XPost: can.politics, bc.politics, ont.politics   
   XPost: man.politics, sk.politics, nb.general   
   From: {~_~}@nyet.ca   
      
   When Jim Flaherty left the Harper government, he proclaimed the budget   
   was 'almost balanced'.  When economic experts looked at the numbers,   
   they said 'what's NOT balanced here? there's even a small surplus'.  But   
   Flaherty used the 'almost budget' to delay/cancel the implementation of   
   income splitting for upper-income two-party earners.   
      
   Then Harper scrapes the barrel and comes up with Joe Oliver [of ill   
   repute in the environment portfolio] to be the Minister of Finance.  And   
   now Joe Oliver has decided that 'the budget is still not quite   
   balanced', and so don't expect any income splitting or tax relief, all   
   you Canadians out there.   
      
   Well, know what?  We don't believe ANYTHING coming out of the Harper   
   government ranks these days.  Nothing.  Nada.  Zero and zip.   
   And we also now can predict how they WILL proceed on any tax breaks or   
   relief to the taxpayer:  they'll wait until the federal election is a   
   bit closer, because after all, Canadians getting a break at this point   
   in the game will likely forget about it by October of 2015.  Right?  And   
   in the meanwhile, we'll be paying more at provincial levels of taxation   
   because Harper & Co have transferred a whole lot of onus onto the   
   provinces for the cost of services  - that will be PART OF THE SURPLUS   
   they will be announcing closer to the 2015 date.   
      
   Anyone else out there getting tired of being 'played' and lied to by the   
   Harper government?   The future is not what it once used to be...   
   (>_<)   
   __________________________________________________   
   The Canadian Press - April 7, 2014   
      
      
   Finance Minister Oliver pledges tax relief for families once budget balanced   
      
   We believe Canadian families still pay too much in tax, he says   
     <<===  (+_+)   
      
      
   TORONTO - The federal government will move to provide tax relief for   
   families after balancing the budget next year, Finance Minister Joe   
   Oliver said Monday in his first speech to a Bay Street audience since   
   taking over the post last month.   
      
   "We believe Canadian families still pay too much in tax," Oliver told   
   the business audience in Toronto. "Once the budget is balanced, our   
   priority will be to provide tax relief to hard-working Canadian families."   
      
   He didn't provide details of the tax breaks, promised during the last   
   election, or get into specific plans for the projected surplus overall,   
   saying that he will listen to debate from people all over the country   
   before making any decisions about the more than $6 billion surplus   
   expected next year. For this year, Ottawa is anticipating a deficit of   
   $2.9 billion, plus a cushion of $3 billion to adjust for emergencies.   
      
   "It's too early to get into too many details, but obviously there are a   
   number of alternatives," Oliver said in reply to a question from the   
   audience after his speech.   
      
   "Some will have us focus on paying down the debt, others reducing taxes,   
   others increasing expenditures," he said.   
      
   "... What the balance is and what the precise policies are in that   
   respect is, of course, what is going to be part of the national debate   
   going forward."   
      
   However, Oliver said he was ruling out the possibility of "reckless new   
   spending schemes" that would lead to increased taxes, higher debt or both.   
      
   "We worked too hard to return to a balanced budget to throw it all   
   away," he said. "So do not expect a big stimulus program."   
      
   Oliver's speech did not address the contentious issue of income   
   splitting, another 2011 campaign promise that his predecessor, Jim   
   Flaherty, had publicly questioned.   
      
   The policy is a popular one for the Conservative base because it's most   
   helpful for traditional one-income families, where one spouse, usually   
   the mother, stays home to take care of the children. Economists say that   
   the plan, which would cost the government $2.7 billion a year, would   
   give the most benefit to families who need it least and no benefit at   
   all to 85 per cent of Canadian households.   
      
   Overall, Oliver's speech stuck to familiar themes, emphasizing job   
   creation, support for business and investing in research, innovation and   
   infrastructure — all pillars of the government's economic plan.   
      
   He touted Canada's resilience during the 2008-2009 financial crisis, but   
   said that while Canada fared better than most, the sharp decline in   
   demand for the country's goods and services that followed the downturn   
   still affected its economy.   
      
   "While Canada's economy is doing relatively well, we know that there is   
   much more to do," Oliver said.   
      
   "Too many Canadians are looking for work."            <<==== [see   
   foreign worker program, ya stupid rabbit! ]   
      
   A more immediate priority for Oliver will be moving ahead with   
   implementation measures for the current budget.   
      
   "We'd like to get bipartisan or multi-partisan support," he said. "We   
   don't think we will, but there will be an opportunity for the opposition   
   to participate in the debate and we are determined to move this act   
   forward."   
      
   Oliver, a lawyer with an MBA who worked in the private sector finance   
   community before entering politics, was most recently natural resources   
   minister before taking over from Flaherty in March.   
      
   He told the audience at the start of his speech how he was sitting on a   
   plane in Toronto waiting to take off for Vancouver when his BlackBerry   
   buzzed with an email from his staff, saying the prime minister wanted to   
   speak to him, but not giving a reason why.   
      
   Seconds later, another email arrived from his wife, also saying the PM   
   was trying to reach him — at which point the plane took off, leaving   
   Oliver to ponder for the next five hours whether good or bad news   
   awaited him when he reached his destination.   
      
   "You know how the rest of the story goes," he said.   
   __________________________________________________________   
      
   Yeah, we do . . . .   We got straddled with an incompetent nincompoop   
   for a Finance Minister, gratis the incompetent Prime Minister, Harper.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)