Heard news reports from Liberal 'thinkfest' in Montreal suggesting maybe.. just maybe... someone will have the political 'skill' and 'strength' to talk about ways to ensure our public sector has the capacity to make needed investments in Canada. We need to have leaders that are willing to talk about public finances and initiate conversations with our electorate about tax adjustments.
But anyone who suggests that is 'shouted' down by the anti-tax lobby in Canada. This lobby has been around for about 20-30 years and their sole purpose in life is to weaken the public sector's ability to make significant investments in social housing, education, welfare, income redistribution etc. etc.
You know about a year and a half ago we had a federal election in Canada. The advocates of some type of tax on carbon were 'creamed' by the voters. But that idea seems to have been good public policy. Yet the anti-tax crowd.. now exemplified by our current federal government went on a savage attack agains the idea.
As a result political leaders in Canada are 'chicken' about taxes and immature to boot. The party that initiates such a discussion in a serious way in this country will have my support whenever the next election comes.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
When Will Our Politics Mature
Labels:
carbon tax,
consumption taxes,
investments,
social housing,
welfare
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OK, but there's got to be a way to SHIFT the tax balance, not GET more taxes...
ReplyDeletePeople don't trust the government to spend extra money wisely. The government is a very large organization, and like all such, has a great deal of beurocaracy.
Anna it may not have been your intention but the comment about government being 'large' and bureaucratic is 'right on'. But my conclusion is there is a bureaucracy because of size not that it is the 'public sector'. As well 'bureaucrats' as you call them, are managing the 'people's money' so are, in my view, actually more careful than in the private sector where it is only the'shareholders' whose money is being managed.
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