The government permanently increased the tax rate for banks and life insurance companies to 16.5 per cent on profits over $100 million.
tax hike
The NDP wants to raise the top federal personal income tax rate to 35 per cent.
The top 20 per cent pays nearly two-thirds of all federal and provincial income taxes.
Kenney could have proposed pairing his 8 per cent corporate tax with an 8 per cent single-rate personal income tax.
In this year’s budget, the Wynne government forecasts a nearly 5 per cent increase in program spending.
Ottawa has exacerbated the tax-rate gap between small businesses and employees.
Ottawa has hiked taxes on Canada’s most skilled and educated workers.
The last time Alberta was in a fiscal mess due to low energy revenues and over-the-top government spending, some politicians and pundits said what Albertans really needed was higher taxes. That was back in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Those voices were wrong then and they are wrong now.
For one thing, any fantasy that a tax hike will solve Albertas fiscal woes is the preserve of people who dream in tax-happy Technicolor.
Sure, tax reform is desirable. A provincial sales tax would be smart economic policy since sales taxes are some of the least harmful imposts.