Gender Budget 2018: The Goverment's Options

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

But we can't tax everyone the same, can we? certainly a White heterosexual male should pay a higher tax rate than a black trans-sexual, no?

Obviously.

 

[White_Unifier]

Obviously.

It's 2018.

 

[mentalfloss]

I agree to a degree, such as when it's a choice between saving the life of the mother and that of both.

Not even.

It's not mandatory that a fetus gets to live just because it's labelled a human.

 

[White_Unifier]

Not even.

It's not mandatory that a fetus gets to live just because it's labelled a human.

Is it mandatory that I get to live just because I'm labelled a human? Of course I can die in a heart attack or a car accident. In some jurisdictions, I can receive death if I commit a capital crime. But in all such cases, it's either an accident or as a result of my actions. One other exception might be Iran or Nazi Germany, but should those states serve as our models?

 

[Decapoda]

I wonder what shoes Morneau is picking out this morning. I was thinking a nice pair of ankle-strap heels, or maybe a bold pair of peep toes.

Pretty sure this budget is going to be more about political virtue signalling than anything. I'm still waiting for all that infrastructure spending we were all promised over 2 years ago, but that doesn't seem to be nearly important anymore as overtly demonstrating Liberal self-righteousness and pandering to a group.

 

[captain morgan]

I wonder what shoes Morneau is picking out this morning. I was thinking a nice pair of ankle-strap heels, or maybe a bold pair of peep toes.

Maybe a nice old school Jack Boot would add a little class and flair.

I'd wager that many of the shops in and around his estate in France would sell these

Pretty sure this budget is going to be more about political virtue signalling than anything. I'm still waiting for all that infrastructure spending we were all promised over 2 years ago, but that doesn't seem to be nearly important anymore as overtly demonstrating Liberal self-righteousness and pandering to a group.

I heard a blurb on the radio yesterday that while JT indicated the budget would be balanced by 2020, the actual trajectory corresponds more to 2045.

... Liberal math, eh?

 

[Decapoda]

I heard a blurb on the radio yesterday that while JT indicated the budget would be balanced by 2020, the actual trajectory corresponds more to 2045.

... Liberal math, eh?

What?? What's taking that budget so long to balance itself? It's the budget's fault, it's stubbornly refusing to balance itself.

Did Trudeau promise to return to balance by 2019? Oh yeah, guess he did...

Justin Trudeau says vow to balance budget in 4 years is 'very' cast in stone

Trudeau..."I think one of the things that Canadians expect is a level of fiscal responsibility that we've been able to demonstrate in the past and we're certainly going to demonstrate it in the future."

What a difference a couple of years makes...he can't seem to make up his mind where we're going...

 

[Twin_Moose]

Liberals champion their values in 2018 budget

OTTAWA - Finance Minister Bill Morneau tabled a federal budget Tuesday that charts a clear course for the Liberals to the 2019 election, an aspirational road map designed to ensure that no woman, scientist or national wildlife area gets left behind. "It is a plan that puts people first — that invests in Canadians and in the things that matter most to them," Morneau told the House of Commons in his budget speech.
The document, which details a $18.1-billion deficit, including a $3-billion adjustment for risk, also shows the Liberal government is doubling down on the idea that spending money — even borrowed money — is good for the long-term future of Canadians.
Once again, there is also no timeline for getting back to black.
"We've shown to Canadians that making investments in them, making investments to allow more Canadians to be working, has exactly the positive impact that we want it to have," Morneau told a news conference Tuesday when pressed on that point.
The Liberals are making that argument most strongly when devoting those dollars to causes near to their progressive hearts, as well as to those of Canadians who might be thinking about casting a ballot their way in October of next year.
The budget, as expected, puts a large emphasis on gender equality, particularly with efforts to increase the participation of women in the workforce as part of a longer-term plan to grow the economy and prepare for the consequences of an aging population.
"We know that the way to best impact our long-term demographics is to get every Canadian with a real and fair chance not only work, but to have really good work, and we start with women," Morneau said before the budget was tabled.
"If half of our population are held back, we're just not going to be as successful."
One big part of that plan is to introduce up to five weeks of leave — with employment insurance benefits that come with a starting cost of $1.2 billion over five years — for new fathers, as a way to help break the pattern of mothers automatically taking on the greater share child-rearing responsibilities, and losing earning power as a result.
It also includes measure to boost the number of women entrepreneurs, as well as those in the trades and the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.
The budget, for the first time in Canadian history, also went through a full gender-based analysis, which involved thinking about how every single measure would impact men, women, boys and girls in different ways, while taking other intersecting factors such as age, ethnicity, income and disability into account.
The Liberals are also promising legislation that would enshrine gender-based analysis in the budget-making process, forcing themselves — and, technically, future governments — to repeat the exercise every year and continue tracking their progress on equality.
Throughout the budget, the Liberals also declared a goal of getting better at collecting the data required to do a deeper dive.
There was no additional money for child care this year however, although the Liberals feel they dealt with that in the previous budget: $7.5 billion over 11 years for bilateral deals with the provinces and territories.
Economist Armine Yalnizyan said that since the wages of women of child-bearing age reached a plateau a decade ago, bigger investments in child care spaces would likely have the biggest impact on the stated goal of increasing the participation of women in the workforce.
"It's really frustrating that they want women to help with economic growth, but they won't help women — this year," Yalnizyan said.
That overarching theme of gender equality aside, the budget is also a smattering of smaller measures, with the long, scattershot list at the back of the 367-page document including everything from money to repair and maintain the graves of veterans and expanding the tax credit for service dogs to help people with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Still, other themes emerge, including major investments in science, the environment and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, which are all areas Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government sees as part of its progressive vision for the country and the world.
It also allows the Liberals to continue telling a story that sets them

