One in two Canadians has negative impression of a politician increasing taxes

I have always said that we should increase taxes to the point whereby we can provide a basic standanrd of living for all citizens. That's the basic . On top of that we should also pay taxes to provide the services they we as a country decide we should have. If we were paying enough taxes we would not have deficits.
Ronald Reagan and George Bush cut taxes drastically. In both case their revenues decreased substantially, their expenditures increased and their deficits increased portportionately.

[updated Thu Jun 21 15:40:21 -0400 2012]

Canada with federal, provincial, and municipal taxes is one of the higher taxed countries in the world. It is not as bad now as in the 1990's (early Paul Martin and Bob Rae in Ontario). When I was teaching taxation, I had occassion one day to speak in person or on the phone to 3 different corporate owners who were closing their businesses here and moving them to the southeast US where the taxes were much lower. Collectively, they employed about 100 people. Not only would Canada lose the taxes of those employers who were making good money and so at relatively high tax bracket but we were losing 100 jobs and the texes those employees would pay. While we can run our taxes slightly higher than another jurisdiction (because of health care and OAS, etc.) there is a point when higher taxes will just drive out the most educated and highest income people.

One of the problems Detroit had was that as they raised taxes, business and residents moved out to other cities (Bloomfield Hills, Wyandotte, Munroe, Dearborn, etc.) leaving the core city with crumbling infrastructure and the poor to look after but no tax base to look after them.

Tax policy has to be done in the context of comparables or it can casue disaster.

[updated Thu Jun 21 20:02:14 -0400 2012]

Would people have answered differently is the question had been "would you increase taxes to support social programmes such as education, infrastructure, and health care" ??

[updated Fri Jun 22 00:10:18 -0400 2012]

Peter Van Loan's Closer.

If you happened to be as lucky as I was, you got to witness Peter Van Loan's wrap up in front of the press earlier today. I can honestly say that I don't remember ever having seen anything in the past quite like it.

Listening to his remarks, I felt a strong urge welling up within me to actually meet the person who crafted that document. It struck me as a dose of purple prose -- with intermittent bilingual tinges.

[updated Fri Jun 22 05:39:09 -0400 2012]

The Quebec Question: Plain, Unvarnished Advice For The Canadian Government.

These remarks may not necessarily go over big in federal Liberal circles. Too bad. That's unfortunate. Yours truly has been preaching for years how nothing is more important than putting the country first -- and strengthening the bonds between its constituent parts.

Fellow federalists need to remember that the Parti Québécois, and its leader Pauline Marois, are not Canadian public enemy number one. Nearly all Quebecers are comfortable with the idea of a PQ government -- if that's how Quebecers vote. Where we as proud Canadians (and Quebecers) have to concentrate the mind is on reducing support for sovereignty to the point where it becomes politically irrelevant -- even when the PQ is in power.

That brings me to the outreach exhibited lately by this Prime Minister. I sense an awakening in the man -- a desire to see what can be done to perhaps rectify past mistakes. And that is all to the good. Our PM has taken a preliminary first step in meeting with former prime minister Brian Mulroney, the man who gave up his health to strengthen Canada. On that point, Harper has my complete support, 110%.

But I would remind Stephen Harper that consultations are great -- whether with Mulroney, Charest or other distinguished and accomplished Quebecers. But action is what really counts. Before moving in this direction, the PM should do at least two things: he should consult across party lines with people like Chrétien, Martin, Daniel Johnson and leaders in the Quebec private sector. More importantly, he needs to talk to the upcoming generation of politicians both in Quebec City and in Ottawa. Harper must get a sense of the pan-Quebec experience as expressed by parties in Ottawa along with the parties open to dialogue and constructive discussion in Quebec City. Finally, he already has an excellent sounding board and really should carefully listen to, and follow as much as is politically feasible, my friend's FRANK advice and counsel -- which he is fortunate enough to have in caucus. To quote one of his expressions: ça bien du bon sens.

Only then, do you move to see what can be accomplished. It's not a question of my way or the highway. It's a matter of finally making this country whole. The person who has the political courage to do that will not only make history but will also cement his or her place as a great statesperson who strengthened the nation we all profess to love so much. If that's indeed the case, it's really worth finally doing something about it.

