Harper Platform: Something Fishy

Jersay

House Member
Dec 1, 2005
4,837
2
38
Independent Palestine
Smelling victory, Stephen Harper is reassuring voters that a Conservative government can preserve social programs and cut taxes within a manageable budget.

The Tory leader handed out his party's full platform Friday. It's a blue-bound, 46-page document that covers seven weeks of promises and includes a last financial goodie — a promise to eliminate taxes on capital gains that are re-invested within six months.

This, the platform says, isn't just a favour to the rich.

"Canadians who invest, or who inherit cottages or family heirlooms, should be able to sell these assets and plow their profits back into the economy without taking a tax hit."

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Overall, the platform promises $30-billion in new spending and $45-million in tax cuts over five years.

Mr. Harper said he accepts Liberal financial projections for the next few years and his first budget would be within a billion dollars of what the Liberals have said they would spend.

He said he will preserve social programs while offering modest tax cuts and reining in government spending.

Federal departments — with the exception of Defence and Indian Affairs — will see their spending growth limited to the rate of inflation and population growth.

Planned increases in employment insurance benefits, seniors benefits, and scheduled transfers to the provinces for things like health care and equalization would go ahead.

The platform includes a pledge to introduce a new Clean Air Act, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and a $500-million investment over five years in university-based research.

Foreign aid would increase $425-million over five years.

Mr. Harper also promised fixed election dates.

He pledged to work with the provinces to produce a long-term solution to the fiscal imbalance, but refused to detail what kind of deal might be cut.

"We're not negotiating the fiscal imbalance in this campaign," he said.

He said Tory budgeting is flexible enough to cover the billions a deal will cost.

That drew a swipe from Liberal Leader Paul Martin.

"He's started to bring out his money and his projections and the money is not there," Mr. Martin said in French to about 100 supporters crowded into a Liberal campaign office in the southern Ontario riding of St. Catharines.

"It's clear he has just duped the provinces, he has just duped Quebecers."

Mr. Harper has worked hard to dispel fears that he harbours a hidden agenda of hard-right policies and he kept at it Friday, releasing the platform in a breezy, easy style.

Smiling and working the stage without a podium, he said the document stresses values which he believes most Canadians share.

"These are: integrity, families, respect for hard work and achievement and a Canada strong and free."

He portrayed himself as a cautious fellow.

"I don't measure progress by the level of emotion or by the intensity of the sales pitch," he said. "I measure it by achievement, one step at a time. I believe it's better to light one candle than to promise a million bulbs."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060113.wtories0113/BNStory/specialDecision2006/

Now if he tries to keep everything the same but does tax cuts, that benefit a select few, not the poor, or the natives or other people, just the rich and middle-class he will have to cut something.

Now, if he does have to cut something or can't follow on his promises his government will only live a few months. No more, no less. He better hope for a majority so he can screw up this country as much as Martin has.
 

cyberclark

Electoral Member
The Conservative game plan is clear if not unspoken!

Get into office.
Divest youself of departments either by creating or hiring companies to take them over. EG: Insurance Companies take over the administration of Health Care.

Self monitoring and reporting will find it's way into the fisheries.

Self assessment that you meet all the regulations, then get a quick licence or permit.

When this happens, government ranks are dimished looking good on paper. Meanwhile the new companies are subsidised by trade or by finance and the public pay because this is our deserve under "market prices" which will rule.

It makes me sick at heart!
 

the caracal kid

the clan of the claw
Nov 28, 2005
1,947
2
38
www.kdm.ca
truly there is something fishy:

notice this from ctv.ca:
Goodale sees '$30 billion hole' in Tory platform

Initial confusion

There was some initial confusion over the numbers. Before the formal announcement of the platform, journalists were given a first look at the costing in a media lockup.

CTV's Ottawa bureau chief Robert Fife said it took puzzled Tory officials a long time to come to an agreement over the total net cost.

"It turns out that total promises for the Conservative party adds up to $75 billion. When there is reallocation we are told it is $60.7 billion," said Fife.

He added: "It took a combination of effort by everybody, the media and the Tory officials, to get to this $75 billion -- and then some subtraction and fooling around until we finally got to, what they say, is the accurate figure of $60.7 billion."

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNe..._platform_060111/20060113?s_name=election2006
 

Jay

Executive Branch Member
Jan 7, 2005
8,366
3
38
I'll take fishy over stinken rotten anyday.
 

FiveParadox

Governor General
Dec 20, 2005
5,875
43
48
Vancouver, BC
Finance Issues

I would assert that perhaps the Conservative Party of Canada should reconsider some of its proposed tax decreases; if the Tories even risk forcing the next budget into the red, I believe that Canadians would be furious that in their first year in over a decade on the Government side of the House they had ruined our surplus-budget streak.
 

Finder

House Member
Dec 18, 2005
3,786
0
36
Toronto
www.mytimenow.net
It's no secret... Harperhas said he will be cutting programs.... what is secret is what he will be cutting. Not only does he hve a secret agenda but he admits to having a secret agenda because we don't know what he will cut.

VOTE NDP, if you want to uphold Canadian value's without corruption.

:D
 

Jersay

House Member
Dec 1, 2005
4,837
2
38
Independent Palestine
That is what I have at the first post. What he released today. However, it doesn't add up. He is suppose to be an economist, you don't cut taxes unless you cut something else, even though he lies through his teeth when he says he will not cut social programs.

He is just lying his way into office trying to touch on Canadian progressive values until he is safely in office. His hidden Agenda!
 

peachy

New Member
Jan 14, 2006
4
0
1
Ontario
family has three.

Family cottages are a way of life. And the values they teach should not be bought. For sure people have to choose when they inherit to invest or whatnot. We are facings the most costly time for health care due to ageing population. Harper would have the richest generation every in existance in Canada not pay their bills and share risk with the kids of the very people who will be taking care of them.

Nice wedge.

Don't you think it is pretty healthy to have the kids of well off parents work and save for their own second homes - unless they can get along and timeshare?

What Harper wants is an endemic elite. So we ours can lock arms with the American elites and trip the light fantastic for 8 generations instead of the three. Then it will be one set of rules for the elites and one set of rules for everybody else.