Sunday, April 6, 2008

All bluff and bravado, or is Flaherty willing to defend his actions?


Re: “Income trust lobby not giving up, looking to next election,” (The Hill Times, March 31, Lobbying Page, p. 6).

The story by Simon Doyle, about the advocacy efforts of our association contains a brave statement from an unidentified Conservative from Ontario:

“I don’t think Jim’s losing any sleep over it. As a matter of fact, I’m sure of it. I’m sure he’d love to go a couple of rounds with these guys in a debate situation.”

Well, if that is truly the case, then we would certainly welcome such a “debate situation” ourselves, and have three simple questions for Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, namely: When? Where? And would you like to bring the 18 pages of blacked out documents of alleged tax leakage, or should we?

Perhaps this debate would also allow us to once and for all deal with Flaherty’s communications director Dan Miles’ stated concern that: “It’s regrettable that they can’t move on.” That statement presumes that time will heal all wounds, however, time does nothing to erase the betrayal that this policy represents or the ongoing loss of $1.4-billion in annual tax revenues or the $65-billion in takeovers it has induced.

Perhaps the debate that we are bravely told that Flaherty would love to have with our association could be centered around Flaherty’s premise that, “it’s not my fault,” namely the litany of unintended consequences that his reckless actions have caused.

We await further instructions concerning the debate that has been so proactively proposed.

Brent Fullard
President and CEO
Canadian Association of Income Trust
Investors
Toronto, Ont.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Our world book of records 'smallest finance minister' would never show up to such a challenge. And I don't restrict smallest to his stature only.

The man will not listen to any stakeholders or take any advice on resolving this issue to restore our lost savings. He will not accept responsibility for creating our losses, for creating the massive Leveraged Buy Outs of Canadian companies or for blowing billions of dollars of budget surplus. Flaherty is the only Finance Minister I can recall who is not liked by anyone. It's inconceivable that a minister that started with such a surplus could become so unpopular so quickly...then again, he did the same in Ontario not long ago.

He will not debate with you because he has no factual basis to stand behind. The man is incompetent.

Anonymous said...

I sincerely hope that Mr Flaherty will set a meeting with our friend Brent.
He and we know that we face double taxation with RRSPs and RRIFs.
Brent also knows that we lose capital, income and income producers and all this, under a very ill-inspired action.
What was behind Mr Flaherty decision ?

Ignorance...
Pressure from large Corporations unable to compete with cash flows being paid to investors...

Pure and total incompetence...

We would like to know Mr Flaherty if name calling is deserved.
What you have done is so irrational, I am still trying to find an explanation and what I really think can't be published on forums or blogs. I fear what your government can do to me.

Anonymous said...

Brent:

I would suspect that, regardless of Flaherty's apparent "bull-dog" distemper - a condition he should really get a shot for, or better yet be euthanized for - his disdain at the idea of being taken to task in a public forum will render him "unavailable."

Too bad too, because I would have liked ring-side seats at that wrestling match. But then again, with Dim-Jim's trust tax and my extensive losses, I couldn't have afforded it anyway. Perhaps, though, I could have chipped-in for the wee little evil leprechaun's favorite Lucky Charms snacks.

Here's hoping the "Little Man" of Canadians' financial well-being falls on his own petard.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately Jim Flaherty has neither the intestinal fortitude or the financial expertise to debate Mr Fullard in full view of the public --he would expose himself to the ultimate scrutiny by his financial peers & from this he would not recover.

Maybe the Finance Ministers from all the provinces & territories that recklessly supported his tax fairness plan would finally see the folly of their ways.

As far as Jim Flaherty goes , it is time to stick a fork in him , I think he is done!!!!

Dr Mike.

Anonymous said...

April 7,2008: Some men who are small in stature have large brains but Flarety likes to spew out edicts thinkng this is how he will impress. How many large corporations would ever higher this man to be an executive. Some hole in the wall insurance company used him to chase ambulances in the hope he could bring in some business. I doubt he knows much about investments and I am sure our beloved Governor of the Bank of Canada shoved him to do this. Why Mark Carney has such a hatred of seniors is beyond me. He made omments that income trust investors deserved punishment. Strange behaviour. He spent many years with Goldman Sachs who is not known for their beloved behaviour.