[updated Sat Jun 23 21:16:34 -0400 2012]

Delacourt Tackles Liberal Leadership!

I'm a great admirer of Susan Delacourt. As far as I'm concerned, she and Craig are certainly among the best of their profession -- they always do their homework and have an inherent ability to drive those in power bonkers. Like I said, thank God for both of them.

Now to the list that was published in The Star -- you know The Star, or as it's known in Conservative circles, The Red Star. (See how good their journalists are.)

I think we can safely boil it down to roughly five names: Trudeau -- if he gets in and takes off not only with Liberals, but later across party lines, he could conceivably beat Harper in an election. Next comes McGuinty (the one actually called Dalton) who has other fish to fry at the moment. If the planets line up just about right at Queen's Park (after the next provincial election) we might conceivably see him take a run at the federal leadership. Like Trudeau, this guy might beat Harper at the polls.

Three (3) other interesting names: Leblanc -- not likely to take the country by storm but if Trudeau's out, he's certainly competitive. Then there's Garneau -- the possible bridge to the future generation of leadership. Again, if Trudeau takes a pass after the summer, Garneau will seriously compete for support with Leblanc in much of the same woods. However, Garneau also has some potential in English Canada. Last and certainly not least: Hall Findlay. I see a fire burning here. That's promising, even without a seat. This is one tough competitor, as others will find out if she joins the fray.

So off to the races with a slow start expected sometime this fall. And may the best Liberal for the job win, whomever that turns out to be. Always remember, how you win is exceedingly important but on the battlefield in politics, winning is everything. Nothing else matters.

[updated Sun Jun 24 04:22:57 -0400 2012]

Remember Hillary's Ad DuringThe Primaries About The Phone Ringing In The Middle Of The Night?

That gang in the PMO really kill me. It's true the ad wasn't effective enough for her to beat Obama -- but it makes me laugh every time the phone rings for some downstream Conservative MP.

The pattern's always the same: they made the mistake of actually being honest, foolishly chose to reflect their constituents opinions, or committed the cardinal sin of politics: daring to present themselves as candidates for a media availability. How thoroughly predictable. It's really starting to get old having gone stale a long time ago.

[updated Thu Jun 28 02:25:47 -0400 2012]

The Essence of Intellectual Laziness.

Think Omar Khadr, Abousfian Abdelrazik -- or even Henk Tepper. One would think that it would stand to reason that one does not take purported evidence simply at face value as it relates to national security or international criminal justice matters.

The concept of reserve, healthy skepticism, or elementary fact checking seems to have escaped the Government of Canada. Hence, the pattern of foot dragging and looking for any and every out in order to delay or prevent an individual's return to Canada.

To treat warrants and extradition requests as the Gospels is hardly the way to go. Nor is it appropriate to permit other nations to suffer a fool gladly. We are passing for rank amateurs -- if not political incompetents of the highest order. Nice job that.

[updated Fri Jun 29 20:08:23 -0400 2012]

For Bill Brathwaite.

Bill,

I don't think it would be appropriate, out of respect for the excellent work Warren does over at his place, for me to pontificate to any great extent on matters not directly addressed to him. So, you will find your answer here!

I really don't know Bill -- but I'm getting the feeling that the Conservative ad strategy no matter whom it happens to be directed at -- is bound to be at least partially successful. Why? If you can legitimately make the case that good and decent people like Dion, Ignatieff and Rae did not exactly catch fire with voters, that in and of itself would seem to be sufficient for the CPC to make further inroads thanks to the ads.

That brings me to Mulcair: now this is where it might get interesting. Mulcair is very popular in Quebec -- less so in English Canada. And yet his popularity would seem to be on the upswing in the ROC. So, might that mitigate Mulcair receiving the full negative treatment that these ads are designed to engender? We will see. I don't expect the Conservative strategy to be ineffectual where Mulcair is concerned because there are some people who are looking for an excuse not to support the NDP -- and Mulcair's oil sands remarks, however deliberately taken out of context by others, would seem to do the trick for those particular people.

