... but we'll have to wait for the official decision by Michael Ignatieff. If he doesn't take the small risk and stand up against Stephen Harper's new taxation during a recession, then as Liberals we need to be ready for a long cold decade in opposition.
We have to take this issue -- the harmonizing of federal-provincial taxes in Ontario and B.C. -- and realize the public is right.
Harper has for most intent purposes been able to push the blame on the HST onto the premiers, until now.
Vote against the HST Mr. Ignatieff -- any small hit you take from the premiers will be outweighed by overwhelming relief gained through the majority of small businesses and general public.
Then use Harper's stance on pro-tax into the next election.
Easy as pie.
10 comments:
He has already stated that he supports it.
A more likely scenario is for the Libs to abstain and it passes without input from the "natural governing party".
David
I just read on the G&M, that the Bloc is going to support it.
It's not new taxation. It's making existing taxation more efficient.
Any Liberals who complained that Harper misrepresented the Green Shift as a new tax shouldn't be trying to spin the HST as a new tax, when it clearly isn't.
There are many ways to approach this, but abstaining would be the worst. Defeat it on the basis that a shift in taxation in the HST manner would be a major burden to small businesses and individuals in a time of economic distress, harming the recovery.
It seems to me the Conservative party was always against free trade (for a history lesson) and more recently stood up against taxing income trusts. They also opposed deficit financing and appointing senators.
By choosing the path that a majority of Canadians support, it would be less of a 'backtrack' than a realization that the public has spoken. Now try to defend Harper's statement that this "crucial mechanism" is something not worth revisiting, while so many of his small playing card items are?
Another element is the fact that Harper has no reason to submit these agreements in this form, so Ignatieff should throw the ball to the premiers and tell them that if they are angry that parliament voted them down, talk to the so-called Prime Minister.
If the main purpose was to create a hot potato, the game is to toss it back to the person who started it, right?
It may not be a new tax on some things, but a great many other things are going to be taxed with another or "new" tax
I thought Brian Mulroney (P. Conservative) brought in Free Trade and the Liberals opposed it.
Now the Conservatives are out there signing Free Trade agreements with numerous countries including trying to get one with the EU.
The Liberals under Chretien/Martin did not have any new FT agreements.
So, you say Conservatives have always been against free trade? Not sure that is true. In fact, history could show it is Liberals and for sure NDP who oppose it. They are now trying to negate the one with Columbia are they not?
I guess I'm older than you (and maybe have studied more Canadian history) because it was the Conservatives early in the last century who battled tooth and nail against free trade, with Borden using the fight against Reciprocity in the 1911 election against Laurier and his free traders. It was a position that the party maintained up until Mulroney, in fact. That's when the two main parties traded positions...
then as Liberals we need to be ready for a long cold decade in opposition
Here, let me get your coat for you.....
--
You're in construction in Alberta. Maybe I should be offering you the coat, at least before the next Klein gives you a bus ticket to my province.
Post a Comment