XPost: can.politics, ont.politics, bc.politics   
   From: kenny58@excite.com   
      
   Harper's HST revisionism   
      
   Robert Silver   
      
   From Stephen Harper's 2008 budget:   
      
   "Replacing remaining provincial retail sales taxes (RSTs) with value-added   
   taxes harmonized with the GST is another area where provinces can contribute   
   to strengthening Canada's Tax Advantage. Provincial RSTs impair   
   competitiveness because they apply to business inputs, increasing production   
   costs and deterring investment. By comparison, a value-added tax system   
   provides most businesses with full tax relief through the input tax credit   
   mechanism. Provincial sales tax harmonization is the single most important   
   step provinces with RSTs could take to improve the competitiveness of   
   Canadian businesses."   
      
   The single most important step we can take to strengthen Canada's "Tax   
   Advantage". Single most. Not one of the five biggest. Not something we should   
   strive for by 2017. In Stephen Harper's words, the single most important step   
   we could take to improve the competitiveness of Canadian business is   
   harmonizing the GST and provincial sales taxes.   
      
   And he said so not in a random scrum. Not in an off-the-record discussion   
   with some reporters. Harper said this is the most important step we could   
   take to improve our competitiveness in his budget.   
      
   (I'm concerned I haven't quite made the point that Harper was pleading with   
   the provinces to do this yet but I will move on now)   
      
   From today's Star:   
      
   "Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and fellow Conservatives are distancing   
   themselves from the harmonized sales tax...federal Conservative sources have   
   told the Star that earlier in the summer, officials in Prime Minister Stephen   
   Harper's office ordered Flaherty to tone it down.'They asked Jim to stop   
   talking about (the tax) so much because it's not helpful,' said one insider."   
      
   It baffles me that Harper is fleeing from the only policy he has taken in   
   this second mandate that he can possibly argue is based on principle and will   
   lead to a more prosperous long-term country. But hey, he has home renovation   
   tax credits to wrap himself in so who needs principles.   
      
      
      
   http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/silver-powers/harpers-hst-   
   revisionism/article1289702/   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)