And how about theoretical ads against say, a Justin Trudeau? If I had to bet my last dollar, I would argue that Justin, if he gets in, is most popular in Ontario. I think his reception on the streets of Quebec is mixed: most people respect him even when they disagree with him -- but sovereignists and some nationalists are not likely to get on board a Trudeau bandwagon. I think it's a fair assessment to argue that much of Quebec, including francophones, are at least open to hearing what Trudeau has to say. In that context, and projecting forward, my view is that CPC French-language attacks ads might dent Justin's armour a bit more than those in English Canada, with the evident possible exceptions of Alberta and rural Saskatchewan.

[updated Sun Jul 01 01:58:07 -0400 2012]

There Goes Another One...

PRI has defeated the ruling PAN party in Mexico. Couple that with recent electoral results across Europe (where not a single incumbent government has been returned to office) and that trend -- at least at the margins -- cannot bode well for Barack Obama next November.

Personally, I've gone from being certain that Obama can't lose to now wondering whether he will win. Sure, conventional wisdom has it that it will be a close election but whose supporters are mostly likely to turn out on election day? My gut says the right and if that is indeed the case, Obama may have a hard time winning re-election. No wonder he is feverishly dialing for dollars these days. He seems to think without a fresh influx of campaign contributions that Republicans and their allies will not only outspend the Democrats -- but his very presidency may be at stake if the big donors don't pony up one more time. Hardly comforting for those of us in Canada who were looking forward to his re-election.

[updated Mon Jul 02 20:05:18 -0400 2012]

The Folly That Is Cabinet "Punditry"!

The ripple that passed for a cabinet shuffle really made me laugh. You all remember how the pundits had several people moving while others were being demoted or even promoted. Apparently not.

Most of us try to be as objective as we can when looking at the so-called pool of talent that is available. I can tell you one thing, quite a few of these prospective ministers are not even close to being ready to sit at the cabinet table.

Meanwhile, others with experience and depth oozing out of their ears are once again left at the altar. Certainly would not be my call. Cabinet function best when its members, by and large, represent the cream of the crop that's available. This Prime Minister has allowed political considerations to come first. So be it. Mind you, I'm not complaining -- I don't want them fielding the A-Team when we take them on in the next election.

[updated Fri Jul 06 20:01:54 -0400 2012]

Winning Leadership.

With the exception of Deborah Coyne, the pack of alleged Liberal leadership candidates have yet to be heard from. No one else seems to be in any hurry to get in -- least of all Justin Trudeau, who plans to make up his mind by the end of summer. Meanwhile, Trudeau travels across the land taking the country's pulse and getting a feel for what his potential new responsibilities might entail.

Trudeau enjoys some to substantial popularity from one end of Canada to the next. The hard part will be translating that goodwill into personal commitment -- getting those people to go to the wall for him and win not only a party leadership but perhaps also a federal election.

Personal introspection is fine but it should generally come before even entertaining the thought of running. Once you're seriously out in the thick of it, you should already know in your own mind whether you're the best person for the job. If not, there's no point in running. You have to be 100% convinced that no other person in the party can come close to doing the job as effectively and as authentically as you can. Next comes the timing hurdle: remember Reagan's The Time Is Now (1980)? Well, in fact Reagan initially got the timing spectacularly wrong -- having run and lost to Nixon in 1968 and Ford in 1976.

Our potential candidates really have to think about that too. Harper is many things -- least of all, a political lightweight. He will be tough to beat -- not to mention that Mulcair is no slouch either. The next campaign is bound to be hard won. No one will sail into office on a tide of acclaim. And expect it to be seriously dirty. The incumbent party will be fighting for its political life. The next election will make previous campaigns look like a social tea.

I admire Deborah -- Justin and the others for merely contemplating running. Getting in will be akin to the Chinese water torture. Be as prepared as you can be, because it's going to get a hell of a lot worse before it gets better. Lots of political pain, and absolutely no guarantees.

[updated Sun Jul 08 22:27:52 -0400 2012]

D-Day: Nine Mondays To Go!

