Well now I’m just shocked. The Globe has an item about some finance department documents Canadian Press unearthed via an Access to Information Act request Families earning $30K-$60K to benefit least from Tories’ family plan. Yes, the kleptocracy is here. And it’s now.
Continue readingTag: taxation
The Cracked Crystal Ball II: A Little Heresy – Alberta Style
So, according to Premier Prentice, the downturn in oil prices is going to create an $11 Billion hole in provincial revenues, and is now talking about putting the brakes on all kinds of infrastructure spending, including a new cancer hospital in Calgary. Okay, that’s a significant chunk of change. Let’s
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: ‘Tis the Season to Rethink Our Charitable Giving
This op-ed by yours truly was published in The Province. The examples are BC-specific, but the message is much broader: donating to charity is not enough, we also have to change the status quo that forces so many people to turn to charity in a rich country like Canada. —
Continue readingNorthern Insight / Perceptivity: PDF version of preceding article
I’ve had a number of requests for copies of this article by people wishing to share the information. Readers can download a copy from SCRIBD. Sorry poor people
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Why the economy sucks (in one chart)
(The following is something I’ve prepared for the next issue of CUPE’s Economy at Work, a popular economics quarterly publication I produce.) In his annual Economic and Fiscal Update (EFU), finance minister Joe Oliver told Canadians that while the federal government will finally record a surplus next year after seven
Continue readingNorthern Insight / Perceptivity: Special treatment for special friends
Andrew MacLeod of The Tyee is reporting that BC Government officials aim to exempt natural gas producers from requirements they contribute to an industry fund that would pay to clean up toxic spills. “The gas sector would be exempt through a system that redefined what substances would be described as
Continue readingNorthern Insight / Perceptivity: Different ways, different results
Note 11 from a study by John Calvert and Marjorie Griffith Cohen of Simon Fraser University, Climate Change and the Canadian Energy Sector: “In this regard it is interesting to compare the approach of Alberta with Norway. While the timing of their respective production rates varies, both jurisdictions have produced
Continue readingNorthern Insight / Perceptivity: Restraint, BC Government style
Nearly half a million children are missing school days this year because government believes that spending restraint is imperative. Restraint in collecting taxes, at least from ordinary citizens, is not as vital. The Transportation Investment Corporation (TIC) annual report provides a view of what lies ahead for commuters crossing the
Continue readingNorthern Insight / Perceptivity: Words and meanings
BC Liberal Throne Speech: “The core services this government provides need to be protected, and the inescapable truth is that they can only be protected if we can afford them.” Translation: The core services this government provides [ like subsidizing business, funding the Premier’s trips and photo ops, employing hundreds
Continue readingNorthern Insight / Perceptivity: Tax evasion at the heart of global economy
The Globe and Mail reported September 19, 2014: “Internal Canada Revenue Agency documents confirm the agency is cutting some of its most highly-trained staff and folding international tax evasion units… “The shakeup is raising concern both inside and outside the agency that the government is backing away from its promised
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Is Harper right? Did corporate tax cuts really pay for themselves?
In a little noticed comment, Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently was reported to say: “Dropping our tax rate has not caused the government’s corporate income tax revenues to fall, which indicates that it does in fact attract business.” No one seems to have questioned his statement, even though it was
Continue readingNorthern Insight / Perceptivity: Northern Insight / Perceptivity 2014-09-13 22:52:00
Trailer – THE PRICE WE PAY – a feature documentary by Harold Crooks from Filmoption International on Vimeo. Playing in Vancouver as part of the VIFF, International Village #9, October 4 – 1:00 pm and October 5 – 8:45 pm. Nobles did not pay taxes, and apparently some people would
Continue readingNorthern Insight / Perceptivity: Lies and Liberals, an inherent match
In November 2001, after NDP MLA Joy McPhail reported a government plan to increase medical service plan premiums, Canadian Press quoted Liberal Health Minister Colin Hansen, “Joy MacPhail needs a new Deep Throat because we have no plans to change MSP premiums in British Columbia.” Weeks later Health Minister Colin
Continue readingCalling the bluff on "we must compete in the global marketplace"
The soul-numbing mantra “we must compete in the global marketplace” is much heard these days. Conservative politicians and business groups toss it out tirelessly as an argument to reduce taxes, and weaken labour and environmental laws. Unfortunately, their argument is valid. Trade agreements have so reduced the ability of national
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: About Those Taxes…
Responding to the latest propaganda piece about taxation levels from The Fraser Institute, Star readers weigh in with their own perspectives, one of which includes taking the paper to task for publishing news of the report with no critical comment: Re: Families pay more for taxes than basics, Aug. 13
Continue readingNorthern Insight: When you buy yourself a government, you expect results
From RossK, The Gazetteer, Mines Are Sparkle Ponies Too?….Who Knew? But here’s something that even we, the purveyors of all that is neither established nor credible, missed from Ms. Clark’s October 2012 ‘Calgary Speech’: …”Mining is an area where we have set some pretty ambitious targets. We’re planning to build
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Debunking Fraser Institute’s latest contortion on taxes
The Fraser Institute’s annual Consumer Tax Index report generated some media buzz with its outlandish claims about just how much taxes have risen since 1961. Before you get worked up about this, consider that 1961 was over half a century ago, before the time of universal health care that we
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Socialized losses, privatized gains
Every megaproject conceived and executed by BC Liberals in recent years has ended with massive cost overruns, despite the predictable “on-time and on-budget” claims. Most involved contractors with foreign domiciles. Check out the Port Mann bridge project, South Fraser Perimeter Road, BC Place renovation, Vancouver Convention Centre, Sea to Sky
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Volatile gas revenues tend to evaporate
BC Liberals are reluctant spenders when it comes to improving public schools. However, they’re not reluctant to put money into the pockets of natural gas producers. The amounts are in the billions but it’s not much discussed, either in the Legislature or in budget documents. However, careful reading of the
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Ability-to-pay does not apply
A few years ago, Glaxo SmithKline, a multinational drug company, agreed to settle an American tax dispute by paying $3.4 billion and abandoning claims for refunds worth a further $1.8 billion. GSK used improper transfer pricing schemes to shelter profits outside the USA. It’s a common practice but few coutries
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