized dependence... it's the give a fish or teach one how to fish thing... it is common sense that's been around for millennia that our present regime dismisses selfishly for the short term gain of easy votes in the welfare blocs... pretty shameful behavior by the so-called elite industrialists of our empire. We are talking shipping magnates and media moguls after all... hardly philanthropists.