Fraser Institute Tallies Cost of NDP-Green Government
Prince George, B.C. – The Fraser Institute estimates the average family in B.C. will have to pay nearly $600 a year more in taxes under an NDP/Green Government.
In a report released today, the Institute says under the changes proposed by the NDP and Greens, the annual tax burden would increase by $594 dollars for the average B.C. family.
The increase would be largely due to carbon tax and fuel taxes.
The Fraser Institute’s report also suggests higher income taxes, with an additional $144 for families earning between $20,000 and $50,000, a further $389 for families earning between $50 thousand and $100 thousand, and more than $1,000 more for those earning between $150thousand and $250 thousand.
The Institute notes that while the NDP-Green agreement proposes a Climate Action Rebate that will likely protect those in the lower income group from some or all of the tax increases, details of the rebate have not been specified.
The Institute warns other increases are likely because of what it says are “un-costed spending proposals”.
Comments
Why wouldn’t it cost more, we have to support 2 gov’t bureaucracies! Man, what a cluster!
The Fraser Institute, fear mongers paid by fear mongers.
We need the Fraser Institute’s reports and opinions, if not for anything else other than to counter the leftwing swill that is constantly oozing forth from the alt-left Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA)!
A little balance is always good, wouldn’t you agree Dumbfounded?
Or should I just instead be forthright and state:
“The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, fear mongers paid by fear mongers?
Cheers! ;-)
Both the Fraser Institute and CCPA claim to put forth unbiased research for the benefit of all Canadians. Both organizations claim to be funded by donors. Yet on identical subjects these two organizations can come to disperate conclusions. Are they both telling the truth?
Take the above story. I read it and my immediate reaction is – so what? What does that mean? Okay, so we’ll pay more taxes, but what I want to know is what those monies will be invested in? Everybody knows that the BC Liberals spent 16 years striping the funding from all social programs, especially the ones they seek to privatize for their friends; like healthcare and education.
So what will it yield us? That’s what I want to know. Will increase income taxes go to offset the discontinuation of MSP premiums, so that cost can be more fairly spread across the population?
Will increased carbon taxes increase investment in reducing the operating cost of public infrastructure, helping them to retro fit HVAC and lighting to more energy efficient forms. Will it mean energy retrofit grants and rebates for ordinary citizens, so that everyday people can help lower their energy bills and yes, reduce our environmental footprint in the process. Even you must agree that investments in this area are often a boon to the economy.
Will subsidized daycare create more opportunities for people who are otherwise unemployed or underemployed? Will it result in more single parents going back to work because now it makes economic sense to do so? What benefits will that reap? These are the questions I want to see answered.
I stand to pay the highest cost associated with these changes, but if it brings positive economic and social benefits, I have no problem handing it over.
I want us to invest in energy efficiencies, affordable daycare for struggling parents, better health outcomes, better educational outcomes. I also want to see less child poverty, homelessness and general social decay. That’s worth a lot to me.
The statement above says little, except about the motives of the people who conspired to publish it.
The answers to some of your questions are rather apparent.
“Will it mean energy retrofit grants and rebates for ordinary citizens, so that everyday people can help lower their energy bills and yes, reduce our environmental footprint in the process?”
Why should the government subsidize unprofitable businesses? And no, that won’t have any effect on the environment. Investments in this area are only a boon to the economy as long as the taxpayer dollars keep flowing out of government coffers. The economy is supposed to work the other way – economic activity puts dollars into government coffers and pays DOWN debt.
Some say subsidized daycare is a boon to the economy, other say it is a drain. Quebec is often cited as an example of the benefits, but that isn’t a good example because their daycare subsidy has been paid for by Alberta, thanks to transfer payments.
Such programs usually only bring positive economic and social benefits in the short term. Eventually the bill has to be paid – socialism only works as until you run out of other people’s money and credit, and then you will see more child poverty, homelessness and general social decay.
These guys want to apply the carbon tax to the slash piles in the forests too. A tonne of slash might generate three tonnes of CO2 equivalent and cost $100 or more to burn now. Pellet plants can’t pay much and how do you get it out of the bush? Are forestry companies supposed to chip in the bush (with big diesel chippers?).
Bad timing when forestry companies are trying to stay afloat with the softwood lumber dispute.
But then again, these guys don’t hold any seats in forestry areas–so what do they care if our sawmills go under?
Under the Liberals over the last 16 years over 30,000 forestry jobs have been lost.
Due to modernization.
The Fraser institute.. have they predicted anything right yet? Talk about a waste of money…
Could say the same thing about the cash bleeding NDP.
The NDP and Greens have not produced a budget yet, so how do the Fraser Institute know what they are going to do? First, the NDP and Greens will have to find out the true state of the provincial economy and finances: Beware the suprises lurking there! Then they have to priorise services and programs and announce them in a budget to be debated in the house. However, let’s all defer to the fortune tellers on the right, the Fraser Institute and their sycophants on here, undoubtedly they know what they’re talking about, after all, didn’t they all predict the death of the NDP and a massive victory for Clarke? They couldn’t even foretell what would come out of a Coke machine if they had $2 to put in it.
No they didn’t predict the death of the NDP and a massive victory for Clarke. They predicted just what we got.
How does the Fraser Institute know what they are going to do? Ya think maybe they costed out their election promises? Ya think the NDP/Greens won’t raise carbon taxes??? Ya think the NDP track record of the past and other provinces isn’t a good indication?
Good post ammonra.
Calculations based on no figures in no budget, calculated to the nearest dollar accuracy, can only reflect political bias.
Did they include the money creamed off from crown corporations like BC Hydro and ICBC in the costs of existing taxes they were comparing to? After all, that money comes out of the same pockets (ours). Did the Fraser Institute also calculate how much tax increases there would be if all the Liberal pre-election promises were fulfilled? There was quite a long list of expensive promises, also to be paid out of the same pockets (ours). Did they calculate how much of the tax increase might possibly be taken out of off-shore corporate accounts?
How can anyone take this stuff seriously???
Not a surprise from that bunch I gave up on the Fraser institute long ago… lets see our Hydro rates are double the national average , ICBC. rates are set to sky rocket upwards of 42%, we pay IPP’s to NOT produce power according to the Vancouver Sun I am sure the figure stated was 800 million we paid out to IPP’s… we are also on the hook for the largest tailing pond disaster in North America and not a dime from the company that caused it, 40 million in clean up costs
Forensic audits please, but where to start oh if only some one had built a sundeck… oh the influence peddling on a grand scale in those days never mind 20,000$ a plate dinners in our present times.. open the Legislature I look forward to Christy showing up for work for a change…
$600.00 more in taxes? Not a big deal..I can afford 3 times that if I no longer have to pay $1800.00 a year in MSP premiums.
If they abolish MSP premiums, it will not happen until at least half way through or close to the end of their term. They will want the citizens of the province feeling good leading into the next election.
This is a far to controversial a topic. Comments should not be aloud 250.
Learn to spell.
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