 

[White_Unifier]

I wonder what shoes Morneau is picking out this morning. I was thinking a nice pair of ankle-strap heels, or maybe a bold pair of peep toes.

Pretty sure this budget is going to be more about political virtue signalling than anything. I'm still waiting for all that infrastructure spending we were all promised over 2 years ago, but that doesn't seem to be nearly important anymore as overtly demonstrating Liberal self-righteousness and pandering to a group.

They're still trying to figure out how to build separate intersectional infrastructures, one for each sex, race, etc. to make it fare for everyone.

 

[Twin_Moose]

Budget 2018 outlines how cannabis will be taxed, grants money to fight opioid crisis

The budget reaffirmed plans to apply an excise duty on marijuana, but confirmed that not all marijuana products will be affected.
Low-THC cannabidiol oils and other low-THC therapeutic products will generally not be taxed, according to the budget. Prescription drugs derived from marijuana also won’t be taxed.
When marijuana is taxed, the tax will apply to federally-licensed producers, and will be either a flat rate on the quantity of cannabis in a given product or a percentage of the sale price of a marijuana product – whichever is higher.
So, this could mean that marijuana will be taxed at $1 per gram, or 10 per cent of a product’s price, whichever is higher – according to an agreement reached with most provinces in December 2017.
The only holdout is Manitoba so far.
Finance Minister Bill Morneau said that the government’s first concern with marijuana legalization is protecting Canadians.
“My approach is to make sure that the taxation of cannabis is consistent with the goal of keeping cannabis out of the hands of kids and out of the black market. That means keeping the taxes low so we can actually get rid of the criminals in the system.”
But Dan Kelly of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business isn’t sure that the taxes are low enough.
“While it’s certainly fair game for the government to tax these products, the worry of course is if you don’t get the taxation levels exactly right, it stimulates the underground economy.”
“Many have suggested that the level of taxation that’s being proposed would mean that the above-ground price will be higher than the black market price and that may encourage and basically keep the industry below ground.”

 

[White_Unifier]

Budget 2018 outlines how cannabis will be taxed, grants money to fight opioid crisis

So we'll legalize cannabis (an addictive substance) to fund help for opiod addicts.

 

[Twin_Moose]

No tax cuts but low-income workers and small-business owners can breathe easier

And Ottawa’s small business tax changes “remain a billion-dollar take-away from entrepreneurs at a time when entrepreneurs in the U.S. are seeing their tax bills drop considerably,” said Dan Kelly of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
On the flip side, Canadian taxpayers will find few nasty surprises in this year’s fiscal blueprint.
Tax experts had largely expected the government to axe a variety of tax breaks in an effort to raise public revenue and simplify the tax code – but that didn’t happen either.
More money for working low-income Canadians
Indeed, at least in one respect, Ottawa is doing the opposite, by enhancing a refundable tax credit for working low-income Canadians. The Working Income Tax Benefit is being renamed the Canada Workers Benefit (CWB) and getting a makeover.
As promised in the fall, the Liberals are allocating $500 million more per year to finance the credit. The money will serve to boost the maximum receivable tax credit by up to $170 and raise the income level at which the benefit is phased out completely, according to the budget.
The government is also proposing boosting an existing supplement for Canadians with disabilities by up to $160.
Several economists who spoke with Global News praised the move, saying the tax credit aims to help Canadians make the transition from welfare to work.

 

[captain morgan]

So we'll legalize cannabis (an addictive substance) to fund help for opiod addicts.

Why not?

We do it on alcohol, tobacco and gambling

 

[petros]

Cannabis isn't addictive. Booze and smokes are and cause cancer.

 

[Twin_Moose]

Federal Budget 2018: Some (lesser-known) highlights, from Pharmacare to service dogs

Pharmacare

Observers were expecting some big potential developments on this file after it was reported that Budget 2018 would include the first small steps toward a national pharmacare program to cover the cost of prescription medications.
Those first steps are definitely baby ones.
The government will create an advisory council to begin “a national dialogue” on the matter and eventually recommend “options on how to move forward together.”
The budget provides no funding amount for this council, to be led by Ontario’s former minister of health Dr. Eric Hoskins, nor does it set out a timeline for the completion of the work.
“We don’t have an answer on exactly how long because we need to get at it … You need to give us a little bit of time,” said Morneau on Tuesday during the budget lockup.
“We’re trying to get at this issue, it’s a really important issue. … We’re going to find out how we can best approach this.”

