It is frequently observed that politics can often make for strange bedfellows. Then there’s the case of Jim Flaherty and Christine Elliott. This political duo, who came into existence when Jim Flaherty’s spouse, Christine Elliott filled the vacant chair that Jim Flaherty left in the Ontario Legislature when he pursued his higher calling in Canada’s Parliament.
These two are experiencing political disharmony over, of all things, Dalton McGuinty’s plans to harmonize Ontario’s PST with the federal government's more all encompassing GST. This disharmony probably has nothing to do with any difference between Jim and Christine on ideological fronts insofar as reducing corporate taxes, but rather everything to do with Christine’s versus Jim’s re-elect ability. That’s because the move to harmonize consumer sales taxes was nothing more than the means by which to cut corporate taxes in Ontario by some $2.5 billion a year by shifting that entire burden onto Ontario consumers. Nice.
Good luck Christine on defending that outcome to the constituents of Whitby-Oshawa. And good luck to Jim Flaherty as well, but then again, the people of Whitby-Oshawa have only ever been to you, the means by which you become empowered to act in the interests of Bay Street, Wall Street and the monied elite, anyway.
Jim Flaherty can lay claim to his true constituency that he was successful in bringing his will to bear on Dalton McGuinty by making changes to Ontario’s corporate tax regime as a result of Flaherty’s crude campaign of “Ontario is the last place to invest”. Meanwhile Christine will be stuck with the impossible task of defending these actions which come at the expense of individuals who now have the privilege of paying 13% sales tax on everything.....including luxuries like heating your home in the depths of cold Whitby-Oshawa winters or calling 911 to let them know that your water pipes have burst.
I think voters in Whitby-Oshawa will learn from this experience that there are reverse synergies to be experienced, when they are represented at both the provincial and federal governments by two bedfellows, and instead of receiving better representation, the voters themselves become completely politically neutered in the process and pawns in the greater ambitions of Jim Flaherty.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Bedfellows can often make for strange politics
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3 comments:
How do you say "Liar" in 150 words of less? Try this:
"For months there has been a growing trend toward corporate tax avoidance... These decisions are creating an economic distortion that is threatening Canada's long-term economic growth and shifting any future tax burden onto hardworking individuals and families.
If left unchecked, these corporate decisions would result in billions of dollars in less revenue for the federal government to invest in the priorities of Canadians, including more personal income tax relief. These decisions would also mean less revenue for the provinces and territories."
Who made this lie and when? When was Oct 31, 2006.
You got to love the Flaherty`s for giving their constituents both sides of the issue--you can vote yay or nay & both be right.
We will never tax income trusts & we did.
Where else but Canada can we get such awesome choice.
Lucky us.
Nottttttttttt!!!!
Dr Mike.
Sucks to be Christine these days ...
It is unfortunate that everyone is so focused on their personal relationship instead of being able to extract or find out Christine's exact issue or problem with this tax.
Again another failure of media when it comes to actual reporting on an issue. But the "marriage in trouble angle" sells newspapers and gives media a license not to bother reporting on things that voters need to know.
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