Thank God Quebecers will finally be going to the polls shortly. It's long overdue to clear the air and see whether Premier Jean Charest is right when his government leaves us with the impression that Quebecers may not talk about it -- but when they end up in front of the ballot boxes, they'll hold their noses, perhaps become nauseous but nonetheless vote Liberal.

For her part, Opposition Leader Pauline Marois has ditched the carré rouge -- a more than obvious sign that under a possible PQ government, the student movement are in for a rather jarring but perhaps not totally unexpected let-down.

If you want to know which party is going to win, ask yourself this question: whom do Quebecers loathe the most? Is it Charest, Marois, or the students? Come up with the correct answer and you'll have the election winner.

In my case, my fearless prediction is coming but it won't be for a while yet!

[updated Tue Jul 10 19:59:41 -0400 2012]

The Progressive Test.

It's easy to talk a good game about actually being a P-R-O-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E. But words, just don't cut it anymore and it applies to Mulcair and whomever our party elects as leader. A true progressive's reason for living is to democratically kick the Harper government's ass right out of the political ball park. No ifs, ands, ors or buts.

Given that self-evident fact, to hell with endless debates about merger, coalition, alliance, co-operation or understandings. Try putting our guts where are mouths usually are -- what we really need going into the next election is a Joint Declaration from both leaders pledging to support each other in Parliament regardless of the seat count. In other words, the voters need to clearly know where we stand -- and what to expect if they vote for either of us and let the chips fall where they may.

Remember, if there's a will, there's a way! We have to be able to appreciate past political history and really learn the valuable lessons that flow from that. No point in making Albert Einstein roll over in his grave by: "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

Right, Tom?

[updated Tue Jul 10 20:53:19 -0400 2012]

The Political Presence That Is Stephen Harper.

Can't resist picking up on Dan Gardner's column in The Ottawa Citizen: all I can say to fellow scribe Gardner is Amen, brother.

People get worked up when governments get elected and head in a direction that many disapprove of. Sure, plenty voted for parties other than the Conservatives. Quite understandable that they might be both ticked off and unappreciative of the new course this Prime Minister is charting for Canada.

It's no secret that Harper won't be inviting me to any of his birthday parties! But hey, even in spite of that self-evident fact, frankly I'm amazed at the invective that is hurled his way. Some of it is actually jaw dropping.

My prescription for change is not over-the-top rhetoric. It's getting off your lazy ass and voting. If more people did that, we might just see political change in the next election. But no, why in heaven's name would we want a top-notch voter participation rate.

In the final analysis, Canada gets the government it deserves. Don't like how this movie is playing out, then mobilize and remember to vote when next our democratic process offers a legitimate opportunity.

[updated Fri Jul 13 02:02:00 -0400 2012]

Why Canada Works!

There's a reason why we can be proud to be Canadian -- and it has precious nothing directly to do with which political party forms the federal government. It's because Canada is a land of tolerance, of respect for democracy and free expression whether we happen to agree with the opinion expressed or not. Most of us are willing to go to the barricades to protect the right of a citizen -- or even a resident, to express their views in a lawful fashion.

Canada is a strong country for so many reasons -- none of which include the cash doled out under equalization. Regions gratefully take the cash as affluent regions did in the past when they were down. It's the Canadian way -- and it's delivered without any litmus test or loyalty oath.

Canada is a remarkable nation -- perhaps the envy of the world. It's no coincidence that there has never been a civil war here. We are the product of a grand bargain. The great Canadian compromise, if you will.

Like any Canadian, I can comment on and offer advice to my fellow Canadians but it's not for me to dictate to others how they should run their own provincial or territorial affairs -- and the same applies to our provincial government.

Again, the glue that holds Canada together is certainly not money. It is one of recognition -- of seeing oneself as being part of a greater whole. Of buying into the commonality of what it truly means to be Canadian. We aren't talking Conservative, New Democrat, Liberal, Bloc or Green values here. Nor are we talking provincial or territorial values. We're speaking of universal Canadian values as freely understood from one end of the country to the other.

In French, we speak of appartenance, a sense of belonging. As long as it exists, and hopefully thrives, this nation will have nothing to worry about. The day that it fades -- in any province or territory, is the point where Canada will be no more.

[updated Sun Jul 15 21:21:06 -0400 2012]