OTTAWA - The federal finance minister is seeking to clarify the new Liberal government's position on the GST.
Bill Morneau was asked directly Tuesday whether he has considered raising the goods and services tax as a way to generate more government revenue.
"You know, one of the things that I'm absolutely sure of is that we should go through our budget process in order to figure out where we're going to get to," Morneau told reporters in Ottawa in response to the question.
"In my estimation, we're going to hear a lot of things from not only my colleagues around the table, but from Canadians about what we should be doing from a budget standpoint. And at the end of that, we'll present to Canadians a plan for the next year and give them a sense of what's going to happen over the next five years.
"I'm not at this stage considering any tax issues that haven't been already put in our campaign platform."
After his remarks were published, Morneau later tweeted: "Contrary to misleading headlines, we are not considering changes to the GST."
In the coming weeks, the government will hold consultations to help it prepare for the federal budget. Morneau has also said the government plans to create an advisory council made up of experts from Canada and abroad that will help Ottawa brainstorm on how best to kick-start economic growth.
The previous Conservative government lowered the GST by two percentage points during its decade in office — a move that eliminated about $14 billion in annual revenues.
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Liberals seek to explain stance on whether to hike GST as revenue booster | National Newswatch
Bill Morneau was asked directly Tuesday whether he has considered raising the goods and services tax as a way to generate more government revenue.
"You know, one of the things that I'm absolutely sure of is that we should go through our budget process in order to figure out where we're going to get to," Morneau told reporters in Ottawa in response to the question.
"In my estimation, we're going to hear a lot of things from not only my colleagues around the table, but from Canadians about what we should be doing from a budget standpoint. And at the end of that, we'll present to Canadians a plan for the next year and give them a sense of what's going to happen over the next five years.
"I'm not at this stage considering any tax issues that haven't been already put in our campaign platform."
After his remarks were published, Morneau later tweeted: "Contrary to misleading headlines, we are not considering changes to the GST."
In the coming weeks, the government will hold consultations to help it prepare for the federal budget. Morneau has also said the government plans to create an advisory council made up of experts from Canada and abroad that will help Ottawa brainstorm on how best to kick-start economic growth.
The previous Conservative government lowered the GST by two percentage points during its decade in office — a move that eliminated about $14 billion in annual revenues.
mo shiny sh!t
Liberals seek to explain stance on whether to hike GST as revenue booster | National Newswatch
