GST - Should it be raised?

Quote: Originally Posted by In Between Man

No! Lower taxes means more money in my pocket! The Conservatives did the right thing by cutting it from seven to six and then to five. Keep going!

Quote: Originally Posted by Tonington

You're confusing popular with correct. If they had of done the right thing, they would have cut spending at the same time as they cut revenues from the tax.

Quote: Originally Posted by Goober

If you were the PM at the time, minority Govt, all the opposition parties screaming for spending, you would have cut spending.

Quote: Originally Posted by Tonington

You're confusing popular with correct. If they had of done the right thing, they would have cut spending at the same time as they cut revenues from the tax.

Quote: Originally Posted by Tonington

The government of the day is responsible for the business that Ottawa passes. If my financial position was close to zero, I would not take on a new mortgage when I know I'm about to take a pay cut. That's what happened. The GST should never have been cut, Brian Mulroney get's no credit for the reduction of the deficit. The Liberals could never have cut our debt as much as they did without the GST. And now it looks like we're back into a structural deficit...

I think the prudent thing to do is cut services, and bring the GST back up to 7%. The future isn't so rosy, and I don't want to be in a situation like Greek tax payers, 20 years from now.

Quote: Originally Posted by mentalfloss

Because they can still make a profit.

Quote: Originally Posted by wulfie68

And you're wrong. Small businesses are probably the best example of how you are mistaken. Business plans do not have to based on zero tax to be successful, they just have to appropriately plan for the level of taxation they will be exposed to. You're somewhat correct in stating they pass on higher costs, because in most business the margin is what they live or die on, but that doesn't mean they don't pay.

Quote: Originally Posted by mentalfloss

Profit is bad if it's stagnant existence causes unnecessary harm to others.

So, for instance, if a company produces a high profit, but does not give salary raises to members who have actually performed well within the organization and deserve additional compensation.

Quote: Originally Posted by Kreskin

The more the consumer tax the less people spend, the less people work.

Quote: Originally Posted by Goober

Not if lower incomes have taxes lowered. it produces savings, which over the long term are more beneficial to the country. Spending for the sake of having toys is why the average consumer debt ratio is way to high. It is unsafe for the economy.

Quote: Originally Posted by In Between Man

When they cut the GST in 2008 Canada had a surplus even with an increase in spending. It was perfectly reasonable to lower taxes when they could.

Quote: Originally Posted by Goober

Any Minority would have done the same

Quote: Originally Posted by Kreskin

Tell that to restaurant owners. We use to go out often when it was just one tax. With HST? hardly ever.

Quote: Originally Posted by Tonington

Yet here we are, with what many economists are calling a structural deficit, meaning even if the economy wasn't ****ty, our government would still be spending more than they take in through revenue. That is not perfectly reasonable.



No other party was campaigning on reducing the GST. Economists were warning against cutting the GST, but the Conservatives from the get-go have ignored good advice when it doesn't fit with their politics. That is no different than any other party

Quote: Originally Posted by Goober

What Province??

Quote: Originally Posted by JLM

British Columbia, but it's not a problem- we just transfer the tip over to it.

Quote: Originally Posted by Ron in Regina

Ahh.....sad for the Servers. If I don't have enough for a decent tip,
I don't go out to eat. Waiters/Waitresses make (generally) tiny
wages, and work for their tips. Tip well & it comes back to you in
spades.

Quote: Originally Posted by Cannuck

Agreed. If you're that cheap that you'll stiff the waiter/waitress, stay home and save them the work.

Quote: Originally Posted by Goober

Do you tip well when the service sucks? And yes I am referring to bringing certain things to your servers attention. Things that the server can address. Not the impossible like wait times etc.

Quote: Originally Posted by Cannuck

A tip is for good service. There is a difference between not tipping because the service is poor and not tipping because you can't afford the tax. That said, I always tip. Only the percentage changes.

Quote: Originally Posted by Goober

Do you tip well when the service sucks? And yes I am referring to bringing certain things to your servers attention. Things that the server can address. Not the impossible like wait times etc.

Quote: Originally Posted by Ron in Regina

I frequent places with good service, and seldom return to places
with poor service. A poor server will get my tip once, and a great
server will get my tip often.

The place I frequent most often, the waiter's/waitress's see me
coming and start collecting Rib&Steak bones...& I leave with a
bucket (I kid you not) of them for my dogs. You tip well and it
comes back in spades. The food there is good (not great, but
good), but the service is excellent!

Quote: Originally Posted by Goober

And you enjoyed the time out.

Quote: Originally Posted by Ron in Regina

...& my dogs enjoy me coming home with a bucket full of bones for them.
That's part of really good service in deleloping a relationship with your
waiter's and waitress's.

Quote: Originally Posted by Kreskin

The more the consumer tax the less people spend, the less people work.

Quote: Originally Posted by Ron in Regina

Ahh.....sad for the Servers. If I don't have enough for a decent tip,
I don't go out to eat. Waiters/Waitresses make (generally) tiny
wages, and work for their tips. Tip well & it comes back to you in
spades.

Quote: Originally Posted by Kreskin

Tell that to restaurant owners. We use to go out often when it was just one tax. With HST? hardly ever.

Quote: Originally Posted by taxslave

There is some truth in that regardless of offsets in other taxes. People look at the tax on an item and say "Do I really need that"
The other problem is that even when the two senior layers of government lower their tax there is always a municipality or some quasi government agency with taxing authority standing in the wings waiting to raise their take.



What if I don't want spade mooching my desert?

Quote: Originally Posted by The Old Medic

Yep, raise the GST, and REALLY hurt those that are struggling to survive economically. That makes no sense at all.