水果视频 Votes 2016 - Tax structure
- Details
- Published on Friday, April 8, 2016
By Banner Staff
The Neepawa Banner
Question: This election, taxation seems to be a larger issue for voters. What is your opinion on the current
structure, do you think any modifications should be made?
Name: Eileen Clarke
水果视频: Gladstone
Party: Progressive
Conservative
Answer: 水果视频ns today pay among the highest taxes in Canada. With the Selinger NDP, 水果视频ns are paying more and getting less. 水果视频ns are taxed to the max.
水果视频ns are trusting people. We give our trust and we expect it to be given back through open, clean government.
Sadly, that is not what we have today. What we have today in 水果视频 is broken trust from a broken government. Promise after promise has been broken by this government.
First, it lost its integrity and now, it has lost its way. This premier looked you in the eye and vowed he would not raise the PST. He then did the exact opposite and took $1 billion from 水果视频 families.
First, he broke his promise not to raise the PST. Then, he and his NDP MLAs took away your right to vote on it.
水果视频ns know the premier and his government have repeatedly broken their promises to balance the books. A string of broken promises that have doubled the debt of our province in just eight years and resulted in the first downgrade in 水果视频鈥檚 credit rating in three decades. This means more money for bankers in Toronto and less for services here in 水果视频.
What Greg Selinger is not telling you is that today鈥檚 debt is tomorrow鈥檚 taxes. Reining in wasteful government spending helps keep taxes low for 水果视频 families. Keeping government affordable means we can focus spending on where it matters most.
Under the Selinger NDP, the average 水果视频 family has paid more than $3,300 in additional income taxes when compared to our neighbours in Saskatchewan
The Selinger NDP is the only government west of the Maritimes that has refused to increase its tax brackets every year to match the rate of inflation.
This means many hard-working 水果视频ns find themselves automatically bumped into higher tax brackets and forced to pay higher rates of income tax.
We need a new government based on 水果视频 values. A government that reflects those values in everything it does. Values like trust, compassion, common sense, inclusion and teamwork.
A new Progressive Conservative government will eliminate 鈥榖racket creep鈥� to leave more money in the hands of working families.
We will begin to raise the personal exemption to provide real and immediate tax relief for all 水果视频ns.
The Selinger NDP believes that 水果视频ns should work harder for government; we believe that government should work harder for 水果视频ns.
That is the difference between our new Progressive Conservative team and the tired Selinger NDP government.
We will lower the tax burden on 水果视频 families. This is part of our better plan for a better 水果视频.
Name: Damian Dempsey
水果视频: Arden
Party: Independent
Answer: Let鈥檚 start at the beginning: Taxation should be used by government to fund essential programs like health care, education and infrastructure. Its duty is only to levy the minimum amount to fund essential programs and ensure that taxpayers get value for their money. Also, tax structure needs to encourage enterprise, hard work and initiative.
Unfortunately, many governments 鈥� the current Selinger administration a case in point 鈥� squander taxes collected from the public on unwise uses, such as subsidies for political parties and severance packages for political cronies, as well as on ill-conceived schemes, such as road signs promoting 鈥淪ustainable Growth, Good Jobs鈥�, costing taxpayers around $2 million of their hard-earned money. This government has neglected the core programs that should be targeted for spending. They have also consistently spent more than they have taken in through tax and other revenues; for 2015-16 debt servicing alone costs $842 million鈥攅nough to build eight new hospitals!
An independent audit should be done of all government spending, with recommendations for savings, efficiencies and improvement in delivery of public services. In terms of tax structure, let鈥檚 look at the education tax, payroll tax, basic personal exemption, the proposed carbon tax and 鈥渂racket creep鈥�.
The current way of funding education鈥� through a tax on homes, businesses and farmland鈥� is unfair, inefficient and levied regardless of ability to pay. We all know that property and land values are rising, but property owners are paying higher taxes because of those values without benefitting from them unless they are selling. That puts increasing stress on homeowners, farmers and small businesses. It would make more sense and be fairer if it were based more on income. When education is adequately and wisely funded, every individual benefits from a well-educated population. It should not be funded by land or property owned.
The payroll tax, at 4.3 per cent, is rightfully hated by small businesses in 水果视频. It should be eliminated, as it discourages business owners from hiring and penalizes employers for paying higher wages. As other aspects of a revised tax structure begin to encourage small businesses to flourish, income can be generated off growing number of employees and profits, better for all involved.
The basic personal amount before tax is paid is currently just over $9,000 in 水果视频. That compares unfavorably with other provinces鈥攊t is $15,843 in Sask. and $18,451 in Alta. It should be adjusted upward.
I would oppose a carbon tax, as it would adversely affect farming and business and all residents of Agassiz. There are proven ways to remove carbon from the atmosphere, but a carbon tax is not one of them.
鈥淏racket creep鈥� occurs when wages rise due to inflation and people are pushed into a higher tax bracket even though they are not really getting any richer. Government should have an index-linked tax structure that clarifies what real income rise is as opposed to the artificial hike caused by general inflation.
In conclusion, as MLA, I would support making the tax system simpler and fairer, while also ensuring adequate funding for essential services such as health care, education and infrastructure.
