Archive for the ‘Governance’ Category
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The real problem with the Liberals’ tax-reform plans — they aren’t big enough
By taking on just one reform, the government allows its opponents to train all their fire on a single point. At the same time, it leaves itself vulnerable to the charge that it is playing favourites: why this tax break, and not others? … By goring everyone’s ox, the government would avoid the charge of favouritism. And with the revenue gained by closing so many tax breaks at one go, it could cut taxes across the board, creating “winners” with a stake in reform’s success
Tags: tax
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
How much will Morneau’s proposed tax changes cost small business? We do the math
… financial experts to provide before-and-after scenarios of three of Ottawa’s proposed changes, including using corporations for so-called “income sprinkling” among family members; reducing the lifetime capital-gains allowance for a family; and so-called “passive” investment income, where a business owner invests money they don’t need right away in their corporation, at a lower tax rate, instead of taking it out as personal income, at a higher tax rate, and investing it.
Tags: budget, featured, globalization, ideology, tax
Posted in Governance Policy Context | No Comments »
Canada suffers from unimaginative government. Here are some radical ideas
There is no serious discussion of health-care reform, though Canada is one of the few countries in the world that claims to ban private medicine. We are in fact rationing medical care for many victims of chronic health problems, and have failed to advance any policy option except throwing more tax-paid funds at the question… There has been no attempt to make welfare and poverty-reduction more effective…
Tags: corrections, Health, ideology, Indigenous, participation, pharmaceutical, tax
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Don’t outlaw hateful speech, counter it
The right to free expression comes with a responsibility to counter bad and dangerous ideas, whether through a collective commitment to education or the use of the political bully pulpit. The state, and in particular our political leaders, must protect free speech, while also making sure to expose hate for what it is, and certainly never pandering to it… allowing hate in the public square carries risks, but more dangerous still is trying to bury it.
Tags: crime prevention, ideology, participation, rights
Posted in Governance Policy Context | No Comments »
Andrew Scheer is wrong to propose a return to a partisan Senate
… the primary purpose of our Senate is to offer its “sober second thought” on legislation, as a kind of counter balance to how legislation is created in the House of Commons, where partisanship is a necessary feature… new senators are not members of a political party and therefore do not take direction from a national party. The Senate’s political integrity is maintained and, arguably, enhanced with each new independent appointment.
Tags: featured, ideology, Senate
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
Ottawa’s tax reforms don’t go far enough
Tax expenditures now account for upwards of $100 billion of forgone revenue annually, about a quarter of all government spending. Yet, unlike other government outlays, they are not subject to significant parliamentary scrutiny or even government study. No one seems to know exactly how much is lost through these loopholes, or whether they achieve their stated objectives… these tax breaks… too often benefit most those who need help least, deepening rather than mitigating economic inequality.
Tags: budget, economy, featured, ideology, participation, tax
Posted in Governance Policy Context | No Comments »
Ottawa targets income ‘sprinkling’ loophole that lets wealthy Canadians reduce tax bill
Wealthy Canadians can now legally reduce their tax obligations by routing their incomes through private corporations. They then pay salaries to family members, such as their children, who are subject to lower personal tax rates or none at all. The government is working on new rules that would “help to determine whether compensation is reasonable, based on the family member’s contribution of value and financial resources to the private corporation,”
Tags: budget, economy, featured, ideology, tax
Posted in Governance Policy Context | No Comments »
In praise of the income tax, on its 100th birthday
The income tax made it possible for Canada to develop into the advanced society that we are today, enabling us to raise the revenue to fight the Second World War and then create strong public programs in health care, education and social insurance that have pushed us toward the top of every global index of human development.
Tags: economy, featured, ideology, participation, standard of living, tax
Posted in Governance History | No Comments »
Knowledge Gap on Taxes Wide and Costly
This knowledge gap lessens take-up of government social programming, particularly among low-income earners. Lack of knowledge is also associated with lower trust levels in the tax system, which in turn leads to higher rates of tax evasion or avoidance. This can raise the cost of taxation for everyone… “Policies that use the tax administrative apparatus as a delivery system cannot reach their full potential if citizens don’t understand how taxes work in general and how they are affected specifically.”
Tags: economy, participation, standard of living, tax
Posted in Governance Debates | No Comments »
PBO costing of election platforms a boost for democracy
Thanks to Parliament’s recent passage of the 2017 Budget Implementation Act, the legislative footing of the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) has been strengthened. The provisions around the independence of the work and the appointment, qualifications and tenure of the officer have been enhanced. In addition, the mandate for the PBO has been expanded to cost political party platforms.
Tags: budget, economy, ideology, jurisdiction, participation
Posted in Governance Policy Context | No Comments »
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