Don Quixote's musings on taxes.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

A tax on a tax. Only in Canada, Pity ! (Un impôt sur un impôt. Seulement au Canada, pitié !)

Mulroney stacks Senate to pass the GST Broadcast Date: Sept. 27, 1990

Liberal Senators have vowed to kill the Conservative government's bill to establish a goods and services tax. But they are caught off-guard when Prime Minister Brian Mulroney uses an obscure power to make eight appointments, creating an instant Conservative majority in the Senate. The unprecedented move, made with the consent of the Queen, has the Opposition fuming with outrage. But Mulroney is defiant. He accuses the Liberal senators of trying to subvert democracy.
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When Brian brought in the tax it was quickly labeled as the God Save Tories tax and this foreshadowing prophecy was fulfilled when his successor Kim Campbell led the Tories into the wilderness in 1993. When the Liberals who promised to ax the tax but reneged on their Red Book commitment in keeping with the 'zap, your frozen' Liberal turnabout tradition of Pierre Trudeau, the name of the tax was re- acronymed (sic) to the Gouge & Screw Tax.

Now the Present Federal Government, no fan of carbon taxes I hear, has decided to allow the recently passed Carbon Tax of the Gordon Campbell Liberal (in name only) Government of B.C. to be increased by allowing the hated Grin & Spread Them tax to be applied to the Provincial Tax. (The Local Tory M.P. did tell me that at least the GST tax had been reduced to 5%).

In keeping with Quixotic battles that I have wagered in the past (including why the GST is applied to the Terasen Gas Franchise fee which is basically a municipal tax collected by a corporation.) I have sent the following e-mail on Friday to all 4 party leaders with seats in the house, Elizabeth May of the Greens, along with my local M.P. Colin Mayes, Premier Campbell and MLA Christensen.

I will post any answers that I get in the next week.


E-Mail to Selected Political Leaders:

My Province B.C. has recently put in a Carbon Tax. On my first bill from Terasen Gas for natural gas for my home this tax was included. However on close examination I noted that the Federal Government also taxed this tax with the 5% GST. Do you think this is correct. A tax on a tax. Only in Canada, Pity !

Ma province B.C. a récemment mis dans un impôt de carbone. Sur ma première facture du gaz de Terasen pour le gaz naturel pour ma maison cet impôt était inclus. Cependant à l'examen étroit j'ai noté que le gouvernement fédéral a également imposé cet impôt avec le 5% GST. Vous pensez ceci est correct. Un impôt sur un impôt. Seulement au Canada, pitié !

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