Border security

Last year, over 20,000 people crossed the Canada-U.S. border irregularly (between legal checkpoints) and attempted to claim asylum.
The influx was so overwhelming during the summer months, particularly in Quebec, that the government was forced to set up temporary shelters and processing centres.
This year, Ottawa seems to be bracing in advance for a new influx.
The budget dedicates another $173.2 million to enhanced security at the border and the processing of asylum claims.
But according to the budget, that money won’t be used to harden the border or to turn people away.
“Funding would be used to manage the increased number of people seeking asylum in Canada this year, many of whom arrive with their families seeking quick, safe and compassionate processing,” the budget notes.

Infrastructure lapse

The Liberals started their four-year mandate with some big investments in infrastructure (nearly $12 billion over five years, starting in 2016), and argued that by injecting money into projects across the country, they could stimulate economic growth.
The problem, which has been highlighted repeatedly by the Parliamentary Budget Officer, is that the money isn’t getting out the door.
Budget 2018 makes that abundantly clear.
The lapse in projected spending this past year was $2.67 billion; this coming year, it’s projected to hit $2.19 billion.
By 2020 – if federal predictions hold – things should start to look like they’re getting back on track.
Overall though, the aggregate lapse in infrastructure spending will likely sit at $2.5 billion by 2022-2023.
“It’s not a big surprise. I mean the feds couldn’t do it back in 2009-2010 when they were in the global financial crisis,” said Randall Bartlett, chief economist at the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy at the University of Ottawa.
“It took them an additional year to get that spending out the door, too … and this is a lot more money, at a time when the economy is doing really well. So we’re already employing a lot of those construction assets, construction workers.”
The only truly surprising part, he added, is how shocked the government seems to be at its own failure.

Local journalism

As the media landscape shifts, the government has faced calls to step in and help support local journalism.
Critics have warned though of the potential minefield of journalistic ethics that could arise if the government comes to the financial rescue.
Ottawa has very much erred on the side of caution in this budget, dedicating $50 million over the next five years “to one or more independent non-governmental organizations that will support local journalism in underserved communities.”
Economist David Macdonald of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives said $10 million a year is “a pittance” compared to the huge financial hole in which many media organizations find themselves.

Chinese diplomacy

The Liberal government has made no secret of its desire to engage with China on trade, although no formal talks are yet underway. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced heavy criticism last fall when he left Beijing without a firm commitment.
This budget seems to suggest that the government believes more diplomacy is the answer, dedicating $75 million over the next five years to “establish a stronger Canadian diplomatic and trade support presence in China and Asia.” That means more diplomats and trade commissioners on the ground, the document notes, and unnamed “new initiatives” to help bolster future trade ties.

Nature Fund

Normally, funding for parks and conservation isn’t a major budget line item, but this year is the exception to the rule.
Ottawa is setting aside “historic investments” totalling $1.3 billion over the next five years to support biodiversity and protect species at risk.
A full $500 million of that will be used to create a “Nature Fund” that will be a partnership between the federal government, the provinces and territories, and private sector partners.
What that could mean for the average Canadian is more protected spaces, better services and facilities in national and provincial parks, and more species conservation efforts in their communities.

Service dogs

The government is moving to provide more support for Canadians suffering from mental health issues – including veterans – by helping them with the cost of psychiatric service dogs.
Specifically, starting this year, the Medical Expense Tax Credit will be expanded to cover costs associated with the animals.
The government says it recognizes the important role the dogs can play in helping people cope with PTSD and other mental-health conditions.

Veterans’ graves

Last year, Veterans Affairs Canada flagged an enormous backlog of 45,000 veterans’ graves that were in need of repair, out of the 310,000 resting places that the department is responsible for maintaining both in Canada and abroad.
A lack of funding meant that, if nothing changed, it would take 17 years to clear the backlog.
Budget 2018 has responded with an injection of $24.4 million over the next five years, which will be used to make sure the headstones are cleaned, restored, have their foundations fixed and – in the worst cases – be replaced.
The government says that funding should be able to eliminate the whole backlog.

 

[10larry]

Spell greece... K A N A D A.

 

[Curious Cdn]

Spell greece... K A N A D A.

Yeah but the feckin' Germans aren't going to bail us out, though.

So we'll legalize cannabis (an addictive substance) to fund help for opiod addicts.

Oh, that and taxing booze, too.

 

[mentalfloss]

Taxing pot to pay for a better life.

Makes sense.


Budget 2018: Liberals spend billions to close gaps for working women, Indigenous families - Politics - CBC News

 

[Danbones]

Like with Obama and quantitative easing, It would likely have been cheaper and more effective to pay the working women and the indigenous families directly.

Not even.

It's not mandatory that a fetus gets to live just because it's labelled a human.

Sure, tell that to the more than half total of black fetuses in new york which get aborted thanks to "democratic", or "liberal" planned parenthood. Or don't the left think of them as human?

 

[Curious Cdn]

I'm not at all clear how throwing billions of dollars about with improve gender equality. I don't see it.